Shorne Woods Country Park
Shorne Woods is a 300 acre country park between Gravesend and Strood with an interesting geological heritage.
Shorne Wood Country Park
Shorne Woods is a great place to visit to get out into the countryside whilst still having access to facilities such as the eco-friendly cafe, visitor centre, and toilets (including a Changing Places toilet). There are miles of walking, running and cycling routes to explore at Shorne Woods, and along the way there are all sorts of wildlife to spot, including woodpeckers and nightingales in the trees and newts, fish and frogs in the ponds. Finally, there are three brilliant adventure play areas for children of all ages to enjoy.
Shorne Woods’ geological heritage is defined by its use as a clay pit from the 1920s to the 1970s, with the extracted clay fuelling the local cement industry. The landscape of the site has been defined by this past use, with the open, flat areas once being the floors of the clay pits. Since Kent County Council purchased the site in the 1980s the wildlife has been allowed to develop alongside the development of the various facilities at the park.
About Geosites
Geosites are sites of geological interest across the aspiring UNESCO Cross-Channel Global Geopark, where people can visit and interact with our geological heritage. This wide range of sites will offer varying opportunities and values including cultural, heritage, scientific, educational, and aesthetic.
About the aspiring UNESCO Cross-Channel Global Geopark
Hundreds of thousands of years ago a catastrophic flood swept away the chalk ridge connecting Dover and Calais, carving out the white cliffs of Dover and starting Britain’s history as an island.
Did you know the Kent and French coasts are actually still connected today by the layer of chalk which runs below the Channel?
In celebration of the chalk and the channel, we are working to secure UNESCO Cross-Channel Global Geopark status for the Kent Downs National Landscape together with our neighbouring protected landscape in France; the Parc Naturel Regional des Caps et Marais d’Opale.
The Geopark will include both the protected landscapes and the Channel connecting them, recognising and celebrating the geological connection between us.
