Find your Space for...Exploration

Arts and Crafts in the Kent Downs

Kent is full of incredible artists, crafters and makers offering you the chance to learn new skills or enhance existing ones.

We're working with local experts to create experiences that will help you explore your creative side, discover rural crafting techniques and use natural materials found in our great outdoors.

For your chance to find out first when these experiences go live simply sign-up below and follow our social media channels.

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Fancy something a bit different?

Visit this page to see all of our upcoming experience themes or choose one of these:

Nearly time for crafts...

Fancy a sneak peak at some of the wonderful artists, crafters and creators that we're working with to develop new experiences for you to try? Read on to find out more and sign-up above for the latest updates...

Wye Community Farm

Wye Community Farm, and its associated Woolshed, is a not-for profit community farm which aims to inspire and train a variety of people in rural skills. They're developing a 'Ewe to You' experience so you can meet their rare-breed sheep, learn about the different wools they grow and turn it into something you can take home.

This Art of Mine

This Art of Mine is an art studio based on a Peony farm at the top of the North Downs that run art classes including glass fusing, weaving, silver work, water colour and acrylic painting, printing techniques, weaving, sewing, needle felting and floristry workshops. Their experience will include a short walk, making a clay cheese board using natural materials and a visit to the Hook and Hatchet pub just a short walk away.

Through the Lens

Paul Burgess is a professional photographer who runs Through the Lens Experiences. He teaches photography and organises outdoor landscape photography workshops. Through the Lens Experiences explore the Kentish landscape throughout the year, and as well as helping you to take amazing photographs, they have partnered with local producers to introduce you to some of the best food and drink that Kent has to offer.

Trosley Country Park

Trosley Country Park is home to a rich variety of wildlife, and a mixture of woodland and open chalk grassland slopes. As a Site of Special Scientific Interest they have magnificent views so are exploring ways for visitors to capture that on canvas and create their own memento to take home.

Lullingstone Country Park

Lullingstone Country Park offers a lovely location for walks, runs and family fun (plus a pretty great cafe). They are exploring the option to launch 'Paint it like Palmer' and 'Winter Wreath' making experiences so you can forage to make a beautiful natural homemade wreath or have a go at painting/sketching ‘en plein air’ with local artist(s) and discover more about Palmers landscapes and vision.

Kentish Stour Countryside Partnership

Stour Valley Creative work to engage visitors with the environment artistically and to share their knowledge and passion for our landscapes. They are working on a new digital photography experience to build creative engagement with King’s Wood.

Outdoor Studios

Outdoor Studios provides artist-led workshops for creative experiential learning exploring environments, landscape, and place. You'll soon be able to learn about an ancient woodland environment through its natural materials, try new tools and techniques and gain practical, hands-on artistic experience using foraged items collected from Kings Wood.

Chilton Farmyard B&B

These dairy farmers own a small farm with rare breed Albion cattle and a B&B at Chilton Farm. They're looking to create new winter wreath experiences combining a foraging walk around their gorgeous farm to collect items ready to create a beautiful wreath from natures bounty.

Creative Pilgrims

Creative Pilgrims are a group of artists who meet to walk and reflect the history and landscape of their areas through art projects, talks, exhibitions and workshops. They want to create a variety of experiences through art and the written word with walks led by experienced and enthusiastic art educators suitable for all abilities.

Anna's Country Flowers

Anna's Country Flowers is a sustainable flower farm who work closely with nature to grow fragrant, local flowers with zero air miles. They are working on new small group and individual workshops that take visitors on a nature journey from foraging for items in nearby hedgerows, blossom tours of their orchard and of course seasonal flower arranging.

Awesome Valley Experience

Awesome Valley Experience will be based on the Anglo-Saxon heritage of their site located in the beautiful Alkham Valley. The experience will aim to immerse people in the ancient history of the area with a range of traditional skills activities such as making huts, weaving a daub and wattle hurdle, wood carving, natural medieval crafts, or spinning a yarn and weaving in the special setting of their traditional Kent barn.

Get Some Creative Inspiration

We've collated some walks where some of Kent's most famous writers and artists have found their escape. We're sure that you too will discover incredible views, wonderful wildlife and reasons to get those creative juices flowing.

North Downs Way National Trail

The North Downs Way will soon feature a fantastic arts trail starting with 2 new exciting installations commissioned by Surrey Hills Arts Inspiring Views project. Radius, created by artist and designer, James Tunnard, will be the highlight of a new route working with conservation volunteers on Denbies Hillside, Dorking. Portal, created by wood sculptor Philip Walker, will be situated adjacent to the Surrey Hills’ boundary marker at Clarks Lane on the Titsey Estate. Both will celebrate these special locations and beautiful views as well as provide innovative sculptural seating to enjoy it with access created for everyone including those with mobility issues.

White Horse Wood Country Park

White Horse Wood Country Park offers beautiful countryside, local history and panoramic views. It's home to medieval ruins of Thurnham Castle, traces of an Iron Age settlement and some very unique sculptures created by internationally renowned artists to commemorate the devastating effects of ash dieback in the Kent Downs.

Chalk and Channel Way

Full of dramatic coastlines and far reaching views you'll start at Ray Smith’s Crest of a Wave artwork in Dover and can see a series of artworks along the route. Rob Kesseler’s Flora Calcarae is a collection of limestone and bronze artworks reflecting local plant life, Tim Clapcott’s Coccoliths sculpture is inspired by the prehistoric plant remains that formed the local chalk. Jony Easterby’s Samphire Tower also hosts a sound installation created with electronic musician Geir Jenssen. You’ll may also notice a series of QR codes stationed on posts along the route where you can use these to listen to Chalk Lines by Ros Barber, a series of poems inspired by places along the Chalk and Channel Way.

England's Creative Coast

Discover 1400km of stunning coastline, 7 new outdoor artworks and limitless cultural adventures on a journey along England's Creative Coast. Click below and you'll find itineraries for any type of visitor, budget or ability.

Find Your Natural Creativity

Get some artistic inspiration from some of our partner sites who feature a range of local artisans, virtual events and blog posts that will help get you started on your arts and crafts journey. If you're looking for some nearby routes then check out our activity page which is packed full of places that you and your family can visit within the Kent Downs AONB...

Explore Kent

Discover 100's of pre-planned routes suitable for all abilities and activities with full information including route description, distance, parking locations, travel options and of course downloadable maps!

Produced in Kent

Discover wonderful artisan crafters busy making beautiful things for your home and garden. Soon you'll find workshops, courses and events on offer too as lockdown easing continues, we're soooo excited!

North Downs Way

With not 1 but 2 National Trails in Kent, the North Downs Way and England Coast Path, you're bound to find something to tickle your outdoor tastebuds. Plan your own itinerary and book some time for some of Kent's top attractions and perhaps a pub or 2 along the way.

Visit Kent

The place to visit to find some of Kent's best attractions, local events, taste sensations and of course featuring all of the best and beautiful locations across our favourite county. You'll find inspiration and information to help make your next visit easy.

Please Visit Safely

We want you to have a great time in the great outdoors so please see below for some top tips and advice to ensure your visit is safe and countryside-friendly...

Remember the Countryside Code

Check opening times and facilities before you go

Follow the latest Government Covid guidance

Take extra care on the coast

Access our public rights of way network

Find Out More

Make your trip sustainable

The Kent Downs and North Downs Way is well connected by rail, bike and bus and you won't need to worry about finding a parking space either. Here are a few tips...

Go by Train, Southeastern have some handy tips on travelling with confidence. Click Here

Buy a family Discovery Bus Ticket for all day travel across the county and beyond. Click Here

Get on your bike, it's great exercise and environmentally friendly too. Find out more from Cycling UK.

Visit Kent Connected to find the best ways to travel for you and the environment. Click Here.

For more information on low impact travel to the Kent Downs Click Here.