Jeskyns Community Woodland — Attraction in Gravesham

Jeskyns is a lovely walk - lots of open green space and a mixture of short and longer routes to follow.

There are a couple of fairly basic but enjoyable wooden play parks dotted about - one with a fairy garden and sandpit and lots of hidden little trails with wooden creatures. My boys love finding the Gruffalo creatures that come to life when you use the Gruffalo Spotter App 2. It's a good giggle and something we haven't found anywhere else. There is also a small wooden trail with wooden Gruffalo creatures to find.

There are designated areas where dogs can be on/off the lead, and is very dog friendly. There's a small pond/lake that dogs are welcome to swim in, an obstacle course area for dogs and plenty of drinking stations for them near the main cafe area. There is often more dog poo in these areas - most people I see pick up after their dogs and are respectful, but naturally when dogs are running free sometimes the mess can be missed. It's not a huge concern but worth noting when in these areas.

The car park is huge and we've never turned away due to not having a space, no matter the weather or day of visit. It is pay and display - £1 for an hour, £2 for 2 hours and £3 for all day. Ringgo app or cash I believe. There's a cafe near the car park (open for takeaway only at the moment), but has lots of outside seating and also map showing the routes around. There are lots of picnic benches/seating all around the park, a mixture of grass and path walkways. Also some fields with cows and sheep to look at. Overall a lovely place to spend a few hours with the kids or the...

I have been visiting Jeskyns Community Woodland for over 11 years now and have always been one of their biggest fans, as it was one of my ‘go to’ places with the dogs. I was also a Jeskyns Discovery Pass holder for years and then upgraded to a Forest England National Member when they implemented that about 18 months ago. Unfortunately, I have to say, I went this morning for the first time since June (I don’t like to go between June and September due to hundreds of grass seeds and the added expense having one removed from one of the dogs at the vets) and I was utterly disappointed. I used to tell everybody I knew who had dogs to go to Jeskyns, but over the past few years it has really gone down hill in appearance. Being a Forest England National Member, we visit their parks and forests all over the country and Jeskyns is right on my doorstep, but it just looks tatty and unwelcoming the majority of the time, compared to most other forests we go to. I understand about letting the grass grow for the insects and low nesting birds in the Spring, but the grass verges along the pathways are hardly ever cut now and I couldn’t tell you the last time the hedges were cut or trimmed. When Denise Bird was in charge, the site always looked very manicured, but now the grass isn’t cut around the picnic benches, or on the grass verges hardly at all. I struggled to find a place that the dogs could safely run ‘off lead’ today, without the possibility of obtaining some sort of grass seed or foreign body. Suffice to say, I will not be returning there until the weather changes and it is...

I’ve never understood why jeskyns is so popular. It’s big. There’s lots of open space to go for a long walk- with or without a dog. But it’s always busy and the on leash/off leash signs feel like they’re forever changing as you walk through- and I’m not sure all dog owners take any notice of them anyway! There are good facilities for children, Eg; “nature walks” and playground areas. There are lots of flat, wide paths for those who may require them ie; pushchairs elderly or physically impaired. I like that there’s a dog friendly pond, and fenced off training areas for dogs too. For me and my old dog- it’s too much of a “nurtured environment” to feel like nature doing its own thing! The car park is expensive although I understand that the maintenance of all the facilities probably comes at a cost. If you’re like me (us) then there are far wilder untouched places in the...