Go Wild in Kent
After a hot and hectic summer, there’s nothing better than the cooling breeze of autumn to get you pulling on your walking boots for a wander. And in the Garden of England, you don’t have to travel far to enjoy the great outdoors…and nature at its best. Dawn Kingsford pulled on her wellies to explore some fantastic outdoor parks, where animals take centre stage.
Animal magic
A day out at Kent Life Heritage Farm Park offers the chance to make friends with ferrets, goats and farm animals in Cuddle Corner. Daily animal feeding sessions are hugely popular, as are the donkey rides. The 28-acre living landscape re-creates
rural life from bygone Kent with the help of its collection of historic buildings, saved from demolition from across the county. There’s also a traditional farm kitchen garden, hop garden and coal- fired oast house to explore. The park has indoor and outdoor play
areas, so go wild, whatever the weather! It’s in Lock Lane, Maidstone, near the
M20 J6. Visit
www.kentlife.org.uk
Conservation in action
Go nose-to-nose with a badger or a boar during a trip to Wildwood. The 40-acre wildlife park is home to more than 200 of
Britain’s native species – past and present - including wild horses, wolves, deer, foxes, beavers and even the rare red squirrel. Drop and tube slides, tree towers and a fort will ensure your
day at the charity-run park is truly wild. Find Wildwood on the A291 between Canterbury and Herne Bay. Visit
www.wildwoodtrust.org
Nubian the goat - Kent Life
Pig racing - Rare Breeds Centre
exotic butterfly tunnel, discovery garden and woodland walks. The 100-acre site offers ‘meet the animals’ sessions in The Children’s Barn, and a chance to encounter spiders, snakes and lizards – if you’re brave enough to pop into Creepy Crawly World. A tube maze, pig racing, falconry displays and a zip wire for
children and the young-at-heart are among the other attractions. The centre, at Woodchurch, is open from 10.30am-4.30pm
(closed on Mondays from November to the end of March). Visit
www.rarebreeds.org.uk
22 Mid Kent Living Howletts Down on the farm
As well as the animals, which you can pet, the Rare Breeds Centre near Ashford is also home to an
Be sure to check our
contributors’ web addresses for special events before making your trip
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