Country parks

Medway Council manages countryside sites and green spaces with local communities to ensure that they are safe and attractive places for both people and wildlife.

There are 48 other natural sites scattered throughout Medway, as well as the country parks at Riverside and Capstone and nature reserves like Berengrave. They are open every day of the year. Car parks open from 8.30am and close at dusk. Visitor centres are open from 10am to 4pm.

Riverside Country Park has received a Green Flag Award (www.greenflagaward.org.uk) - the national standard for quality parks and green spaces. Winners are judged to be welcoming and well maintained with the support and involvement of the local community.

Medway Council and Plantlife International also own 229 hectares of farm reserve in Cuxton called Ranscombe Farm Reserve. This does not have the visitor facilities of Riverside and Capstone Farm Country Park but the landscape and nationally important habitats make this a site you should visit.

Medway Council's country parks rangers watch over the country parks and provide:

• habitat management and improvement;
• wildlife monitoring and survey work;
• park maintenance;
• educational programmes for schools;
• a comprehensive programme of events;
• training for volunteers;
• patrols of the parks.

Countryside rangers manage countryside areas of Medway outside the parks, including the Darland Banks between Gillingham and Chatham, the Great Lines in Gillingham and South Wood in Hempstead.

Other green spaces in Medway include more formal urban parks and green spaces and specialist facilities, such as children’s playgrounds, allotments, recreation grounds and sports pitches.

If you come across something in Medway's countryside or the two country parks that you would like to report to the council, please use the contact details below or complete one of these online forms:

Country parks Defects Condition Vegetation Book facilities at a country park

Countryside Defects Condition Vegetation

Wildlife, Countryside and Open Space Strategy 2008/16

This strategy, adopted by Medway Council in January 2008, establishes a vision and identifies six key outcomes to be achieved through the delivery of headline actions. The latest version of the document (pdf 7,174KB) is available to be downloaded. To use this file, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have this on your computer, please use our advice page.

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