It was a staff training day at my children’s school so they had a random day off. It was the middle of a heatwave across the county, Dad was working from home and the neighbours must be sick of hearing my kids argue in the garden so we needed to get out of the house.
But where? We wanted to go somewhere to cool off but with temperatures reaching 30 degrees, I thought outdoor pools and splash pads would be too crowded.
I had read online about Brockhill Country Park in Saltwood near Hythe, where there is a stream you can paddle in. So we packed the car with a picnic, a little net for each of the kids (79p from Home Bargains, if you need one) as well as a couple of buckets from the vast collection littering our sandpit, and set off in the sweltering heat.
The site is one of nine Kent County Council (KCC) country parks. And while I have been to places like Shorne Woods near Gravesend and the White Horse Country Park near Detling many times, I have never been to Brockhill.
It was an easy drive – straight down the M20 and just off Junction 11.
There were brown tourist signs when you got closer – but look out for the sudden turn into Sandling Road as it is just after you leave the M20 roundabout to join the A20 and I almost missed it.
The car park was pay and display (£2.50 for all day on a weekday and £3.60 at weekends). You can pay by cash or card at the machines, or via the Ringo app.
I asked the kids where they wanted to go first – the playground or the stream – and they chose the latter.
There was no map of the park at the entrance (unless I missed it) but I had downloaded one on my phone from the KCC website.
We followed the path towards the lake (marked blue on the map) and there were immediately things that kids love – things to sit on, climb on and jump off.
We meandered down the hill, stopping along the way until we reached the water. We then followed the path between the lake and the stream, down some steps next to a waterfall, and then took a right-hand fork to join the red path towards “The Valley”.
It was a lovely walk with shaded parts and lots of wildlife along the way. We listened to the crickets in the long grass and Millie stopped for a chat with a duck.
Not long after joining the red path we crossed a wooden bridge and found a spot below it for paddling in the stream.
The kids spent a happy hour in and out of the cool water with their fishing nets, getting wet and swinging off a tree branch. We didn’t catch much but they didn’t seem to mind.
We stayed at the same spot for a picnic and then the kids were back in the stream for more exploring.
In hindsight, this wasn’t the best place to eat – just as we were packing up, a sheep came trotting towards us, very interested in what was in our bag of food.
But there are plenty of other places you can enjoy a picnic around the park.
We wandered back around the lake, stopping to see some very cute fluffy ducklings, before making our way back up the hill towards the playground.
There is a cafe at the top of the hill if you want food, hot or cold drinks, snacks or ice creams. All the food is vegetarian and the menu includes salads, jacket potatoes and beanburgers.
There was a sign saying it was open until 4pm and food orders were being taken until 2.30pm.
We had the playground to ourselves so I found a shady spot on a bench beneath a tree and let the kids run wild for a bit.
The playground is small compared to some other country parks but there is lots to do – swings, a roundabout, a big climbing frame, a huge slide built into the hill and an area for younger children.
The kids were happy but after a while it got too hot for them so we found a shady spot beneath the trees between the playground and the cafe to play frisbee.
By 4.30pm they had burnt off plenty of energy and were ready to go home. We had all had a great day – it was the perfect place to cool off and I had only spent £2.50 on parking.
If it wasn’t quite so hot, it would have been nice to explore further. There’s two trails around the park. There’s the blue route that we took around the lake, that was just under a mile (1.3km). There’s also the red route which is 1.6 miles (2.7km) and takes you through the valley for views of the English Channel.
According to the KCC website, there’s orienteering trails and geocaching on offer too.
There are also five brass rubbing plaques dotted around the site displaying some of the creatures native to the park.
I also noticed posters for lots of paid-for events coming up which sound fab. There’s Folkelore and Fairy Tales, Wilderness Crazy Golf, a Dino Day and something called Poo Pioneers. To find out more, visit the country park’s Facebook page.
Food and drink: We took a picnic, so I can’t comment on the food at the cafe. But there was loads of choice on the menu and it was reasonably priced ****
Toilets: There are toilets by the car park/cafe. They were clean enough but could do with a bit of a spruce up I think **
Parking: There were plenty of spaces on the day we visited but it could get very busy at the weekends. The price of £2.50 or £3.60 for all day is similar to other country parks around the county. It was easy to pay too ****
Cost: Apart from the parking, we didn’t spend any money, and you can spend most of the day at the park, so it offers great value for money *****
Kids’ verdict: Both kids enjoyed the park. Millie said it felt like going on an adventure and Max loved exploring too ****
Location: Brockhill is located in Sandling Road, just off the M20 near, Hythe. Use postcode CT21 4HL which took us to the car park with no problems, although there is no sign when you need to turn right off Sandling Road (but the sat nav told us where it was).
Where should we head next? Let us know what family days out you think are the best in Kent. Email jhorn@thekmgroup.co.uk
