Leybourne Lakes Country Park

Award Winning Country Park

Leybourne Lakes Country Park has been awarded the Green Flag Award for the third year in a row. The Green Flag is the national benchmark of excellence for parks and open spaces, with Leybourne Lakes being just one of 13 Country Parks in the South East to have received the award. For more information, please visit the Green Flag Award page.

As well as the Green Flag Award which the Council strive to achieve, there is also a new 'peoples award' which will be presented to the open space with the most public votes. So if you think Leybourne Lakes Country Park deserves to win then please follow the link below and click 'vote for this site'

http://www.keepbritaintidy.org/GreenFlag/GreenFlagAwardSites/SouthEast/Default.aspx?parkID=245

Ranger Led Activities

The Country Park offers Ranger led activities throughout the year for schools and youth organisations including pond dipping, nature discovery trails and orienteering. For more information please see the New Education Activity Pack.

New Play Area & Play Trail

The new Children's Play Area and Wildlife Play Trail was officially opened by the Mayor Sue Murray on Saturday 1 August. The play area offers an adventure trail, a play frame as well as smaller play equipment for the younger ones. The play area is situated next to the water sports car park, near the Ocean Lake. The Wildlife Play Trail includes swan seats, dragonflies, snakes and butterflies. Discover the wildlife sculptures as you walk around the Ocean Lake.

Refreshments

Park refreshments are available every weekend and bank holiday throughout the year and week days during the summer holidays. Refreshment facilities are provided by The Limes Catering and are weather permitting.

Water Safety

No swimming Due to the nature of the lakes, it is very dangerous for unauthorised swimming to take place. Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council has therefore adopted a 'No Public Swimming' policy. If you are interested in using the lake for open water swimming training, please contact the Leybourne Lake Water Sports Centre on 01622 790055 or visit their website at www.leybournelakewatersports.co.uk

The Council have a Water Safety Strategy for the Country Park to reduce the risk to members of the public and to reduce the unauthorised use of the lakes. For more information about water safety at Leybourne Lakes Country Park and throughout the Tonbridge & Malling Borough, visit the Water Safety Information.

What is there to do?

Includes activities for kids, events, water sports, fishing and volunteering opportunities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Includes how do I get there? When is the Country Park open? Do I have to pay for parking? and how accessible is the Park?

Information about the Country Park

Developed from former gravel workings, Leybourne Lakes Country Park is dominated by a series of lakes and flower rich grasslands that offer both quiet recreation for visitors and a valued sanctuary for a variety of wildlife. The Country Park has spectacular views across its many lakes and out to the North Downs.

The Park is home to a range of leisure activities including walking, cycling, fishing, windsurfing, scuba diving and bird watching. The Leybourne Lakes Country Park Guide provides a useful site map as well as information about the Park.

The management of the Country Park is carried out by a small on-site ranger team, including volunteer rangers and a seasonal ranger during the busy summer months. The rangers work on a rota basis, working every weekend and some evenings during the summer. Regular patrols are carried out, as well as routine maintenance in the Park.

Management Plan 2007-2011

To view the Leybourne Lakes Country Park Management Plan 2007-2011, please download the following PDF documents:

pdf logo Front Cover

pdf logo LLCP Management Plan

These documents are large and may take a little while to download. If you would prefer a hard copy, printed copies are available from:

Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council, Leisure Services,Gibson Building, Gibson Drive,
Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent ME19 4LZ.

A small charge of £10.00 is payable to cover the costs of printing, admin and postage. To purchase your own copy please write to the Council at the above address, enclosing a cheque for the amount of £10.00 payable to 'Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council'.