Grove Ferry Picnic Area
Encyclopedia
Grove Ferry is near Upstreet
, in Kent
, England.
This picnic site is maintained and managed by Kent County Council
.
It is beside the Grove Ferry Public House, built in 1831, (managed by Shepherd Neame
).
The pub took its name from a hand drawn ferry
that crossed the River Stour, Kent
in front of the building. The pub was also known as Grove Ferry Inn. It still continues to offer bed and breakfast stays.
The road Bridge (over the River Stour) replaced the old ferry in 1963.
Kent County Council renovated the Grove Ferry bridge, in September 2000.
It is close to the railway level crossing, (the site of a former dismantled railway station). The road leads down from to the crossing and then over the bridge, before heading to Grove Hill or Preston.
When the level crossing is down, cars are queued back over the bridge.
The picnic site is to the right of the pub car park beside the river.
It is a good starting point, for doing sections of the long distance walks; Stour Valley Walk
, the Saxon Shore Way
or the Wantsum Walks (beside the Wantsum Channel
) , all that lead beside the River Stour.
It is also adjacent to the Stodmarsh National Nature Reserve
. The river is part of an area designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest
(SSSI), recently upgraded to an International RAMSAR
site.
Fishing rights were granted during the reign of King Henry II and are still available today along the river bank.
Some of the fishing swims (sections of the river where fish are found) have been adapted for those with disabilities. The Canterbury and District Angling Club hold most fishing rights over the River Stour . Subject to an agreement between the Association and English Nature
.
Grove Ferry Boat Club was founded in 1964.You will find the clubhouse, dating from the early seventies, on the south bank of the River Great Stour, (the second largest river in Kent) It lies just below the Grove Ferry Bridge, some 8 miles east of Canterbury. .
Upstreet
Upstreet is a village in the civil parish of Chislet in Kent, England. It is in the local government district of Canterbury, and the electoral ward of Marshside....
, in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England.
This picnic site is maintained and managed by Kent County Council
Kent County Council
Kent County Council is the county council that governs the majority of the county of Kent in England. It provides the upper tier of local government, below which are 12 district councils, and around 300 town and parish councils. The county council has 84 elected councillors...
.
It is beside the Grove Ferry Public House, built in 1831, (managed by Shepherd Neame
Shepherd Neame
Shepherd Neame is an English regional brewery founded in 1698 by Richard Marsh in Faversham, Kent. It is a family owned brewery that produces a range of cask ales and filtered beers. Production is around 230,000 barrels a year...
).
The pub took its name from a hand drawn ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
that crossed the River Stour, Kent
River Stour, Kent
The River Stour is the river in Kent, England that flows into the English Channel at Pegwell Bay. Above Plucks Gutter, where the Little Stour joins it, the river is normally known as the Great Stour. The upper section of the river, above its confluence with the East Stour at Ashford is sometimes...
in front of the building. The pub was also known as Grove Ferry Inn. It still continues to offer bed and breakfast stays.
The road Bridge (over the River Stour) replaced the old ferry in 1963.
Kent County Council renovated the Grove Ferry bridge, in September 2000.
It is close to the railway level crossing, (the site of a former dismantled railway station). The road leads down from to the crossing and then over the bridge, before heading to Grove Hill or Preston.
When the level crossing is down, cars are queued back over the bridge.
The picnic site is to the right of the pub car park beside the river.
It is a good starting point, for doing sections of the long distance walks; Stour Valley Walk
Stour Valley Walk
The Stour Valley Walk is a recreational walking route that follows the River Stour, through the Low Weald and Kent Downs, from its source at Lenham to its estuary at Pegwell Bay....
, the Saxon Shore Way
Saxon Shore Way
The Saxon Shore Way is a long-distance footpath in England, starting at Gravesend, Kent and traces the coast as it was in Roman times as far as Hastings, East Sussex, in total.-History:...
or the Wantsum Walks (beside the Wantsum Channel
Wantsum Channel
The Wantsum Channel is the name given to a now silted-up watercourse separating the Isle of Thanet and what was the mainland of the English county of Kent...
) , all that lead beside the River Stour.
It is also adjacent to the Stodmarsh National Nature Reserve
Stodmarsh National Nature Reserve
Stodmarsh National Nature Reserve lies in the valley of the Great Stour river, between Westbere and Grove Ferry, in the county of Kent, and forms part of the extensive Stodmarsh SSSI...
. The river is part of an area designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
(SSSI), recently upgraded to an International RAMSAR
Ramsar
Ramsar is a city in and the capital of Ramsar County, Mazandaran Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 31,659, in 9,421 families....
site.
Fishing rights were granted during the reign of King Henry II and are still available today along the river bank.
Some of the fishing swims (sections of the river where fish are found) have been adapted for those with disabilities. The Canterbury and District Angling Club hold most fishing rights over the River Stour . Subject to an agreement between the Association and English Nature
English Nature
English Nature was the United Kingdom government agency that promoted the conservation of wildlife, geology and wild places throughout England between 1990 and 2006...
.
Grove Ferry Boat Club was founded in 1964.You will find the clubhouse, dating from the early seventies, on the south bank of the River Great Stour, (the second largest river in Kent) It lies just below the Grove Ferry Bridge, some 8 miles east of Canterbury. .