For the vast majority of visitors to The United Kingdom, Kent is the first place they see, as it was for the hunter gatherers who travelled from Africa. The people of Kent have not only lived under the rule of Romans, Saxons and Normans – they have seen these invaders come and go from their very shores, and resisted many more. Spanish, Dutch and German invaders have been repelled while refugees from persecution in France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands have been welcomed and offered sanctuary.

The county is wrapped in a 350-mile coastline, which offers a range of habitats and landscapes. Marshes and wetlands, shingle and beaches, woodlands, chalk uplands, wide fertile plains, rolling hills and valleys are all part of the Kentish landscape, along with 250 miles of inland waterways. The county is much like a human palm, criss-crossed with pathways; the chalky ridge of The North Downs shows on a map as the love line and The Greensand Way describes the lifeline. The industrial areas in the north are echoed in the development at Dungeness.

This is the story of a front-line county, with tales of invasion, rebellion, resistance and a surprising number of elephants. Enjoy the journey and come and visit us soon.

The Little History of Kent is published by The History Press and is available from online and bricks-and-mortar bookshops.