Victoria Park

The Victoria Park and Watercress Fields Project is a £5m+ project delivered by Ashford Borough Council and the National Lottery Heritage Fund to improve and protect Victoria Park for the local community.

The park’s new and improved facilities include:

• Community Building – A new café with purpose-built outside seating, a room available to hire for events, clubs or classes, modern toilets, including a Changing Places facility, alongside a refurbished nursery.
• Flagship new playground - A huge new playground with climbing frame, swing, trampolines, a zip-wire and more.
• Sensory Garden - A colourful and fragrant garden in the heart of a woodland meadow setting to create a space perfect for mindfulness.
• Seasonal Wetland Area – The creation of an entirely new seasonal wetland area in the heart of the park to allow the Stour to breathe and people to enjoy nature.
• River Corridor - Opening up the riverbank and natural woodland to allow users to enjoy the Stour from a new picnic area and viewing platform.
• Fountain Piazza - A better space for people at the fountain with new access and seating, improved surfacing and lighting, and new formal planting.
• Community Spaces - A new secure compound for the growing volunteer groups to store materials and get trained, and a freshly surfaced multi-use games area.
• Pump Track - A new hard-surface track for BMXers, skaters, and all other mini-wheels users. Designed and built by the team behind the London 2012 Olympic BMX track and with input from Ska8side users.

Funding and Delivery Partners 

National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF)

NLHF are the largest dedicated grant funder of the UK’s heritage. Locally connected and with national expertise, NLHF are a change-maker working to enhance and champion the value of heritage for all. As part of this work NLHF are joint funding the Victoria Park and Watercress Fields Project by directly contributing £3million.

Kent County Council (KCC) and British Cycling (BC)

KCC are funding cycling and walking improvements around Kent, whilst BC are funding community cycling facilities through their Places to Ride programme. Together, both organisations contributed approximately £80,000 to provide improved cycling facilities in the park, including upgrading the pump track.

Dedicated benches

Residents can now dedicate a bench to a loved one – more details are available on our sponsor a bench in Victoria Park page.