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General update
Kearsney Parks are set to benefit from more than £½m investment in repairs and upgrades across the parks. This follows a meeting of DDC’s Cabinet in September when it was agreed to allocate £525k, as well as using £150k already released, for improvements. Renovations are to include works on the children’s play area in Kearsney Abbey, where it is proposed that £100k is allocated to improvements, with new equipment due to be delivered in spring 2026. The works are building on the legacy of the £3.1m National Lottery Heritage Fund project.
We are also pleased to announce that our Kearsney Parks apprentice has completed his apprenticeship successfully and has started a job as a Ground Maintenance Operative for Dover District Council.
The café is open until 4.00pm daily until the end of October and until 3.30pm from November until the end of February. It continues to offer its popular range of sweet and savoury baked goods and light bites including sandwiches, jacket potatoes and homemade soups.
The main car park in Kearsney Parks changed to winter opening times at the beginning of October, which is from 7am until 7pm, and is locked overnight. Parking is free for up to 4 hours which is being enforced.
Resurfacing/repair works have been taking place on the surfacing at the rear of the main car park at Kearsney Abbey and have now been completed.
Model boats are only allowed in the lower lake in Kearsney Abbey. Please always be aware of the wildlife.
Wildlife
Volunteers have continued to carry out reptile surveys this year in both Kearsney Abbey and in the orchard in Russell Gardens. The results have been very positive, with a healthy population of slow worms within the areas surveyed.
Please remember that even though dogs are allowed off the lead in some areas of the parks, they must always be under control.
Forthcoming Events
The Halloween Trail returns on 30 October and although it is sold out, a range of activities including meet the owls and arts and crafts are still taking place during the day with which everyone can join in. For more information, please see www.kearsneyparks.co.uk
Kearsney Parks Calendar
The 2025 Kearsney Parks Calendar is set to be available from the café from approximately 1 November, priced £6. For the latest information, please see the Kearsney Parks website.
Volunteering at Kearsney Parks
Volunteer tasks continue in the parks on a weekly basis. We meet in the café car park from 9.30am until 12.30pm, including a break for tea and doughnuts. We continue to carry out general maintenance in all three parks, including working on the grand border and the orchard in Russell Gardens. If you are interested in volunteering, and would like to be put on our database, please get in touch at kearsney.parks@dover.gov.uk
Photography
There are many great opportunities for taking photographs in Kearsney Parks, and we thank everyone for sending their fantastic photos to us. Please feel free to send photos in and we will try to use them in our publications, including the Kearsney Parks Calendar and on our social media. The amazing picture above was taken by Leslie Buttifint. Please send your photos to kearsney.parks@dover.gov.uk