Parks across the county awarded Green Flag status
45 sites among Kent’s best green spaces
Dozens of parks in Kent have been awarded Green Flag status after being recognised as some of the best kept outdoor spaces in the country.
The accolade, managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, sets the benchmark standard for the management of recreational outdoor spaces across the UK and hands out the awards based on nominations from local authorities.
The winners in Kent include Mote Park in Maidstone, Broomhill Park in Strood, Samphire Hoe in Dover and Pegwell Bay in Ramsgate to name a few.
As well as the Green Flag Award, five places have also been given Green Heritage Site Accreditation.
These were: The Great Lines Heritage Park in Gillingham; Oare Gunpowder Works in Faversham; Ellington Park in Ramsgate; Dunorlan Park in Tunbridge Wells and Grosvenor and Hilbert Park in Tunbridge Wells.
The county’s 45 award-winning parks are some of 175 across the south east which have reached the standards for the accolade this year, the biggest number since the scheme began 26 years ago.
The Green Flag Award scheme is managed by Keep Britain Tidy under licence from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
Keep Britain Tidy’s chief executive, Allison Ogden-Newton OBE said: “Parks are an essen
tial part of our green infrastructure, playing a key role in our environmental sustainability.
“They are the beating heart of a community, providing countless benefits to people and wildlife.
“Importantly, they provide a green haven for everybody to enjoy, regardless of their age, social status, or ability to pay for access.
“The Green Flag Award is a vital component in ensuring the continuing quality of our parks and green spaces, making sure they are managed to the highest standards and are safe and accessible.”
Other winners are: Canterbury
Reculver Country Park Westgate Parks
Duncan Down
Dover
Kearsney Abbey and Russell Gardens
Samphire Hoe
Folkestone and Hythe Kingsnorth Gardens
Lower Leas Coastal Park Radnor Park
Royal Military Canal
Kent County Council
Brockhill Country Park Grove Ferry Picnic Site Lullingstone Country Park Manor Park Country Park Pegwell Bay Country Park Shorne Woods Country Park Teston Bridge Country Park Trosley Country Park
Maidstone
Clare Park
Cobtree Manor Park
Mote Park
Whatman Park (Millennium River Park)
Medway
Broomhill Park
Capstone Farm Country Park Gillingham Park
Hillyfields Community Park Riverside Country Park
The Great Lines Heritage Park: Field of Fire
The Vines Gardens Ranscombe Farm Reserve Swale
Milton Creek Country Park Oare Gunpowder Works Country Park
Swanley
Elephant Park
St Mary’s Recreation Ground Swanley Park
Thanet
Ellington Park
Tonbridge and Malling Haysden Country Park Leybourne Lakes park Tonbridge Racecourse Sportsground
Tunbridge Wells
Calverley Grounds
Dunorlan Park
Grosvenor and Hilbert Park St John’s Recreation Ground The Grove
Woodbury Park Cemetery Sevenoaks
The Vine