View from tower of St Peter's Church, Sandwich - rooftops towards High Street

Sandwich, #1 on this list · Photo: Colin Park · CC BY-SA 2.0

Kent rankings · History

Most historic towns in Kent

Sandwich ranks first on history among Kent’s 87 towns of 2,500+; 26 of the 87 grade A− or better against UK towns.

The History Grade, a character grade (not part of the overall): listed buildings, monuments and registered parks (Historic England, Cadw), per resident and as a count, and homes built before 1919. The rank across England and Wales sits beside each letter. How grades work

Sandwich

4,258 people

A⁺

Better than almost every UK town·#7 of 2,156 in England and Wales

Cranbrook

3,962 people

A⁺

Better than 98% of UK towns·#32 of 2,156 in England and Wales

Hawkhurst

3,683 people

A⁺

Better than 98% of UK towns·#35 of 2,156 in England and Wales

All 87 towns, ranked

History grade, best first; ranks are the county ranks on each town’s page (T = tied). Military garrison towns and university campuses keep their grades but aren’t ranked. Each rank across England and Wales links to the national list.

Every town in Kent →

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87 towns.

#TownGrade · UK rankCompared with UK towns

1Sandwich4,258 peopleA⁺#7 of 2,156 nationallybetter than almost every UK town

2Cranbrook3,962 peopleA⁺#32 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 98% of UK towns

3Hawkhurst3,683 peopleA⁺#35 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 98% of UK towns

4Westerham3,390 peopleA⁺#36 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 97% of UK towns

5Faversham20,941 peopleA⁺#40 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 97% of UK towns

6Ash (Dover)2,529 peopleA⁺#57 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 96% of UK towns

7Ramsgate42,031 peopleA⁺#59 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 96% of UK towns

8Deal28,992 peopleA⁺#75 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 95% of UK towns

9West Malling4,251 peopleA#83 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 95% of UK towns

10Royal Tunbridge Wells51,215 peopleA#121 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 92% of UK towns

11Dover36,349 peopleA#150 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 90% of UK towns

12Folkestone51,987 peopleA#153 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 90% of UK towns

13Margate63,315 peopleA#171 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 90% of UK towns

14Sevenoaks26,474 peopleA#176 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 89% of UK towns

15Canterbury55,107 peopleA#182 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 89% of UK towns

16Tenterden7,775 peopleA#187 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 89% of UK towns

17Hadlow3,168 peopleA#189 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 89% of UK towns

18Sheerness13,253 peopleA#231 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 87% of UK towns

19Lydd3,911 peopleA⁻#267 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 85% of UK towns

20Hythe14,613 peopleA⁻#299 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 84% of UK towns

21Broadstairs25,780 peopleA⁻#370 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 80% of UK towns

22Lenham and Harrietsham4,763 peopleA⁻#386 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 79% of UK towns

T23Marden3,489 peopleA⁻#395 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 79% of UK towns

T23Rochester67,279 peopleA⁻#395 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 79% of UK towns

25Chartham3,569 peopleA⁻#456 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 76% of UK towns

26Sturry4,857 peopleA⁻#467 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 75% of UK towns

27Queenborough3,915 peopleB⁺#490 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 74% of UK towns

28Rusthall and Langton Green7,783 peopleB⁺#496 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 74% of UK towns

29Minster (Thanet)4,739 peopleB⁺#510 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 74% of UK towns

30Tonbridge36,136 peopleB⁺#520 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 73% of UK towns

31New Romney3,870 peopleB⁺#526 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 73% of UK towns

32Chatham76,956 peopleB⁺#541 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 72% of UK towns

33Maidstone109,503 peopleB⁺#563 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 71% of UK towns

34Coxheath8,453 peopleB⁺#565 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 71% of UK towns

35Pembury5,783 peopleB⁺#580 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 70% of UK towns

36Herne Bay24,873 peopleB⁺#584 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 70% of UK towns

37Gillingham108,485 peopleB⁺#586 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 70% of UK towns

38Staplehurst6,181 peopleB⁺#590 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 70% of UK towns

39Teynham3,128 peopleB⁺#604 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 70% of UK towns

40Southborough9,632 peopleB⁺#614 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 69% of UK towns

41Gravesend58,105 peopleB⁺#619 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 69% of UK towns

42Cliffe2,531 peopleB⁺#626 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 69% of UK towns

43Headcorn3,293 peopleB⁺#629 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 69% of UK towns

44Hildenborough4,943 peopleB#743 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 63% of UK towns

45Borough Green4,712 peopleB#745 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 63% of UK towns

46Otford and Kemsing7,332 peopleB#781 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 61% of UK towns

47Whitstable32,185 peopleB#790 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 61% of UK towns

48Newington2,691 peopleB#798 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 61% of UK towns

49Edenbridge7,903 peopleB#811 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 60% of UK towns

50Sittingbourne54,385 peopleB#846 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 59% of UK towns

51Ashford82,143 peopleB#881 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 57% of UK towns

52Northfleet29,892 peopleB⁻#957 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 54% of UK towns

53Bearsted8,349 peopleB⁻#958 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 53% of UK towns

54Dartford69,131 peopleB⁻#1,034 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 50% of UK towns

55Larkfield26,147 peopleB⁻#1,051 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 49% of UK towns

56Swanscombe15,462 peopleB⁻#1,065 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 49% of UK towns

57Halling2,926 peopleB⁻#1,067 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 49% of UK towns

58Dymchurch3,097 peopleB⁻#1,089 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 48% of UK towns

59Snodland11,820 peopleB⁻#1,110 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 47% of UK towns

60Meopham4,349 peopleB⁻#1,126 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 46% of UK towns

61Herne14,874 peopleC⁺#1,229 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 42% of UK towns

62South Darenth and Sutton at Hone4,091 peopleC⁺#1,265 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 40% of UK towns

63Higham2,642 peopleC#1,497 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 29% of UK towns

64Eastchurch3,381 peopleC#1,543 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 27% of UK towns

65Longfield, New Ash Green and Hartley16,077 peopleC#1,565 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 26% of UK towns

66Paddock Wood7,616 peopleC⁻#1,585 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 25% of UK towns

67Cuxton3,039 peopleC⁻#1,596 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 24% of UK towns

68West Kingsdown4,306 peopleC⁻#1,767 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 17% of UK towns

69Dunton Green3,241 peopleD#1,816 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 14% of UK towns

70Minster (Swale)16,735 peopleD#1,858 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 12% of UK towns

71Stone6,438 peopleD#1,874 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 12% of UK towns

72Kings Hill9,963 peopleD#1,876 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 11% of UK towns

73Halfway Houses4,396 peopleD#1,931 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 9% of UK towns

74Littlestone-on-Sea5,271 peopleD#1,934 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 9% of UK towns

75Hoo St Werburgh8,758 peopleD#1,944 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 9% of UK towns

76Hextable4,100 peopleD#1,962 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 8% of UK towns

77Iwade4,533 peopleD#1,967 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 8% of UK towns

78Swanley17,209 peopleD⁻#2,070 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 4% of UK towns

79Istead Rise3,398 peopleD⁻#2,095 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 3% of UK towns

80Darenth2,588 peopleD⁻#2,100 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 2% of UK towns

T81Hawkinge8,499 peopleD⁻#2,101 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 2% of UK towns

T81Whitfield6,509 peopleD⁻#2,101 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 2% of UK towns

83Joyden's Wood4,912 peopleD⁻#2,121 of 2,156 nationallybetter than 2% of UK towns

84Cliffe Woods2,689 peopleD⁻#2,134 of 2,156 nationallybehind almost every UK town

85St Mary's Bay2,966 peopleD⁻#2,138 of 2,156 nationallybehind almost every UK town

86Aylesham5,788 peopleD⁻#2,142 of 2,156 nationallybehind almost every UK town

87Ebbsfleet Valley2,989 peopleD⁻#2,150 of 2,156 nationallybehind almost every UK town

Quick answers

Questions people ask

What is the most historic town in Kent?

Sandwich ranks first on history among 87 towns, with an A+: better than almost every UK town. Cranbrook and Hawkhurst follow.

How are these towns ranked?

The History Grade, a character grade (not part of the overall): listed buildings, monuments and registered parks (Historic England, Cadw), per resident and as a count, and homes built before 1919. The letter and rank are the same as on each town’s page. How grades work.

Why isn’t my town on this list?

Garrison towns and university campuses aren’t ranked, and towns without the figures this grade needs are counted above. The list covers Kent’s towns of 2,500+ with the figure. Smaller places show it on their own pages; every town in Kent is on the county page.

Go deeper

More Kent lists

Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.

All Kent rankings →

Sources: Historic England, National Heritage List for England (listed buildings, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, battlefields, World Heritage Sites), October 2026, inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary · Cadw listed buildings, scheduled monuments and registered historic parks and gardens via DataMapWales, October 2026, inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary · Valuation Office Agency, Council Tax: stock of properties by build period (31 March 2025) · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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.