Brockhill Country Park
Encyclopedia
Brockhill Country Park is in Saltwood
, near Hythe
in Kent
, England.
A former estate with landscaped gardens, now house used by a school and gardens and lake, now part of the country park.
times. The old manor house is adjacent to the park. This was once Brockhill Park, now used as the main building of Brockhill County Secondary School.
The estate is connected with the Tourney family, until the death of the eccentric William Tourney Tourney (the last Lord of Brockhill Manor) in 1903. Who seems to have a reputation for world travel and oddness as well as gaining an extra Tourney (to his name!). Upon his death, he is said to have ordered that his constant companions, his dog and his horse, were to be killed and buried with him. The grave of the dog is next to William's on an island in the middle of one of the lakes, that are now part in Brockhill Country Park.
Saltwood Church has references to Thomas Brokhill 1437, Thomas Tourney 1712, Mary Tourney (early 19th Century) and another Thomas Tourney in 1816.
in Hythe
and has excellent views (from the park) to the English Channel
. There are two sign posted trails around the park ranging from 3 - 6 miles (5 - 9.6 km) long, the walks are linked to the Saxon Shore Way
, offering potential routes for long distance walkers. The lake trail takes up to 30 minutes (accessed by a sloped path), whilst the valley walk takes about 45 minutes and offers a scenic route around the valley at the southern end of the site. As well as leading around the Deer Paddock which is a meadow enclosed with trees, including walnut
and variegated sycamore
.
To the north, a short walk leads to Postling Down, an area of unimproved ancient chalk downland
. The rabbit-grazed turf is ideal for low-growing herbs and the rich mosaic of plants, providing shelter for many beautiful meadow butterflies.
The park is a Site of Nature Conservation Interest
.
Saltwood
Saltwood is a village and civil parish in the Shepway District of Kent, England. Within the parish are two other settlements: Pedlinge and Sandling; both being small hamlets.-Geography:...
, near Hythe
Hythe, Kent
Hythe , is a small coastal market town on the edge of Romney Marsh, in the District of Shepway on the south coast of Kent. The word Hythe or Hithe is an Old English word meaning Haven or Landing Place....
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England.
A former estate with landscaped gardens, now house used by a school and gardens and lake, now part of the country park.
History
It was previously once part of a large estate, dating back to NormanNormans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
times. The old manor house is adjacent to the park. This was once Brockhill Park, now used as the main building of Brockhill County Secondary School.
The estate is connected with the Tourney family, until the death of the eccentric William Tourney Tourney (the last Lord of Brockhill Manor) in 1903. Who seems to have a reputation for world travel and oddness as well as gaining an extra Tourney (to his name!). Upon his death, he is said to have ordered that his constant companions, his dog and his horse, were to be killed and buried with him. The grave of the dog is next to William's on an island in the middle of one of the lakes, that are now part in Brockhill Country Park.
Saltwood Church has references to Thomas Brokhill 1437, Thomas Tourney 1712, Mary Tourney (early 19th Century) and another Thomas Tourney in 1816.
Geography
The rest of the park, 54 acres (218,530.4 m²), is dominated by a large grassy valley, bisected by the Brockhill Stream, as it makes its way down to the Royal Military CanalRoyal Military Canal
The Royal Military Canal is a canal running for 28 miles between Seabrook near Folkestone and Cliff End near Hastings, following the old cliff line bordering Romney Marsh.-Construction:...
in Hythe
Hythe, Kent
Hythe , is a small coastal market town on the edge of Romney Marsh, in the District of Shepway on the south coast of Kent. The word Hythe or Hithe is an Old English word meaning Haven or Landing Place....
and has excellent views (from the park) to the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
. There are two sign posted trails around the park ranging from 3 - 6 miles (5 - 9.6 km) long, the walks are linked to the Saxon Shore Way
Saxon Shore Way
The Saxon Shore Way is a long-distance footpath in England, starting at Gravesend, Kent and traces the coast as it was in Roman times as far as Hastings, East Sussex, in total.-History:...
, offering potential routes for long distance walkers. The lake trail takes up to 30 minutes (accessed by a sloped path), whilst the valley walk takes about 45 minutes and offers a scenic route around the valley at the southern end of the site. As well as leading around the Deer Paddock which is a meadow enclosed with trees, including walnut
Walnut
Juglans is a plant genus of the family Juglandaceae, the seeds of which are known as walnuts. They are deciduous trees, 10–40 meters tall , with pinnate leaves 200–900 millimetres long , with 5–25 leaflets; the shoots have chambered pith, a character shared with the wingnuts , but not the hickories...
and variegated sycamore
Sycamore
Sycamore is a name which is applied at various times and places to three very different types of trees, but with somewhat similar leaf forms....
.
To the north, a short walk leads to Postling Down, an area of unimproved ancient chalk downland
Downland
A downland is an area of open chalk hills. This term is especially used to describe the chalk countryside in southern England. Areas of downland are often referred to as Downs....
. The rabbit-grazed turf is ideal for low-growing herbs and the rich mosaic of plants, providing shelter for many beautiful meadow butterflies.
The park is a Site of Nature Conservation Interest
Site of Nature Conservation Interest
Site of Nature Conservation Interest is a designation used in many parts of the United Kingdom to protect areas of importance for wildlife and geology at a county scale...
.