“Did you know that Kent County Council services include the care and management of the county’s Country Parks?” asked Councillor David Brazier recently. “There are nine parks, all very different, providing facilities for exercise, fresh air, play country views and appreciation of the natural environment. My favourite is Preston Hill, near Eynsford. It’s a short walk from Lullingstone or you can park in the layby at the side of the A225. Entering the site, the first thing you’ll encounter is a meadow which, every time I go, is home to a herd of Welsh feral goats”.
The site is about half woodland and half unimproved grassland and soon, with the arrival of spring, rich with wild flowers. Butterflies thrive, dark green fritillaries being much in evidence. It is a place to see adders and grass snakes.
David enthuses about this Park “Preston Hill has few visitors and it’s likely that you won’t see anybody else. It’s strictly for the able-bodied and a good climb through the woodland to the top of the site. It gives you a sense of what parts of Kent were like before it became so heavily populated”.
The Council is keen to have the views of its Parks’ users and, in renewing its strategy for the service, it will be asking residents to consider and complete a consultation document later in the year. Preston Hill Country Park, with its chalk grassland, country park and military heritage, offers a huge potential for residents and visitors to connect with nature and cultural heritage. This project aims to restore and conserve it for all to enjoy.
