Trosley Country Park
Encyclopedia
Trosley Country Park is in Trottiscliffe
, near Vigo
, in Kent
, England. Once part of a large woodland estate then after many changes it was passed to the council who turned in into a large country park.
was once part of the Trosley Towers Estate.
In 1870, Sir Sydney Waterlow, 1st Baronet bought large areas of land including the village of Fairseat (near Stansted, Kent
- 1 mile west of Trosley), a major section of Stanstead as well as other pieces of land from Wrotham
(2 miles south of Trosley) to Meopham
(2 miles north of Trosley). The parts of the estate were linked by a small bridge bearing the family crest over Trottiscliffe Road (which is still in evidence today).
In 1887, he built Trosley Towers on the crest of the escarpment on the North Downs, to the east of Trottiscliffe Road. Two drive
s approached the house, and it was surrounded by wooded grounds. Later, other private drives were constructed, including Hamilton Drive which still survives within the Trosley Country Park and runs from the site of the old House to Commority Road.
When Sir Sidney died in 1906, the estate passed to his son Philip (who also became a Sir). When Philip died in 1931, the estate was sold off. Some of the houses (of the estate) were bought by tenants, one of these was Pilgrims House, (see http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1177043) with six acres of land, at the bottom of Trottiscliffe Road which went for £600. Trosley Towers and the woodlands around it, were sold to 'Mr E. E. Shahmoon' in 1935, this was also the time of the chalet building.
In 1936, Mr Shahmoon had Trosley Towers demolished and had Hamilton Lodge built along with adjoining stables. One story suggests that the Lodge and stables were built to accommodate the Shah of Persia and his racehorses on his visits to England.
The whole area was still owned by Mr Shahmoon when it was taken over by the army in 1942 during World War II and Hamilton Lodge was to be the HQ of the Army Brigade that was stationed here.
The manor house in the estate was demolished..
The 170 acre park was opened in 1976 by Kent County Council
.
and the chalk grassland
slopes of the park are a Site of Special Scientific Interest
. These slopes were formerly used as grazing for farm animals, but were left to naturalise after the farms moved to the lower and more productive wealdland
pastures. After the park was formed, these grasslands were cleared of scrub to allow the rare chalk land plants and animals to re-establish including the Musk Orchid
, and Chalkhill Blue
butterfly. Other meadow insects found include the Dark Green Fritillary
.
Three main trails are marked. The 'Red Route' - 2.5miles which is fairly flat and also uses the North Downs Way
.
The 'Yellow Route' - 1.5miles which uses some of the Red Route but is an easier trail. The last trail, the 'Blue Route' - 2miles long, is the most challenging and includes steep hills and climbs. It also passes Little Pell (wood) Great Pell Field (meadow).
The North Downs Way
leads via a bridleway through the Country Park on its way to from Wrotham
to Upper Halling
.
An 'Adventurous Pub Walk' (of 8.5 miles) starts in the park and leads to Ryarsh
and Addington
, before returning to the park
The Coldrum Trail also starts in the country park and leads to the Coldrum Stones
, before returning to the park.
, the par is located off the A227
between Meopham
and Wrotham
.
Trottiscliffe
Trottiscliffe , is a village in Kent, England about north west of West Malling.Its most notable feature is the neolithic long barrow known as the Coldrum Stones and its medieval church. It is often incorrectly spelled Trosley after Trosley Country Park at the top of The North Downs, which was once...
, near Vigo
Vigo
Vigo is a city and municipality in north-west Spain, in Galicia, situated on the ria of the same name on the Atlantic Ocean.-Population:...
, 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. Once part of a large woodland estate then after many changes it was passed to the council who turned in into a large country park.
History
The country parkCountry park
A country park is an area designated for people to visit and enjoy recreation in a countryside environment.-History:In the United Kingdom the term 'Country Park' has a special meaning. There are over 400 Country Parks in England alone . Most Country Parks were designated in the 1970s, under the...
was once part of the Trosley Towers Estate.
In 1870, Sir Sydney Waterlow, 1st Baronet bought large areas of land including the village of Fairseat (near Stansted, Kent
Stansted, Kent
Stansted is a village and rural parish in the Tonbridge and Malling district of the county of Kent in the United Kingdom .It is located at , close by the M20 motorway...
- 1 mile west of Trosley), a major section of Stanstead as well as other pieces of land from Wrotham
Wrotham
Wrotham is a village situated on the Pilgrims' Way in Kent, at the foot of the North Downs. It is located one mile north of Borough Green and approximately five miles east of Sevenoaks. It is within the junction of the M20 and M26 motorways....
(2 miles south of Trosley) to Meopham
Meopham
Meopham is a large linear village and civil parish in the Borough of Gravesham and ceremonial county of Kent, in England, and lies to the south of Gravesend. The parish covers , and comprises two villages and two smaller settlements; it has a population of 6,427...
(2 miles north of Trosley). The parts of the estate were linked by a small bridge bearing the family crest over Trottiscliffe Road (which is still in evidence today).
In 1887, he built Trosley Towers on the crest of the escarpment on the North Downs, to the east of Trottiscliffe Road. Two drive
Driveway
A driveway is a type of private road for local access to one or a small group of structures, and is owned and maintained by an individual or group....
s approached the house, and it was surrounded by wooded grounds. Later, other private drives were constructed, including Hamilton Drive which still survives within the Trosley Country Park and runs from the site of the old House to Commority Road.
When Sir Sidney died in 1906, the estate passed to his son Philip (who also became a Sir). When Philip died in 1931, the estate was sold off. Some of the houses (of the estate) were bought by tenants, one of these was Pilgrims House, (see http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1177043) with six acres of land, at the bottom of Trottiscliffe Road which went for £600. Trosley Towers and the woodlands around it, were sold to 'Mr E. E. Shahmoon' in 1935, this was also the time of the chalet building.
In 1936, Mr Shahmoon had Trosley Towers demolished and had Hamilton Lodge built along with adjoining stables. One story suggests that the Lodge and stables were built to accommodate the Shah of Persia and his racehorses on his visits to England.
The whole area was still owned by Mr Shahmoon when it was taken over by the army in 1942 during World War II and Hamilton Lodge was to be the HQ of the Army Brigade that was stationed here.
The manor house in the estate was demolished..
The 170 acre park was opened in 1976 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...
.
Ecology
It is situated on the North DownsNorth Downs
The North Downs are a ridge of chalk hills in south east England that stretch from Farnham in Surrey to the White Cliffs of Dover in Kent. The North Downs lie within two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty , the Surrey Hills and the Kent Downs...
and the chalk grassland
Calcareous grassland
Calcareous grassland is an ecosystem associated with thin basic soil, such as that on chalk and limestone downland. Plants on calcareous grassland are typically short and hardy, and include grasses and herbs such as clover...
slopes of the park are 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...
. These slopes were formerly used as grazing for farm animals, but were left to naturalise after the farms moved to the lower and more productive wealdland
Weald
The Weald is the name given to an area in South East England situated between the parallel chalk escarpments of the North and the South Downs. It should be regarded as three separate parts: the sandstone "High Weald" in the centre; the clay "Low Weald" periphery; and the Greensand Ridge which...
pastures. After the park was formed, these grasslands were cleared of scrub to allow the rare chalk land plants and animals to re-establish including the Musk Orchid
Musk Orchid
The musk orchid is a commonly occurring species of European orchid.-Status in Britain:Musk orchids have a localised distribution in Britain. Sites where it is found include Ham Hill in Wiltshire....
, and Chalkhill Blue
Chalkhill Blue
The Chalkhill Blue is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae.Males have pale silvery-blue wings with black and white border . Females are dark brown, also with the black and white borders...
butterfly. Other meadow insects found include the Dark Green Fritillary
Dark Green Fritillary
The Dark Green Fritillary is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family.The insect has a wide range in the Palearctic ecozone - Europe, Morocco, Iran , Siberia, Central Asia, China, Korea and Japan.-Subspecies:...
.
Recreation
The park has various circular trails around the site, within Downs Wood, Great Wood and Butchers Wood.Three main trails are marked. The 'Red Route' - 2.5miles which is fairly flat and also uses the North Downs Way
North Downs Way
The North Downs Way is a long-distance path in southern England, opened in 1978. It runs from Farnham to Dover, past Godalming, Guildford, Dorking, Merstham, Otford and Rochester, along the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Kent Downs AONB.East of Boughton Lees, the path splits...
.
The 'Yellow Route' - 1.5miles which uses some of the Red Route but is an easier trail. The last trail, the 'Blue Route' - 2miles long, is the most challenging and includes steep hills and climbs. It also passes Little Pell (wood) Great Pell Field (meadow).
The North Downs Way
North Downs Way
The North Downs Way is a long-distance path in southern England, opened in 1978. It runs from Farnham to Dover, past Godalming, Guildford, Dorking, Merstham, Otford and Rochester, along the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Kent Downs AONB.East of Boughton Lees, the path splits...
leads via a bridleway through the Country Park on its way to from Wrotham
Wrotham
Wrotham is a village situated on the Pilgrims' Way in Kent, at the foot of the North Downs. It is located one mile north of Borough Green and approximately five miles east of Sevenoaks. It is within the junction of the M20 and M26 motorways....
to Upper Halling
Halling, Kent
Halling is a village on the North Downs in the northern part of Kent, England, covering 7.1 square kilometres of land. Consisting of Lower Halling, Upper Halling and North Halling, it is scattered over some along the River Medway parallel to the Pilgrims' Way running over Kent.The origin of the...
.
An 'Adventurous Pub Walk' (of 8.5 miles) starts in the park and leads to Ryarsh
Ryarsh
Ryarsh is a village and civil parish in the local government district of Tonbridge and Malling in Kent, England. It is home to around 1,000 residents. Ryarsh is west of Maidstone and north of West Malling and Kings Hill.-Ryarsh Circle:...
and Addington
Addington
- Places :Addington as a place name is Anglo Saxon in origin, and means 'Eadda's estate'.In Australia:* Addington, VictoriaIn Canada:* Addington, Ontario* Addington County, Ontario...
, before returning to the park
The Coldrum Trail also starts in the country park and leads to the Coldrum Stones
Coldrum Stones
The Coldrum Stones are the remains of a Neolithic chambered long barrow near Trottiscliffe in the English county of Kent.The monument has been greatly affected by 19th century treasure hunters and chalk extraction but the kerb of 31 peristaliths largely survives, meaning that it is often mistaken...
, before returning to the park.
Location
Situated off Junction 2 of the M20 motorwayM20 motorway
The M20 is a motorway in Kent, England. It runs from the M25 motorway to Folkestone, providing a link to the Channel Tunnel and the ports at Dover. It is long...
, the par is located off the A227
A227 road
The A227 road in England runs from Gravesend in Kent in a generally south-south-westerly direction to Tonbridge. It is about in length.-Overview:...
between Meopham
Meopham
Meopham is a large linear village and civil parish in the Borough of Gravesham and ceremonial county of Kent, in England, and lies to the south of Gravesend. The parish covers , and comprises two villages and two smaller settlements; it has a population of 6,427...
and Wrotham
Wrotham
Wrotham is a village situated on the Pilgrims' Way in Kent, at the foot of the North Downs. It is located one mile north of Borough Green and approximately five miles east of Sevenoaks. It is within the junction of the M20 and M26 motorways....
.