Darenth Country Park facts for kids

Darenth Country Park is a large, open green space located near Dartford in Kent, England. It's a special place because it was built on the site of an old hospital and also where ancient Saxon people were buried a long, long time ago. Because of its important history, it was turned into a park for everyone to enjoy around the year 2000.

Discovering the Past: History of Darenth Park

Ancient Saxon Discoveries

In 1954, engineers from the General Post Office (GPO) were digging a trench near the old hospital. They accidentally dug into a Saxon grave! Inside, they found a fancy silver brooch from the late 500s and pieces of a bronze bowl. These amazing finds were then sent to the British Museum for study and safekeeping.

Later, in 1978, a local archaeology group called 'Dartford & District Archaeological Group' dug another trench. They were exploring the area before a company planned to dig for chalk there. This dig uncovered an ancient Saxon burial ground from the 400s! They found 12 Saxon graves and many other items. These included a spearhead, more brooches, and a special glass bowl.

The Darenth Bowl

The glass bowl found in 1978 is now famous as the 'Darenth bowl'. It is believed to be dedicated to a saint named St. Rufinus of Soissons from around 450 A.D. You can see this bowl at the Dartford Borough Museum. Because these graves were so important, the site was officially protected as an Ancient Monument.

From Hospital to Park

The old hospital buildings were taken down in 1995. A new hospital, called Darent Valley Hospital, was built on part of the land. A new neighborhood with 300 houses was also built nearby. The remaining 100 acres became Darenth Country Park. The only building left from the old hospital is the former 'Darenth Park Hospital Farm'. Today, it's used as a riding school for people with disabilities called Arrow Riding School.

The park was created as a special "Changing Places" project for the new millennium (the year 2000). An artist named Andy McKeown worked with local schools and community groups. They helped design the sculptures you can see in the park today. In 2004, there was a plan to connect Darenth Country Park with another nearby park, Beacon Wood Country Park. The idea was to create one big 'joined' park for everyone to explore.

Nature and Wildlife: Ecology of the Park

Location and Habitats

Darenth Country Park is located on the edge of the North Downs, which are famous chalk hills. A small part of the woodland in the park, on its northern side, is a protected Site of Special Scientific Interest. This means it's a very important place for nature.

The park sits in a shallow river valley. The main path, called 'Chestnut Driveway', runs along the bottom of this valley. It goes from east to west, leading towards Gore Road on the eastern side.

Grasslands and Orchards

The park has special chalk grasslands. Some of these areas are used for grazing farm animals. But other parts were left to grow naturally into beautiful wildflower meadows after the park was formed. These grasslands were carefully cleared of unwanted plants. This helped rare chalk land plants and animals to grow back.

You might spot the rare Musk Orchid or the beautiful Chalkhill Blue butterfly here. Darenth Country Park is also one of only three places in Kent where you can find the Watling Street Thistle, also known as Eryngium campestre.

The park also has 'traditional' orchards that were planted in 1995. The Chapel Orchard alone has over 150 different types of fruit trees! You can find varieties of apple, pear, plum, cherry, and even cob nut trees. Some of the apple trees are very old types, like "Kentish Fillibasket" (from 1820) and "Golden Pippin" (from 1629). These are at one end of the orchard. At the other end, there are newer, smaller varieties like "Discovery" and "Red Devil" apples.

In addition to all this, there are also paddocks where horses graze.

How to Get There

To reach Darenth Country Park, head south from the A296 road. This road runs between Dartford and the A2 to Gravesend. Then, turn onto Gore Road.