The Kent Downs is an
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB; , AHNE) is one of 46 areas of countryside in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland that has been designated for conservation due to its significant landscape value. Since 2023, the areas in England an ...
(AONB) in
Kent
Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...
, England. They are the eastern half of the
North Downs
The North Downs are a ridge of chalk hills in south east England that stretch from Farnham in Surrey to the White Cliffs of Dover in Kent. Much of the North Downs comprises two Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Areas of Outstanding Natural Be ...
and stretch from the
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
/
Surrey
Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...
borders to the
White Cliffs of Dover, including a small section of the
London Borough of Bromley
The London Borough of Bromley () is a London Borough, borough in London, England. It is the largest and southeasternmost borough in London, and borders the county of Kent, of which it formed part until 1965. The borough's population in the 2021 ...
. The AONB also includes the
Greensand Ridge, a prominent sandstone escarpment which lies south of the chalk escarpment of the North Downs.
It was first designated as an AONB in July 1968 and covers 878 square km (326 square miles).
The AONB's highest point is
Toy's Hill, at 250m above sea level, and its boundaries include three main rivers: the
Darent,
Medway
Medway is a Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in the ceremonial county of Kent in South East England. It was formed in 1998 by merging the boroughs of City of Roche ...
and
Stour.
To the west,
Surrey Hills AONB adjoins the Kent Downs AONB, and includes a continuation of the
North Downs chalk ridge which runs through the Kent Downs, stretching from
Farnham
Farnham is a market town and civil parish in Surrey, England, around southwest of London. It is in the Borough of Waverley, close to the county border with Hampshire. The town is on the north branch of the River Wey, a tributary of the ...
to the
English Channel
The English Channel, also known as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France. It links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end. It is the busi ...
and reappearing within the Parc Naturel Régional des Caps et Marais d’Opale in France.
High Weald AONB lies to the south east, separated by a distance of just over 2km at
Bough Beech Reservoir.
As part of the management of the AONB,
Village Design Statements have been adopted by 14 per cent of villages within its boundaries, going on to form part of
Supplementary Planning Guidance, recognising the character of the historic landscape and distinctiveness of settlements.
Areas
Among the named parts of the Downs are:
*
Alkham Valley a dry valley north-west of
Dover
Dover ( ) is a town and major ferry port in Kent, southeast England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies southeast of Canterbury and east of Maidstone. ...
;
[walks/rides available in this Valley]
*
Betsom's Hill highest point in Kent at ; near
Westerham
*
Blue Bell Hill
*
Burham Down
*
Castle Hill
*
Chartham Downs
*
Denge Wood
*
Detling Hill
*
Elham Valley
*
Hollingbourne Downs
*
Knole Park
*
Lullingstone Country Park
Lullingstone Country Park is near Eynsford, in Kent, England. A former deer park of a large estate, it was later sold to become an open-space and woodland park. The park and Lullingstone Castle are a Scheduled Monument, and an area of is a bi ...
*
Ranscombe Farm
*
Samphire Hoe
*
Summerhouse Hill
*
Tolsford Hill
*
Torry Hill
*
Wye Downs
Walking
The
North Downs Way runs through the full length of the AONB, the
Stour Valley Walk passes through the east of the AONB, and the
Greensand Way to the south of
Sevenoaks.
References
External links
Kent Downs photo group on ''Flickr''
Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England
Hills of Kent
Protected areas of Kent
Chalk landforms
{{Kent-geo-stub