Trosley Country Park

Trosley Park covers 170 acres of beautiful woodland and chalk downland on the North Downs and provides some spectacular views.

Map of Trosley Country Park (PDF, 973.4 KB)

Once part of the Trosley Towers Estate, Trosley Country Park is now home to a rich variety of wildlife, and a mixture of woodland and open chalk grassland slopes.

The chalk grassland at Trosley is classified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, while the grassland supports an array of butterflies every summer, including the Chalkhill Blue.

There are 3 waymarked trails – the Downland Trail is very steep in parts, while the Woodland Walk is much gentler.  The Trosley Trail is an easy access route suitable for buggies and wheelchairs. All provide spectacular views over the downs. There's also an outdoor trim trail should the steep paths not prove tough enough.

For the more adventurous, the park is also a good base to visit the Coldrum Stones, an ancient listed monument of 15 sarsen stones.

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Waterlow Road
Vigo Village
Meopham
Kent
DA13 0SG

Telephone: 03000 41 18 11

Email: kentcountryparks@kent.gov.uk

Plan your journey using public transport on Traveline

Pay and display:

• Monday to Friday: £1.50 per day
• Weekends and bank holidays: £2.50 per day

The parking height restriction for Trosley Country Park is 2.3m (7ft 6).

Free parking for season ticket holders.

There is plenty of parking available with 55 spaces on hard standing surface and 25 additional spaces on a grass area.

Blue Badge holders may apply for concessionary parking online, or by calling 03000 41 72 72. There are 2 disabled spaces.

All users, including Blue Badge holders, must pay & display or have a valid season ticket.

Coach parking

Coach parking is available at the park and must be pre-booked in advance by calling 03000 41 47 47.

It costs £5 per day.

Opens: 9am

Closes: dusk or 8:30pm (this is subject to change, please check the times on the board on the day of your visit)

Closed on Christmas Day

Trosley Country Park was once part of the Trosley Towers estate.

1800s

In 1870 Sir Sydney Waterlow bought large areas of land, including the village of Fairseat and a major section of Stanstead. Look out for the family crest on the small bridge which linked the two areas.

In 1887, he built Trosley Towers mansion and private drives, including Hamilton Drive, which still survives and runs from the site of the old house to Commority Road.

1900s

Sir Sidney died in 1906 and passed the estate to his son Philip. When Philip died in 1931, the estate was sold off, with a Mr Shahmoon buying Trosley Towers and the surrounding woodland in 1935. He demolished the mansion in 1936 and built Hamilton Lodge and stables.

One story suggests that the lodge and stables were built to accommodate the Shah of Persia and his racehorses on his visits to England.

World War II

The land that now forms the park was part of an officers' training camp throughout the war. You can still see a climbing wall, concrete lookout platform and pumping house from the war.

After the war, the land became derelict.

Creating the park

Kent County Council bought and opened the 170 acre Trosley Country Park in 1976.

This park is managed by the Kent County Council Kent Country Parks team.

We produce a management plan every 5 years to make sure Trosley Country Park continues to thrive. The park consists of 136 acres of woodland, grassland and scrub situated in the North Kent Downs. The management plan includes information about conservation, heritage management and community engagement and exists so you can continue to enjoy it.

For more information on how we sustainably manage the park, read our Trosley Country Park management plan (PDF, 2.6 MB).