What’s there?

Cobtree Manor Park is located on the site of the old Maidstone Zoo, which closed down over 80 years ago. The old Elephant House remains, and now an extensive and exciting range of play equipment has been installed for our own little monkeys. The park offers beautifully landscaped gardens, which are a delight to walk around, and a newly built cafe and toilet facilities. The woods offer a wonderful walk and oppotunities for den building and fairy spotting. If you’re lucky you might just spot a fairy door on a tree trunk. This is a lovely stop on the way home for restless children after a day of shopping in Maidstone or Chatham.

Dogs, with responsible owners, are welcome. There is also an extensive bridleway here that interlocks with other bridleways in the area, with the large carpark this could be a good place to start from.

The park has great access for pushchairs and wheelchairs, with pavements throughout the park allowing access to all of the areas.

Parking is pay and display, please visit the Maidstone Council website for details.

Close by

The Museum of Kent Life is under a mile away from the park.

The Malta Inn is under a mile away from the park.

The zipwires at Cobtree Manor Park
Safari jeep and springy play equipment outside the fort at Cobtree Manor Park
The cafe and toilets that service Cobtree Manor Park
The play fort and wooden train at Cobtree Manor Park
Inside the fort at Cobtree Manor park, the fantastic slides and raised walkways
The tree lined walkway found in Cobtree Manor Park as you walk away from the main play area.

How to find it…

Forstal Road, Aylesford, Kent, ME20 7AE

What to take

Check out the website for infomration regarding their activity timetable and special events. Here’s a list of things you might want to take with you:

  • Wellies; for muddy walks in the woods,
  • Footballs, frisbees, rounders sets,
  • A scavenger hunt list,
  • A picnic blanket; there is a lot of seating around the cafe area, but is get very busy at peak times. It can be nice to find a shady spot in the gardens away from the park to eat your lunch.
  • Items for den building; there are often lots of logs and branches left in the woodland for your little ones to use as den material. An old blanket or tarpauline might add to the experience for your children.