insideKENT Magazine Issue 64 - July 2017 | Page 86

DAYSOUT
a walk IN THE PARK cont.
THE BEST PARKS FOR FAMILIES
KENT’S COUNTRY PARKS ARE IDEAL FOR FAMILIES. ALTHOUGH IT MAY NOT SEEM LIKE IT AT FIRST, A DAY OUT AT THE PARK IS ACTUALLY A FULL
DAY OUT – A PROPER DAY OUT. TAKE A PICNIC, MAKE SOME MEMORIES, AND HAVE SOME FUN.
86
Pegwell Bay
Sandwich Road, Ramsgate CT12 5JB Manor Park
St Leonard's Street, West Malling ME19 6PE
Pegwell Bay forms part of the Sandwich and Pegwell Bay National
Nature Reserve. It has stunning views of Sandwich and Deal to the
West and the cliffs of Ramsgate to the East and is a great place for a
bracing walk or cycle ride. With stunning views, a play area, picnic area
and mobile refreshments, this is a great day out for all the family. Manor Park is the kind of place that kids love. There is a great play area
with enough equipment to keep everyone happy for hours at a time
(and it’s well looked after too), but there is also a huge open field that
is perfect for ball games or just for running around. There is something
to be said for children enjoying themselves in a manner that requires
no electronics and no particular toys. Their imagination can run riot
here, as can they, safe in the boundaries of the park itself.
Pegwell Bay comes under the banner of a Ramsar Site of International
Importance (a Ramsar site is a wetland area that is home to a number
of plants and wildlife that need to be protected). It’s a beautiful place
to be at any time of the year, but the summer might just win out overall.
During the warmer months you can see gorgeous wildflowers including
– perhaps surprisingly – orchids. During the winter is the time to come
and see the magnificent wading birds such as grey plover and dunlin.
You might even spot some large birds of prey – and for serious bird
watchers, there is a public bird hide which is also accessible to disabled
visitors. Manor Park consists of 52 acres, and those 52 acres are split into four
different sections. One section includes the lake where swans and
moorhens glide serenely. Then there is the Abbey Field and the Chestnut
Paddocks which are ablaze with wildflowers in the summer. After this
is the Ice House area, where you can find the remains of an actual old
ice house (which would have been used instead of a fridge when the
manor house was in service). Finally there is Douce’s Meadow. This is
the big open field mentioned earlier, and is a firm favourite with families.
www.kent.gov.uk/leisure-and-community/kent-country-
parks/pegwell-bay-country-park#tab-1 www.kent.gov.uk/leisure-and-community/kent-country-parks/manor-
park-country-park#tab-1