Ashford Borough Museum, the place to visit in Ashford
Of the 5 places to visit in and around Ashford, 3 are castles or historic places. We list one place to visit inside Ashford’s built-up area and 4 within 5 km of its edge. In heritage care, one place on the list is looked after by English Heritage. Drive 21 km to reach Canterbury Cathedral.
Start here in Ashford
The list goes on from Ashford Borough Museum to a historic house, an abbey or priory and a historic site.
MuseumAshford Borough Museumin town
Historic houseGodinton House600 m outside town, to the northwest
Abbey or prioryBilsington Priory3.3 km outside town, to the southeastHistoric siteHistoric site · English HeritageThe Wye Undercroft2.8 km outside town, to the northeastMuseumMuseumThe Agricultural Museum3.1 km outside town, to the eastEach has a page of its own: what it is, who runs it, the weather month by month and what else is near it.
On the map
The list reaches out to Bilsington Priory, 7.4 km away.
The dashed line is Ashford’s built-up area; orange marks its middle (where most people live). Numbers match the list below. © OpenStreetMap contributors · ONS built-up area 2022
What is on offer
Castles or historic places number 3, museums or galleries 2.
Green: inside Ashford. Grey: within 5 km of its edge.
1 place is cared for by English Heritage (The Wye Undercroft).
All 5 on the list
First the one in town, then the 4 within 5 km of its edge.
The one inside Ashford comes first, then the places within 5 km, close and well known first. Churches and listed buildings are on the History page, not here.
226 listed buildings and 2 scheduled monuments are on Ashford’s History page → · Parks, footpaths and green space in Ashford →
Day trips from Ashford
Canterbury Cathedral, 21 km away, is the best known of the 12.
CathedralCanterbury Cathedral21 km northeast
Abbey or priory · English HeritageSaint Augustine's Abbey21 km northeast
Castle · National TrustBodiam Castle28 km southwest
CastleLeeds Castle20 km northwest
Castle · English HeritageDover Castle32 km east
Garden · National TrustSissinghurst Castle and Garden20 km west
CathedralRochester Cathedral37 km northwest
Castle · English HeritageRochester Castle38 km northwest
CastleLympne Castle13 km southeast
CastleCanterbury Castle21 km northeast
CastleChilham Castle13 km northeast
Abbey or priory · English HeritageBattle Abbey37 km southwestPlaces well known beyond Ashford (Wikipedia articles in several languages, published visitor counts, or a National Trust, English Heritage or Cadw property), close and famous first. Distances are straight lines from the middle of the town.
Questions about Ashford’s attractions
What are the main attractions in Ashford?
The place to visit inside Ashford’s built-up area is Ashford Borough Museum. In all, 1 place to visit is mapped inside the town, and 4 more within 5 km.
Does Ashford have a museum?
2 museums and galleries are in or within 5 km of Ashford: Ashford Borough Museum and The Agricultural Museum.
Is there a National Trust or English Heritage property near Ashford?
Yes. In or within 5 km of Ashford, 1 place is cared for by English Heritage (The Wye Undercroft).
What are the best-known days out near Ashford?
Within 40 km: Canterbury Cathedral (21 km), Saint Augustine's Abbey (21 km), Bodiam Castle (28 km), Leeds Castle (20 km).
Where are Ashford’s historic buildings listed?
Ashford has 226 listed buildings, 2 of them Grade I. They are on its History page, from Historic England’s list, not repeated here.
How is this list made?
From OpenStreetMap (museums, galleries, zoos, theme parks and attractions, castles, forts and abbeys, and historic houses and gardens that are open to visitors) and Wikidata (what each place is, who runs it, its website and visitor counts). A place counts for Ashford when it is inside the ONS 2022 built-up area, and as nearby within 5 km of its edge. Opening times and prices are not shown: check the official site.
Places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database Licence) and Wikidata (CC0), placed in the ONS 2022 built-up area (Open Government Licence v3.0). Visitor counts are the latest Wikidata gives, with their year.
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (15)
- Ashford Borough Museum: Dave Skinner, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Godinton House: Michael Dibb, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Bilsington Priory: Mat Elliott, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Canterbury Cathedral: Hans Musil, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Saint Augustine's Abbey: Rob Farrow, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Bodiam Castle: Antony McCallum, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Leeds Castle: Misterzee, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dover Castle: Chensiyuan, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Sissinghurst Castle and Garden: Hans Bernhard (Schnobby), CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Rochester Cathedral: Raggatt2000, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Rochester Castle: Clem Rutter, Rochester, Kent, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Lympne Castle: Robin Webster, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Canterbury Castle: Oast House Archive, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Chilham Castle: Daywalker, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Battle Abbey: Antony McCallum, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.