Cafés
Willesborough Cafe
Family cafe on Church Road, Willesborough, serving breakfasts, sandwiches, jacket potatoes, burgers and pie and mash, open daily until 4pm.
Verified Oct 2026
34 hectare lakeside country park beside the Julie Rose Stadium in Ashford, with walking paths, wildlife areas, picnic benches and public art.
About Conningbrook Lakes Country Park
A 34 hectare former quarry beside the Julie Rose Stadium, with lakes, wildlife areas managed by Kent Wildlife Trust, and public art including The Birds by Julia Clarke. Dogs must be on a lead at all times and kept out of the water. Paths other than the tarmac one from the stadium car park are grass and become muddy in winter. Some areas can be closed for development work.
Accessibility
A wheelchair-accessible tarmac path with a downward slope runs from the main car park. Other paths are flat grass that becomes muddy in winter. Accessible toilet, baby changing and picnic area listed. The boat launch has a wheelchair-accessible ramp (club-supervised use only).
Where it is
What's on here
Eat and drink in Ashford
Restaurants
Trattoria Romana
Traditional Italian restaurant on Bank Street, Ashford, open since 1981, with a la carte, set lunch and dinner menus and collection orders.
Verified Oct 2026
Farm Shops & Producers
Pluckley Farm Shop
Farm shop on Smarden Road, Pluckley, selling pork and local meat, bread, dairy, produce and hampers.
Verified Oct 2026
Farm Shops & Producers
Brabourne Vineyard
Family-run vineyard at East Brabourne with booked tours and tastings, weekend table bookings, cellar door and online shop.
Verified Oct 2026
Guides that mention Conningbrook Lakes Country Park
GuideFamily Days Out, Parks & Walks
Ashford and Tenterden: heathland, woods, nature reserves and the steam railway
Hothfield Heathlands, Conningbrook Lakes, King's Wood, Wye and Ham Street Woods reserves, plus Tenterden's steam railway, St Mildred's and Kiln Field.
More things to do in Ashford
Parks & Walks
Hothfield Heathlands
86 hectare heath and bog reserve near Ashford with four waymarked walks, boardwalks and a 500m all-weather trail. No toilets on site.
Dog Friendly
Parks & Walks
King’s Wood
588 hectare Kent Downs woodland near Challock with walking routes, a sculpture trail, a mountain bike route and pay-by-app parking.
Parks & Walks
Wye National Nature Reserve
Chalk downland reserve above Wye with orchids, a circular nature trail, wide views over Romney Marsh and the Weald, and two car parks.