Following on from the recent Christmas special and with a new season on the horizon, Doctor Who is once again a hot topic of conversation. That said, some may be unaware that Kent has actually served as the home to a former lord of time and space for a number of years.
Tom Baker brought the fourth incarnation of the eccentric time traveller to life between 1974 and 1981. In all, Baker appeared in a total of 172 episodes meaning he holds the longest tenure of any actor to travel in the Tardis.
At the height of 6ft 3in, the 90-year-old is also the tallest of all the Doctors. Much like his onscreen counterpart, Baker has spent much of his life travelling – though not to other planets or time periods.
Born in Liverpool back in 1934, his father was a sailor in the Merchant Navy and his mother a cleaner and barmaid. Alongside East Sussex and Somerset, Tom has called Kent home during multiple points of his life.
His connections to the Garden of England began rather early, having joined the Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama in Sidcup in 1956. It was his studies here which gave him the tools to go on and become a professional actor.
Baker boasts the impressive feat of portraying The Doctor longer than anyone else
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He then actually moved to Kent following his third marriage in 1986, when he and his new bride stayed in Maidstone. Tom and his wife Sue Jerrard, an assistant editor on Doctor Who, found a home with the Bell House in the village of Boughton Malherbe.
This home, an impressively converted school, would be their residence until January 2003 when the pair moved to France. Following their move, the house then passed to another of Kent’s famous faces, Vic Reeves, who bought the property from them.
Tom would later return to Kent in 2006, when he bought a house in Tunbridge Wells, before moving on once again, this time to the beautiful town of Rye in East Sussex. Tom has been incredibly open about his time in Kent over the years.
Tom has been outspoken on his love for Kent and regularly visits the county
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Speaking to Great British Life, he discussed his college days: “I managed to see a fair bit of Kent at the time and I liked what I saw – you could be on the coast in a jiffy and in London in a jiffy in the other direction.
He added: “What a beautiful county – the Garden of England. It really is too.” He has even gone so far as to say he would like our county to be his final resting place when the sad comes.
The Little Britain star (he was the narrator) has bought a plot in the churchyard next to Bell House for when he passes. Tom said: “I cannot think of a better place to be buried.”
Tom’s performance as the fourth iteration of the Doctor is undeniably one of the most iconic and a firm favourite among fans
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Tom has been seen exploring Kent multiple times in recent years, visiting quirky shops and cosy cafes. In November last year, the former Time Lord stopped by Brunch and Brew in Tenterden near Ashford.
Sharing a picture of his visit to the café, Brunch and Brew wrote: “In 900 years of time and space, I’ve never met anyone who wasn’t important,” – an iconic quote from the series. The 89-year-old can be seen sitting and enjoying a drink at the café – still rocking his signature sense of style.
Tom has recently made headlines once again after landing an MBE in the King’s New Year Honours List for 2025. Highlighting the achievements and accomplishments of extraordinary people across the country, Tom was recognised for his services to television over the decades.
While Tom passed on the keys to the Tardis in 1981, he has since made a return to the series back in the 2013 special, The Day of the Doctor, in which he portrayed The Curator. He has been outspoken on his continued love for Doctor Who and has said he wouldn’t rule out reprising the role.