​MORE than 100 visitor attractions, including castles, historic houses, river tours and steam trains, are offering 18,000 free tickets to local residents for the Kent Big Day Out on Saturday March 27.

The free tickets to all the top attractions and hidden delights that entertain visitors to the county throughout the year  are available to download from www.

kentbigdayout.co.uk and from local visitor information centres.   Demand has been so high that the site crashed twice last week but   is now up and running.

The Kent Big Day Out is organised by Visit Kent at Kent County Council to showcase the best the county has to offer and to enable local people to find out more about all the experiences there are to be enjoyed right on their own  doorstep.

This year, the fourth Kent Big Day Out is offering an even wider choice of fun experiences ranging from discovering the dark secrets of Chislehurst Caves to learning the skills of the Saxon Stars Cheerleading Squad.

Less familiar delights welcoming visitors will include the Shell Grotto and Drapers Windmill in Margate and the Secret Gardens of Sandwich devised by Gertrude Jekyll to complement an outstanding manor house designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

Garden lovers will find plenty to admire in the many spring displays at such popular destinations as Scotney Castle, Groombridge Place, Emmetts Garden, Riverhill House, Chartwell and Sissinghurst Castle.

A trip to one of the many participating grand houses such as Down House Squerryes Court, Knole, Hever Castle and Gardens, Ightham Mote, Godinton, Belmont, Smallhythe Place or Penshurst will open the door to many different aspects of great lives in Kent and the many historic events that have shaped the landscape, towns and villages over the centuries.

This year’s Kent Big Day Out is also ideal for people enjoying a breath of fresh air – either watching a great football match at the Princes Park Stadium in Dartford or seeking more solitary surroundings to be savoured, for example, at the RSPB Dungeness Nature Reserve, Bedgebury Pinetum, Samphire Hoe, or Romney Marsh via the Romney Marsh Visitor Centre.

Go Ape at Bedgebury Forest and Leeds Castle offers a host of physical challenges and the energetic will also appreciate the chance of experiencing the facilities at Stonelees Golf Centre, a bowling match, or the Revolution Skatepark in Thanet.

Animal lovers and children are sure to be keen to take advantage of the many free tickets to such  visit attractions such as the Wildwood Trust, near Herne Bay, Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve, Wingham Wildlife Park, and Eagle Heights Wildlife Park and the Rare Species Conservation Centre, at Sandwich.

Meanwhile, there are the thrills and spills for all the family at Diggerland and the chance to savour past times at Dickens World, Chatham, and at the Canterbury Tales.

Exploring the past and gaining a greater understanding of Kent is made fun for all at such key destinations as Canterbury Cathedral and The Historic Dockyard Chatham, Dover Castle, Upnor Castle and Rochester Castle.

Many museums will also welcome Big Day Out visitors and drawing attention to their special collections including the fine keyboards at Finchcocks, memories of one of Kent’s greatest writers at Dickens House Museum, Broadstairs, and the RAF Spitfire and Hurricane Memorial Museum, at Ramsgate.

 

“The range of destinations taking part in the Kent Big Day Out 2010 is fantastic,” says Kevin Lynes, the Kent County Council cabinet member responsible for tourism.

“There is so much to choose from and we are delighted with the tremendous support this event attracts year on year from major organisations including the National Trust and English Heritage, all the independent attractions many of which rely on volunteers to open their doors to the public, as well as key local transport providers such as Stagecoach.

“Even more importantly, it is a day when everyone living in Kent can have fun and really celebrate how much our county has to offer our residents and our visitors.”

In addition to its fascinating coastline and areas of outstanding natural beauty, Kent is famed for its orchards and its fine foods and drink.

As part of the Kent Big Day Out local residents will have a chance to explore the tree collections at Brogdale, near Faverham, as well as the skills of vine growing and producing the best of English wines at the Chapel Down Winery, at Tenterden, and Biddenden Vineyards. Beer enthusiasts are bound to welcome a visit to the Ramsgate Brewery. Many of the county’s attractions also take pride in serving local produce in their cafes and restaurants.

 

For a full list The attractions taking part in Kent Big Day Out visit www.kentbigdayout.co.uk