This guide covers three places in the Medway Valley around Snodland and Aylesford: a Carmelite priory beside the river, two Neolithic burial chambers on Blue Bell Hill, and a lakeside country park. They suit different kinds of visit, so the notes below say what each one is and what to check before you set out. InKent lists The Friars under Aylesford and Kit’s Coty House under Kit’s Coty, and both are grouped with Snodland. The cards below link to each place’s InKent page.
The Friars, Aylesford
The Friars is a Carmelite priory beside the Medway, and it is home to a Carmelite community with daily Mass. The Friars’ own history page says the Carmelites came to Kent in 1242. The grounds have gardens, shrines, a tea room, a gift shop and a pottery. The Friars lists it as open 365 days a year, and on 29 October 2026 its opening-times page gave the grounds as open every day from 9am to 5.30pm and the chapels from 9am to 4pm. Visit Maidstone lists winter hours (October to March) as Monday to Saturday 10am to 4pm and Sunday 11am to 4pm, so the two differ. Check the Friars’ opening-times page before you go.
- Cost: entry is free, according to The Friars.
- Dogs: only guide and hearing dogs are allowed in the grounds.
- Access: most buildings have wheelchair access except the first floors, and wheelchairs can be borrowed from reception. Most paths are wheelchair friendly, with cobbles in a few areas. Reception itself is not wheelchair accessible, so ring the bell for help.
- Suits: visitors who want a historic site with a tea room, and people who want to attend Mass.
Kit’s Coty House and Little Kit’s Coty House
These are the remains of two Neolithic burial chambers on the slopes of Blue Bell Hill above Aylesford. English Heritage looks after them and lists them as free to visit at any reasonable time during daylight hours. Little Kit’s Coty House is a separate monument nearby. English Heritage says the two sites are in fields about 500 metres apart, so check its page and a map to see how far you want to walk between them.
- Getting there: there is no car park at either site. The two sites are reached by footpaths and busy roads, and some approach roads have no pavement.
- Ground: surfaces are uneven.
- Dogs: dogs on leads are welcome.
- Suits: walkers who are comfortable on uneven ground and next to traffic, and anyone interested in prehistory.
Leybourne Lakes Country Park
Leybourne Lakes Country Park is on Malling Road, between Snodland and Larkfield. Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council owns it, and tmactive has managed it since November 2021. The 30-acre Ocean Lake hosts the watersports centre, and the park also has a cafe and fishing. The park gate closes at 6pm from 27 September 2026 to 28 February 2027, and the cafe is listed as open 9am to 4pm until 28 March 2027. These dates are the current winter season, so check tmactive’s page for the summer timetable.
- Cost: tmactive’s parking page lists charges from £1.50 for 1 hour to £5.00 for over 4 hours (prices from 1 January 2025), and no entry charge is listed. Check tmactive’s page for fishing and watersports charges.
- Suits: families, anglers and people who want to try watersports.
Choosing between them
- A historic site with facilities: The Friars, which has a tea room, a gift shop and a pottery.
- Prehistory in the open air: Kit’s Coty House, with no facilities and no car park.
- A lake, a cafe and activities: Leybourne Lakes.
- Wheelchair access: The Friars publishes a detailed access page, with borrowable wheelchairs, wheelchair-friendly paths and a note about reception. Kit’s Coty lists uneven surfaces and roads without pavements. Check tmactive’s page for Leybourne Lakes.
- Winter: The Friars is listed as open every day of the year. The Leybourne Lakes gate closes at 6pm until the end of February 2027, and Kit’s Coty is a daylight-hours site.
Planning the day
The three places are different in kind, so you may want to choose one or two. The Friars is listed as open every day and has a tea room. Kit’s Coty House needs daylight, shoes suited to uneven ground and care on the approach roads. Leybourne Lakes is the one to check first in winter, because the gate closes at 6pm until 28 February 2027 and the cafe closes earlier, at 4pm.
Before you set out, check three pages: the Friars’ opening times, English Heritage’s page for Kit’s Coty House, and tmactive’s page for the current gate and cafe hours at Leybourne Lakes.
Getting there
Kit’s Coty House has no car park and no pavement on some approaches, so plan the route before you leave and take care near traffic. For The Friars and Leybourne Lakes, check each venue’s page for directions and parking, and use the train operator’s journey planner if you are travelling by rail.
Frequently asked questions
Are Kit’s Coty House and The Friars free?
English Heritage lists Kit’s Coty House as free to visit. The Friars says entry is free.
Can I take my dog?
Dogs on leads are welcome at Kit’s Coty House. Only guide and hearing dogs are allowed in the grounds of The Friars. For Leybourne Lakes, check tmactive’s page.
Is The Friars open on Sundays?
It is listed as open 365 days a year, with the grounds open every day from 9am to 5.30pm on its own page on 29 October 2026, while Visit Maidstone lists winter Sunday hours as 11am to 4pm. Check the Friars’ page for current times.
Is Leybourne Lakes in Snodland?
Its address is Malling Road, Snodland, and it lies between Snodland and Larkfield.