Darenth Country Park
| Darenth Country Park | |
|---|---|
Dartford Borough Council | |
| Open | 7 days a week, dawn until dusk |
| Website | Official website |
Darenth Country Park is in Darenth near Dartford, in Kent, England. On the site of a former demolished hospital site Darenth Park Hospital, also the site of a scheduled ancient monument and the site of ancient Saxon burials. Due to this protection it was turned into a millennium open-space park.
History
In 1954,
In 1978, 'Dartford & District Archaeological Group' excavated a trench on the site, before a planning application was made by
The hospital buildings were then demolished in 1995.[5] The new Darent Valley Hospital was built on part of the site. Then a 'village' of 300 new houses was also built on a portion and the remaining 100 acres became the Darenth Country Park.[6] The only surviving building is the former 'Darenth Park Hospital Farm', which is now used as a riding school. Arrow Riding School for the disabled.[7] Also survived was The Darenth Hospital War Memorial, which was unveiled on 16 December 1927 by General Fell. It commemorates hospital staff who were killed in both World Wars. Eleven names are from the 1st World War.[8]
The park was developed as a "Changing Places" National Millennium Project [9]
The council employed artist Andy McKeown to work with local schools and community groups to design the sculpture in the park.[10]
In 2004, Kent Thameside Green Grid Design Strategy and Guidelines was produced by Kent County Council. It proposed to extend both Beacon Wood Country Park and Darenth Country Park to create a ‘joined’ Darenth and Beacon Country Park.[11]
Ecology
It is situated on the edge of the North Downs and a portion of the wood (on the northern boundary) in the park, is part of Site of Special Scientific Interest.[12]
The park is within a shallow river valley with the main 'Chestnut Driveway' path marking the bottom of the valley. Which leads East - West to Gore Road (on the eastern edge).
The
The park also has 'traditional'
Includes apple varieties such as "Kentish Fillibasket" (1820)[14] and "Golden Pippin" (1629) [15] are at the top end of the orchard. Towards the other end of the orchard there are modern dwarf and semi-dwarf varieties, such as "Discovery" and "Red Devil".[16]
In addition there are horse grazing paddocks [17]
How to get there
Head south from the A296 (between Dartford and the A2 to Gravesend), down Gore Road.
References
- ^ "6. Darenth Park Hospital". Kentarchaeology.org.uk. March 2006. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
- ^ "SAXON SETTLERS IN THE DARTFORD AREA". www.dartfordarchive.org.uk. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
- ^ "Darenth bowl". www.dartfordarchive.org.uk. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
- ^ Historic England (1979). "Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Darenth Park (1003126)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
- ^ Veronika & Fred Chambers and Rob Higgins Hospitals of London (2014), p. 177, at Google Books
- ^ "Darenth Park Hospital". ezitis.myzen.co.uk. June 2009. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
- ^ "Darenth Country Park". www.bfdc.co.uk. 4 July 2000. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
- ^ Stephen Wynn Dartford in the Great War (2016), p. 100, at Google Books
- ^ "Millennium capital project: Changing Places: Darenth Country Park, Dartford, Kent: monthly project measures; detailed appraisal review (DAR)". Nationalarchives.gov.uk. 1 January 1995. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
- ^ "Darenth Country Park". Bushcraftexperience.com. 5 February 2012. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 March 2012. Retrieved 23 June 2011.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "SSSI name: Scord's Wood and Brockhoult Mount" (PDF). Sssi.naturalengland.org.uk. 1968. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
- ^ "Darenth Country Park". Woodland Trust. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
- ^ "Kentish fillbasket apple". Orangepippin.com. Retrieved 2 December 2013.
- ^ "Golden Pippin Apple". Keepers-nursery.co.uk. Archived from the original on 28 December 2014. Retrieved 2 December 2013.
- ^ "Red Devil apple". Orangepippin.com. Retrieved 2 December 2013.
- ^ "Pony close to death after food swells in stomach following Darenth Country Park break-in". Newsshopper.co.uk. South East UK. 13 November 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2013.