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Explore your local biodiversity

One 2016 study found that 74% of children in the UK spend less than 60 minutes playing outside each day- less than the United Nations guidelines for prison inmates.  Spending time outdoors is so important to our mental and physical health, while also helping us build a positive relationship with nature.  In Swale, we are lucky to have  a diverse range of landscapes; from internationally important wetlands, ancient woodlands and heritage orchards, to wildflower grasslands and award winning country parks. Below you will be able to find a range of local days out, so as the weather warms, why not plan a trip?

Our Country Parks

Milton Creek Country Park

Milton Creek Country Park is Sittingbourne's largest green space, acting as an oasis for wildlife and people, offering a large natural play area, a community events space, and now "Space", a new community and education hub built by the Friends of Milton Creek Country Park.  You can find out more by following this link.

Oare Gunpowder Works  Country Park

A fantastic place to relax, enjoy wildlife and explore a rich history. The park is set in the ruins of what was one of the main gunpowder factories in the South East,  and is rumoured to have sold to Guy Fawkes. It features a variety of habitats including woodland, wetlands, and open glades. Visit the park's website here.

Barton's Point Coastal Park

Barton's Point Coastal Park features 40 acres of natural beauty, including a salt-water lake, cycling routes, and facilities for bird watching and fishing. For history lovers there are the 'Queenborough Lines' - fortifications protecting  Sheerness Dockyard from attack by land, built between 1863-1868.  You can find out more by visiting this website.

Stones Farm Country Park

Stones Farm is the newest Country Park in Swale, being secured as part of the Spring Acres development. It includes a recently established orchard, a wet woodland, and a chalk stream.  Funding is now being used to:

  • Install new signage and information boards
  • plant new hedgerows and trees
  • install new gates
  • add litter bins
Plan your visit:
  • Good Journeys' Journey Planner can help you find the best way to reach your favorite attractions completely car free.
  • Kent Wildlife Trust offers free visits to all of it's sites, a map of which can be found here. In Swale, these include Cromers Wood, a semi-ancient woodland, and Oare Marshes which is a site of international importance for it's migratory, overwintering and breeding wetland birds.
  • In July 2023, both Milton Creek Country Park in Sittingbourne and the Oare Gunpowder Works Country Park were accredited with the Green Flag awards, the international quality mark for a parks and greenspaces. With both country Parks in close proximity to Sittingbourne and Faversham, these make brilliant car-free days out.
  • To find the nearest country park or nature reserve to you: Explore the great outdoors in Swale
Discounts:
  • From November 6 2023, the RSPB is trailing free entry on all of it's reserves for 16-24 year old's, a move that is hoped will encourage more young people to connect to nature.
Community Groups:

We are also lucky to have lots of fantastic family friendly community groups that you can get involved in, many of which focus on mental health, food growing and enhancing biodiversity. Visit our 'get involved in a local group' page to find out who these are and how you can join.