Faversham, a quiet market town – steeped in history?

Come and join one of our guided Town Walks to learn even more about Faversham’s rich heritage. Faversham is home to more than 450 listed buildings, many with very interesting stories, but only one place in England has more listed buildings per square kilometre… be sure to ask which it is!

Each of our Town Guides brings an individual approach to their walk. They have their own particular interests that illustrate the walk, whether it is from a literary, architectural or people direction, but they all share their love and pride in Faversham with enthusiasm. The guides know the town's hidden gems, the long bricks of Gatefield Lane, pargetting in West Street and the stories of many of the town’s residents from long ago.

The walks take between one and a half and two hours and are not physically demanding, although part of the walk may involve cobblestones underfoot.

We start at the Visitor Information Centre based at 12 Market Place, opposite the iconic Guildhall. The walks include many quirky places, as well as the Market Place. Court Street has many interesting buildings and you will discover which monarch was held captive here and another who was alleged to have had his face slapped by the mistress of the house. Abbey Street is described as “one of the finest medieval streets in Britain” and every building has a tale to tell or a feature to admire; the existing architecture spans many centuries and is lovingly preserved today. Learn about monarchs, saints and the infamous murder case that prompted a 16th century play that is still performed by, amongst others, The Royal Shakespeare Company.

The Abbey Physic Garden stands in the grounds of the Old Grammar School and the school, now Freemasons’ Hall, is a fine example of a Tudor building. St Mary of Charity Parish Church is larger than some cathedrals and, in Kent, is exceeded in size by only Canterbury and Rochester cathedrals and, allegedly, Maidstone Parish Church, (formerly part of the Archbishops Palace). Its crown spire, visible for miles around, is one of only eight in the UK, and the design was chosen as a response to the many accidents in the local gunpowder industry. Inside, see the painted column dating from 1306 and the tomb that allegedly holds the remains of King Stephen.

Our guided Town Walks are an ideal fun and educational way to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of this unique market town, a town of Kings! Walks start at the following times – just turn up and join us!

Walking with History in Faversham - 2023 Schedule

Meet at the Visitor Information Centre, 12 Market Place ME13 7AE for a 10.30 departure

Cost: Adults £5.00, accompanied children £3.00 - free for Faversham Society members

Email townwalks@favershamsociety.org to request further information about any of our walks.

Group bookings and enquiries
Group tours can be arranged for any weekday, including visits to the Heritage Centre and Museum, by calling Antony Millett on 01795 483289 or 07771 184441 or by email at townwalks@favershamsociety.org . Timings and content of tours can be tailored to the needs of your group. If your members have any particular interests then please advise us beforehand and we will try and include these in your walk.

Group visits - minimum of 10 people or £50

Arriving in Faversham

Recommended Carpark:          Forbes Rd, Faversham ME13 8PG. (Others are limited to a max. of 4 hours).

Coach Drop-off:            Coaches may drop off passengers at Lesley Smith Drive, adjacent to Central Carpark. Drop-off and pick-up times in the town are limited to a maximum of 15 minutes, so we try to ensure that your timetable is adhered to.

Coach Drop-off Post Code:     ME13 8PW.  Please note the 15-minute limited waiting time.

Food and Drink

On arrival after a journey, the first two things that people usually require are the loo and a welcoming drink. We have arranged for them both to be available at the Alexander Centre (17 Preston Street, Faversham ME13 8NZ) an historic building where your walk will commence, and where the Group Leader can confirm the itinerary, numbers and finalise payment.

The Alexander Centre will provide either filter coffee or tea, for a standard price of £2.00 per head. Time constraints prevent the preparation of cappuccino, latte, chocolate etc. Advance confirmation of numbers and a single payment to the Alexander Centre would be appreciated.

Faversham has many places where you can have lunch, including fine dining, sandwiches and snacks to an all-day breakfast. Many of these places are not large enough to handle large parties, particularly at short notice, or on a Market Day, (Tues/Fri/Sat).  We are happy to make enquiries and advise.

Creek FM and Walking with History Podcasts

Mike Adams from Creek FM and Town Guide Antony Millett met up one fine Sunday morning for a walk around the centre of Faversham. Along the way, Mike was introduced to parts of the town that he had previously ignored and heard stories of people and events that have provided us with the rich heritage that we now enjoy.

The two-hour walk has been edited into five (5) twenty-minute Podcasts and cover the area bounded by Market Street, Market Square, Middle Row, Court Street, Abbey Street, Abbey Place, Church Path, Church Road and East Street.

The walk took Mike and Antony about two hours and follows the route usually taken on the Walking with History tours. The timing for the regular tours is between 11/2 and 2 hours but depends on the speed of the slowest guest. As such, these Podcasts contain material that is often omitted from the Walking with History tours because of time constraints.

This podcast begins at the Junction of East Street and Market Street and concludes at the Ship Inn. In this very short journey, there are encounters with Saints, Benefactors, Murderers and Royalty, all of whom have left their mark on Faversham.

This podcast continues from the Ship Inn and includes the reason for the iconic "design" of the Guildhall, our "dry" pump, our youngest listed building in Middle Row before arriving in Court Street.

Partridge Lane, Shepherd Neame and Court Street and the first part of Abbey Street give up some of their secrets, including alleged assaults and imprisonment on Royalty and why some brick structures are not all that they seem.

Continuing along Abbey Street and into Abbey Place we hear about Faversham Abbey, and where to find it now, and some of the characters behind the founding of the Old Grammar School.

The Old (Queen Elizabeth's) Grammar School and the Parish Church of St Mary of Charity yield some of the secrets before a visit to a surprisingly quiet residence that had a scholarly history.