Lullingstone Country Park
Park summary
Lullingstone Country Park is internationally important for its collection of ancient trees, with over 300 veteran oak, beech, ash, hornbeam and sweet chestnut, some of which are thought to be 800 years old. Find out more in Lullingstone's Veteran Trees leaflet (PDF, 795.8 KB). The park also has areas of chalk grassland that fill with spectacular displays of orchids and other wild flowers in spring and summer.
Map of Lullingstone Country Park (PDF, 1.2 MB).
For those wishing to venture into the wider countryside, you can follow a 6.5 mile circular walk, passing through the nearby village of Shoreham.
Meanwhile just to the north of the site, Lullingstone Roman Villa is an English Heritage site featuring spectacular mosaics and rare Roman wall paintings.
Lullingstone Castle and the World Collection of Plants are nearby too, with its national collection of Eucalyptus.
The Darent Valley Path runs past the park, offering yet more opportunities to explore the local countryside.
Castle Road
Eynsford
Kent
DA4 0JF
Telephone: 03000 41 18 11
Email: kentcountryparks@kent.gov.uk
Plan your journey using public transport on Traveline
Pay and display:
- Monday - Friday: £1.50 per day
- Weekends and bank holidays: £2.50 per day
There is no parking height restriction barrier at Lullingstone Country Park.
Free parking for season ticket holders.
We have 100 parking spaces on a gravel area and 5 disabled parking spaces on a hard standing surface.
Blue Badge holders may apply for concessionary parking online, or by calling 03000 41 72 72.
All users, including Blue Badge holders, must pay and display or have a valid season ticket.
Visitors on motorbikes do not need to pay for parking.
Coach and horse box parking
Coach and horse box parking is available at the park and must be booked in advance by calling 03000 41 18 11.
It costs £5 a day.
Opens: 9am
Closes: dusk or 8:30pm, whichever is earliest (this is subject to change, please check the times on the board on the day of your visit)
Closed on Christmas Day.
Stone Age
Communities have settled in the park area from as early as the Stone Age (10,000 years ago).
Iron Age
There is evidence of settlements and records of two farmsteads dating back to 20/50AD and 65AD. In fact, Lulling's tun means Lulling's farm.
Look out for the ploughed terraces from this era.
Medieval period
The country park was part of a large medieval estate and a deer park. The deer park was a valuable hunting area, resulting in the landscape of mature trees and open grassland you can still see today.
The oldest tree on the site is around 800 years old.
The Hart Dyke family owned the estate and have a history in Lullingstone dating back 600 hundred years.
1900s
The land forming the park was sold off to cover debts of the estate in 1933, with only 200 acres of land retained around Lullingstone Castle, which is still owned by the Hart Dyke today.
World War II
We bought the land in 1938 but it was used by the Ministry of Defence from 1939.
Dummy aircraft were placed in the dry valley behind Lullingstone Park Farm to deflect attention from nearby Biggin Hill. Some were even set alight during air raids to simulate direct hits.
You can still see evidence of bomb craters from heavy bombing in 1944.
Creating the country park
After the war there was great pressure to use the land for food but most of it was eventually returned to us.
We leased the management of the parks to Sevenoaks District Council until 2005, when we took over management once again.
This park is managed by the Kent County Council Kent Country Parks team.
Read the Kent County Parks strategy 2017 - 2021 (PDF, 1.6 MB) which sets out the aspirations for our Kent Country Parks service over the next 4 years.
We produce a management plan every 5 years to make sure Lullingstone Country Park continues to thrive. The park is internationally renowned for its collection of ancient trees, some as old as 800 years, and the chalk grassland area is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The management plan includes information about conservation and heritage management and community engagement and exists so that the park will be well looked after.
For more information on how we sustainably manage the park, read our Lullingstone country park management plan (PDF, 3.2 MB).
Facilities
Café opening hours
1 April to 31 October - 10am - 4.30 pm (hot food is served until 3pm).
1 November to 31 March - 10am and 3.30pm (hot food is served until 3pm).
Food
The café sells delicious homemade soups, hot meals, snacks and baguettes.
Our fresh ground bean coffee is very popular, and a range of other hot and cold drinks and ice creams are available all day.
Look out for our lovely handmade cake selection, and our daily specials!
Picnics
Picnic tables are provided around the outer edges of the car park and in the lower part of the meadow, just a short step from the visitor centre.
Barbecues
Barbecues are unfortunately not permitted at this park.
Shop opening hours
1 April to 31 October - 10am - 5pm
1 November to 31 March - 11am - 4pm
Products
We sell a range of products including:
- pocket money toys
- seasonal cards
- local produce
- a range of small gifts.
Kindling and log shop
We sell wood products which are a by-product of the conservation work we do.
| Seasoned logs | £7 (available between September and March) |
| Seasoned kindling | £5 (available between September and March) |
| Bulk bag of logs | £60 (approximately equivalent to 12-13 standard bags - pre order only) |
If any products are not in stock, please enquire in the shop.
All products are made from timber felled on Kent Country Parks' land, and your purchase directly supports conservation within the parks.
Walks
The park has a number of waymarked routes that are different lengths, marked on the map of Lullingstone Country Park (PDF, 1.2 MB).
Every Tuesday at 10am during term time there is a healthy guided walk, which anyone can just turn up and join in. It costs £2 per person.
Cycling
Cycling is not permitted at Lullingstone Park.
Dog walking
Dogs are welcome at Lullingstone Country Park but must be under close control at all times.
We ask that owners keep dogs on leads around the car park, café and play area, but they can be let off the lead in other parts of the park.
Please clear up after your dog and take waste back to key entrances for disposal in the dog waste bins provided.
There is a tap for dog drinking water at the main entrance to the visitor centre and drinking bowls are provided by the café.
Easy access paths
There is a riverside path that runs along the River Darent between Lullingstone Country Park and Lullingstone Castle. This is a 20 minute stroll. The path is mainly unsurfaced but reasonably flat, which means there is good access during the spring/summer/autumn months, but may become muddy during the winter.
The play area at Lullingstone Country Park is situated adjacent to the visitor centre and café.
It contains a selection of climbing equipment and slides aimed at toddlers and younger children. For more adventurous children, try following our Discovery Trail, where you will find a cradle swing and zip wire nestled in amongst the trees.
Run
Every Saturday morning, parkrun takes place. Find out more about Lullingstone parkrun.
Walk
Every Tuesday at 10am during term time there is a healthy guided walk. Anyone can just turn up and join in. It costs £2 per person.
Visitor centre opening hours
1 April to 31 October - 10am to 5pm.
1 November and 31 March - 11am to 4pm.
Closed on Christmas Day.
Toilets
Toilets are located near the main entrance of the park.
Toilet facilities are available at all times when the park is open to visitors, even if the café and shop are closed.
There is a unisex accessible toilet. These facilities can be reached via easy access pathways and do not require a Radar key.
Orienteering
A permanent orienteering course is available at the park for everyone to use.
Download an orienteering map from the Dartford Orienteering Klubb website or you can purchase a laminated map from the park shop for £1.
Geocaching
Find out more about geocaching, sign up to create an account and find geocaches at the park.
Accessibility
Read our accessibility information for Lullingstone Country Park (PDF, 22.8 KB).
Flying drones
Flying drones is not permitted at country park sites. This is to keep the public safe (walkers, cyclists, horse riders) and to avoid significant disturbance to wildlife and ground nesting birds.
Please do not fly drones under any circumstance.
Outdoor Learning
At Kent Country Parks we offer outdoor learning for all ages and abilities, whether you are visiting one of our outdoor learning centres, or we are bringing our outdoor learning expertise into your setting or environment.
More information for schools or group settings