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Dover District Council has launched a new website (www.kearsneyparks.co.uk) to highlight the district’s most popular parks, following the completion of a £3.1 million improvement programme at Kearsney Abbey and Russell Gardens, which was funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the National Lottery Community Fund
The website, which also covers Bushy Ruff, assists visitors in planning their visit and exploring the upgraded visitor facilities, learning about the parks’ history, flora and fauna, staying up to date on the latest news, and finding ways to get involved through volunteering.
The website is designed to be viewed on a variety of devices, from smartphones and tablets to desktop computers, and is also accessible to a variety of user groups and screen-reader friendly.
The most important heritage parks in the Dover district are Kearsney Abbey and Russell Gardens. Russell Gardens is listed as a Grade II park in The Historic England Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England, while Kearsney Abbey has many Grade II listed features and is the district’s most popular public park. Both parks are highly valued by the community and receive a large number of visitors from outside the district.
The National Lottery-funded ‘Parks for People’ project saw a major restoration of natural and built heritage throughout the parks, as well as improvements to visitor facilities. This includes the following:
Thomas Mawson’s c.1900 landscape design for Russell Gardens has been restored.
Kearsney Abbey’s Grade II listed billiards room is being restored.
Kearsney Abbey has a new café and visitor centre.
Kearsney Abbey is re-creating the circular lakeside walk, including a new bridge.
Culverts are being opened to improve natural habitats in the River Dour, a rare chalk stream habitat that runs through the parks.
Improving park accessibility, including a Changing Places facility
A set of educational resources and activities based on the National Curriculum.
“Following completion of the Lottery funded improvements at the Kearsney Parks, it was time for a new look and feel for the website,” said Cllr Oliver Richardson, Cabinet Member for Corporate Property. We understand that the website is frequently the first source of information for many first-time visitors and people new to the area. It’s a fantastic way to promote these wonderful public parks.”
