Ashford in north Kent has been a market town since the thirteenth century with a reputation for sourcing locally produced food and drink. Ashford Farmers’ Market is about to enter its second year and has already been placed in the top 10 farmers’ markets in Kent. Taking place on the first Sunday of every month 10am to 2pm in the lower High Street, the Ashford Farmers’ Market features street food, chef demonstrations and varying seasonal themes depending on the time of year. Shoppers can stop for coffee, breakfast, lunch or cakes from one of the numerous street-food stalls, pick up some tasty locally sourced food and drink including bread, beer, cheese, chutneys, fish, fruit, game, olives, vegetables and wine, and check out the talented chefs creating delicious dishes using ingredients sourced from the market.
Ashford is also a major communication centre following the opening of its international passenger station linking it to London and the Channel Tunnel. The town, which lies on the River Great Stour on the south edge of the North Downs about 60 miles south-east of London, gets its name from the Old English aescet: a ford near a clump of ash trees.
A heritage trail takes you on a journey through narrow alleyways known as Middle Row with medieval, Jacobean and Georgian houses, past the old town jail and a First World War tank, before winding past the historic churchyard and the local history museum, built in 1635 and originally the site of Ashford’s first grammar school.
