This guide sorts Dartford’s green spaces by what you want from the day: a family afternoon in town, a long walk along the River Darent, or a woodland outing. It finishes with an indoor option for wet weather. The cards below link to each place’s InKent page.
A family afternoon in Central Park
Central Park is in the town centre on Market Street, beside Dartford Library and Museum, with the River Darent running through it. It has the Buccaneer Bay play park, with separate areas for under-fives and older children, and a water play area that operates in summer. There are formal gardens, picnic benches, a wildflower meadow and orchard, and a cafe and visitor centre beside the water play area.
- Cost: free.
- Opening: the park unlocks at 6am. Locking times change through the year and start at 5.45pm from November to January, so check Dartford Borough Council’s monthly times before a late visit.
- Suits: families with young children.
The Darent Valley Path
The Darent Valley Path is a 19-mile (30km) waymarked route that follows the River Darent from the banks of the Thames at Dartford, through the Kent Downs National Landscape, to the Greensand hills above Sevenoaks. In Dartford it passes through Central Park, beside the park’s cafe. Kent Downs National Landscape says the path runs for 19 miles between Dartford and Sevenoaks, and Explore Kent gives Dartford as the nearest railway station. You do not have to walk all 19 miles; the first stretch from the park is a short way to try it.
Hesketh Park
Hesketh Park is home to Dartford Cricket Club and also has tennis courts, a playground, formal flowerbeds, a wildflower meadow and an orchard. The Hesketh Bark activity area is set aside for dogs. It is free, unlocks at 6.30am, and locks from 5.15pm between November and January.
Darenth Country Park
Darenth Country Park opened in 2002 on the grounds of the former Darenth asylum, on the northern edge of the North Downs overlooking the Darent Valley. Part of it is a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its chalk grassland. The traditional orchard has over 150 varieties of apple, pear, plum, cherry and cobnut, and a scheduled ancient monument marks a Saxon burial ground. There is a play area, a picnic area by the car park, and a mix of paved and unpaved paths, including cycle routes. The park is on Gore Road. It is free and unlocks at 6.45am.
Dartford Heath
Dartford Heath is 314 acres of acid grassland, broadleaved woodland, heather and dwarf gorse. The council records its civic importance going back to 1660. Willow warblers and linnets use the gorse and heather, and green woodpeckers and red kites are recorded in the woods. The council says the heath is unlocked at 7am and locked at 6.30pm, and a charged vehicle release service operates outside those hours, so plan your return if you drive.
Joyden’s Wood
Joyden’s Wood is a 333-acre Woodland Trust wood on the edge of Dartford and Bexley. It has two waymarked circular routes: the Faesten Dic Trail at 3.3km and the Woodland Walk at 2.7km. There is no car park, only limited street parking on Summerhouse Drive by the main entrance, next to the Squires Way bus stop. The Woodland Trust says buses run from Swanley, Dartford and Bexley. Only the Summerhouse Drive entrance is suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs.
When it rains: the museum and gallery
Dartford Borough Museum shares the Grade II listed Carnegie library building at the entrance to Central Park. Its displays run from Stone Age finds from Barnfield Pit at Swanscombe, including a cast of the Swanscombe Skull, to a reconstruction of Kerr’s draper’s shop. The Darenth Bowl, found at the Saxon burial ground in Darenth Country Park, is in the museum’s collection, though the museum says it is not on display at the moment. Entry is free and the museum opens in the afternoons, except on Wednesdays and Sundays, so check the council’s page for current times. The Sir Peter Blake Gallery is in the same building and shows work by emerging and established artists.
Getting there
Dartford station is on the Southeastern network. Southeastern’s Dartford to London page has fares and times. Dartford Borough Council lists its pay and display car parks on its website, with ways to pay that include a mobile app.
Frequently asked questions
Which Dartford park has play areas for toddlers?
Central Park has a play area with a separate area for under-fives, plus summer water play. The council’s page lists what is open when.
Can I walk the Darent Valley Path from Dartford station?
Explore Kent gives Dartford as the nearest railway station to the path, and Dartford Borough Council says the path passes the Central Park visitor centre.
Can I take a dog to these places?
Hesketh Park has an activity area set aside for dogs, the Woodland Trust says dogs are welcome at Joyden’s Wood, and Explore Kent lists dogs as allowed on Dartford Heath. Rules vary, so check each owner’s page for restrictions on leads and in play areas.