Darland Banks – Gillingham, Kent

Area Information:

Managed by the Kent Wildlife Trust this 43 hectares of chalk grassland, scrub and woodland makes a great walk any time of the year. The south facing slopes are home to wide range of species and occassionally cows are left to graze.

For further information please visit ‘The Kent Wildlife trust’ website where you will get the latest information.

Click here to visit ‘The Kent Wildlife trust’ website (www.kentwildlifetrust.org.uk)

Location:

There are a few entrances to Darland Banks. There is a small parking bay at the entrance located in Hoath Close off Hempstead Road and road side parking and another small parking bay at the top of Darland Avenue (ME7 3AS).

For general enquiries please contact the Reserve manager:

Tel: 01622 662012 or Email: info@kentwildlife.org.uk

Facilities

– Free carpark and road side parking

Walk Information:

Distance: Various, Depends on chosen walk / route but you can easily do a 4Km walk as you can see from the map below.

Time: Various, Depends on chosen walk / route. Typically around an hour to cover the whole area.

Terrain: Mixture of woodland and grassland set on the side of the valley. Footpaths are unmade and can be steep in places but most are fairly flat and traverse the valley.

Stiles: Kissing gates only

Dogs on lead? : Dogs allowed off lead. Fenced areas but may not be dog proof. Cattle and Exmoor ponies sometimes graze at various times of the year. Look out for signs.

Dog Bins: Available at the entrances.

Circular Walk Route:

Dog Walk:

The route mapped out above is shown to just give you an idea of how far you can go on your walk. With numerous footpaths and tracks all over the Darland Banks you can take a different path every time you go and enjoy exploring . The reserve is mainly fenced and is safe for your dog to be off lead although sometimes animals can be found grazing so look out for signs on the gates. Star Lane that runs along the bottom of Darland Banks is partially unused and partially only used for access so you can also make this lane part of your walk.

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