Around Headcorn, Sutton Valence Castle leads the list
What there is to see lies just outside: 3 places within 5 km of its edge. There are a castle, a museum and a zoo to choose from. Our list counts one place looked after by English Heritage. A day out reaches Leeds Castle, 8.7 km away.
The first to see around Headcorn
Then come a museum and a zoo, behind Sutton Valence Castle.
Castle · English HeritageSutton Valence Castle4.3 km outside town, to the northwestMuseumMuseumLashenden Air Warfare Museum1.6 km outside town, to the southeastZooZooThe Big Cat Sanctuary1.7 km outside town, to the southeastEach has a page of its own: what it is, who runs it, the weather month by month and what else is near it.
The layout
To the southeast lie most of the 3 nearby.
The dashed line is Headcorn’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
The places here are a castle, a museum and a zoo.
Green: inside Headcorn. Grey: within 5 km of its edge.
1 place is cared for by English Heritage (Sutton Valence Castle).
Everything to see
These 3 are all within 5 km of its edge.
Close and well known first. Churches and listed buildings are on the History page, not here.
40 listed buildings are on Headcorn’s History page → · Parks, footpaths and green space in Headcorn →
Beyond the town
Top of the 12 day trips: Leeds Castle, at 8.7 km.
CastleLeeds Castle8.7 km north
Castle · National TrustBodiam Castle20 km south
CathedralCanterbury Cathedral34 km east
Garden · National TrustSissinghurst Castle and Garden6.9 km southwest
Abbey or priory · English HeritageSaint Augustine's Abbey34 km east
CathedralRochester Cathedral26 km north
Castle · English HeritageRochester Castle26 km north
Historic houseHever Castle36 km west
Abbey or priory · English HeritageBattle Abbey30 km south
Castle · English HeritageUpnor Castle27 km north
Historic house · National TrustKnole House31 km west
Castle · National TrustScotney Castle18 km southwestPlaces well known beyond Headcorn (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.
Know before you go to Headcorn
What is there to see near Headcorn?
No attraction is mapped inside Headcorn itself. Within 5 km of it are Sutton Valence Castle, Lashenden Air Warfare Museum and The Big Cat Sanctuary.
Does Headcorn have a museum?
1 museum or gallery is in or within 5 km of Headcorn: Lashenden Air Warfare Museum.
Is there a National Trust or English Heritage property near Headcorn?
Yes. In or within 5 km of Headcorn, 1 place is cared for by English Heritage (Sutton Valence Castle).
What are the best-known days out near Headcorn?
Within 40 km: Leeds Castle (8.7 km), Bodiam Castle (20 km), Canterbury Cathedral (34 km), Sissinghurst Castle and Garden (6.9 km).
Where are Headcorn’s historic buildings listed?
Headcorn has 40 listed buildings, 1 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 Headcorn 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 (13)
- Sutton Valence Castle: Ukiws, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Leeds Castle: Misterzee, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Bodiam Castle: Antony McCallum, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Canterbury Cathedral: Hans Musil, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Sissinghurst Castle and Garden: Hans Bernhard (Schnobby), CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Saint Augustine's Abbey: Rob Farrow, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Rochester Cathedral: Raggatt2000, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Rochester Castle: Clem Rutter, Rochester, Kent, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Hever Castle: Nigel Lamb, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Battle Abbey: Antony McCallum, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Upnor Castle: Clem Rutter, Rochester, Kent, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Knole House: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Scotney Castle: Berit from Redhill/Surrey, UK, CC BY 2.0, 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.