Manor Park Country Park

Manor Park Country Park

.

Coordinates: 51°17′12″N 0°24′07″E / 51.2868°N 0.4020°E / 51.2868; 0.4020

Manor Park Country Park is located in Kent
{{{alt}}}
Manor Park shown within Kent (grid reference TQ678571)
Footbridge in Manor Park Country Park

Manor Park Country Park is a country park in West Malling, Kent, England. The 52-acre (210,000 m2) park, formerly the private gardens of the nearby Douces Manor was purchased from the manor's owners by Kent County Council in 1973 to be converted into a public open space.

Contents

History

This Country park was bought by Kent County Council, in 1973 by using a grant aid from the Countryside Commission. The site covers 52 acres (210,000 m2), part of which was the estate of the nearby 18th Century Manor House. The Grade Listed II building (formerly owned by Thomas Augustus Douce) is opposite the park (across St. Leonard's Street).[1] It was still within the Douce family hands, until 1916, when the manor was bought by the Trustees of Fredrick Andrews to convert it into a convalscent home for ladies. The house was then used in the Second World War to accommodate airmen and was used as the headquarters and Mess for officers flying from the nearby RAF West Malling Airfield. Inside the Georgian wine cellar (of the house), 'the Twitch Inn' was established. This was so named because of all the nervous tics caused by constantly looking out for enemy aircraft, of the pilots. [2] Names of the pilots are still etched on the walls of the cellar. [2] Many famous air aces have frequented Douces Manor, including ‘Sailor’ Moran, Stanford Tuck, Guy Gibson (a Dambusters pilot) and Wing Commander John ‘Cats Eyes’ Cunningham (a top RAF night-flight pilot) with his navigator Jimmy Rawnsley.[3] The Twitch Inn is now designated as a Heritage Centre by the Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council and is let to the Parish Council on a peppercorn rent for 125 years[4]. The centre opens up to 20 times a year and displays artefacts currently in the possession of the Malling Society, including Guy Gibson's uniform. Beechcroft Developments (current owners of Douces Manor) donated up to £5,000 to get the fund-raising for the heritage centre.[5]

Douce's Manor - Former Manor House


Description

The park is divided into 4 main sections;- the Lake, Douce's Meadow, Ice House Field, Abbey Field and Chestnut Paddocks.

  • The Lake - a large body of water, running the length of St.Leonards Road. Thomas Douce made many alterations to the estate during his ownership, including pushing the lake further into the Parkland away from the house and making a new road beside the lake and the old St Leonards Street became his front and back drive to the manor house. This meant a lot of landscaping works were carried out.[6] In the mid 1920's the lake froze over and was used for ice skating. The lake and its surrounding woodland are a haven for water wildlife, including Mallard ducks, coots, swans and moorhens. In summer, Martins and swallows visit the lake.
  • Douce's Meadow - Large parkland meadow, in the past it had wide open views across towards the house and West Malling Church.
  • Ice House Field - a smaller meadow (across the lake) that takes its name from the site of a former ice house. The sunken brick constructed chamber, with a concrete floor, would have been used to store ice taken from the lake in winter for use in the Manor House kitchen throughout the year. During the Second World War, the field on which the ice house is situated was used as a prison camp for interned Germans. It was capped in 1963 on health and safety grounds and then concealed under an earth mound. It is No.40 on a list of 64 known ice houses in Kent, according to English Heritage.[7] The meadow around it, has many meadow plants growing within it including Dog Daisies, buttercups and the (uncommon) Hay Rattle. This small plant has yellow flowers, whose ripe seeds rattle in the plant - when dry.
  • Abbey Field and Chestnut Paddocks - two very large fields (to the west of the estate) used mainly for grazing cattle during various parts of the year, helping promote further wildlife and plant life diversity within the park. Chestnut Paddocks takes its name from a large group of ancient Sweet Chestnut trees growing near the middle of the field.

Adjacent to the country park is St Leonard's Tower.

The country park has previously hosted a Kent Big Weekend Event.[8]

Two public footpaths lead through the park. Ref No's MR141 and MR142.[9] As well as various other trails within the park and around the lake.

St. Lenoard's Tower

Location

The park is situated on St. Leonard's Road between West Malling and Kings Hill, not far from the A228 West Malling bypass. The park's car park operates a Pay and Display for parking fees.

External links

References


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Manor Farm Country Park — Manor Farm Country Park, formerly Upper Hamble Country Park, runs along the west bank of the River Hamble between the villages of Botley and Bursledon in Hampshire at grid reference SU496111 …   Wikipedia

  • Manor Park — may refer to places: in Canada: Manor Park, Nova Scotia, a neighborhood in Dartmouth Manor Park (Ottawa), Canada in New Zealand: Manor Park, New Zealand, a suburb of Lower Hutt in the United Kingdom: Manor Park, London Manor Park, an area in… …   Wikipedia

  • Manor Park, London — For other places named Manor Park, see Manor Park Coordinates: 51°33′01″N 0°03′22″E / 51.55033°N 0.056219°E / 51.55033; 0.0 …   Wikipedia

  • Manor Park Country House — The Manor Park Country House is a conferencing, catering and entertainment venue near Clydach, Wales.The house was originally constructed in 1840 as a hunting lodge for the owners of the local tin works and stayed in the family for a number of… …   Wikipedia

  • Manor Farm — is the name traditionally given to a farm that was part of a Manor in England. Its produce was used to supply the Manor. Due to its ancient origins, there are many uses of the name Manor Farm to be found in England; Manor Farm Country Park and… …   Wikipedia

  • Manor house — This article is about a type of historical building. For other uses, see Manor house (disambiguation). Ightham Mote, a 14th century moated manor house in Kent, England …   Wikipedia

  • Country House Rescue — Format Documentary Starring Ruth Watson Country of origin United Kingdom No. of episodes 34 (October 2011) …   Wikipedia

  • Manor, Texas —   City   Sign indicating Manor …   Wikipedia

  • Country house conversion to apartments — is the process whereby a large country houses, which was originally built to accommodate one wealthy family, is subdivided into separate apartments (i.e. flats or condos) to allow multiple residential occupancy by a number of unrelated families.… …   Wikipedia

  • Manor House Museum — Manor House Art Gallery and Museum The front or south elevation of the Manor House Museum, Ilkley Established 1892 Location Castle Yard, Ilkley, West Y …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”