Visit our parks and open spaces

Central Park is proudly home to Buccaneer Bay play park, an expansive play area that has replaced its predecessor, offering a wide array of equipment designed to cater to the diverse needs of children.

This remarkable play space features designated areas for children under 5, as well as equipment better suited for those over 5. Buccaneer Bay also boasts an impressive water park that operates during the summer months, providing hours of fun for kids and families.

Surrounding the park, you'll find convenient picnic benches situated amidst a variety of trees, shrubs, and flower beds.

The river Darent gracefully flows through the heart of Central Park, serving as a habitat for several river fish species, including roach, bream, pike, perch, and eels. Dartford Borough Council's dedicated countryside team and volunteers diligently conduct litter clean-ups along the section that runs through Central Park during the summer months. This effort not only reduces pollution but also helps maintain the river's flow, preventing plant encroachment and sediment build-up.

Central Park plays a significant role in Dartford Borough Council's biodiversity net gain project. As part of this initiative, a wildflower meadow and orchard have been established next to the perennial flower bed, on the opposite side of the yew hedge. This aligns with similar projects in various parks throughout the borough, all aimed at expanding pollination corridors across Dartford.

In the creation of the wildflower meadow, the ground was carefully turf-rolled to facilitate the establishment of a newly seeded seed mix without the competition of well-established grasses. This approach not only ensures long-term soil improvements but also fosters a high-quality habitat with a significant carbon capture capacity. Additionally, it provides a year-round refuge for insects, stabilizing population levels.

This natural, visually pleasing environment is known to positively impact people's well-being. Furthermore, the fruit produced by the orchard trees can be picked and enjoyed during the late summer and early autumn months. While harvesting, please be considerate of others and leave any fruit you won't consume for fellow visitors to enjoy.

Dartford's Central Park is home to cafe and visitor centre - the perfect place to stop for tea and a slice of cake on a stroll through the park!

The cafe serves a range of refreshments from breakfasts to drinks and snacks through to main meals, all at reasonable prices.

The centre is designed to be the focal hub of the park, located directly adjacent to the water play area and linked into the main footpath network along the Darent Valley Path route.

Its also a place people can find out about the park, the local wildlife and leisure routes including circular walks both around the town and the surrounding countryside (only minutes away through the park).

The Cafe can by contacted on tel. 01322 229949

Opening times

Central Park will be unlocked at 6:00am

Locking will commence at following times during the year:

Outside of these hours a vehicle release service will operate for which there will be a charge.

Useful Links:

• History Of Central Park - a centenary celebration document