Historic site bought for public

The HCC hopes to clear the overgrown ice pond seen on the left

A charity has bought a 25-acre chunk of a historic country estate in Kent to open it for local people.

The Heaths Countryside Corridor (HCC) paid £62,000 for the site, which was once part of the Chilston Park estate, north of the M20 near Lenham.

It said its first priority was to erect fencing to stop motorcyclists using the land as an unofficial speedway track.

"We do not want to be killjoys, but the site is too important to allow this to continue," said Ruth Lovering of HCC.

"I hope those concerned will understand and find an alternative venue for their fun."

The purchase of the land, from a farmer who had been using it for grazing, was completed just before Christmas.

Funding came from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Maidstone Borough Council, Kent County Council and the Rail Link Countryside Initiative.

Sketch showing how the ice pond will look when it is cleared

The trust, which already owns a disused sand quarry at Bull Heath and part of Hurst Wood, said the Chilston Park site was its biggest purchase yet.

Archaeological and ecological surveys are planned for this year.

Royton, a medieval manor house, is next to the site and palaeolithic and mesolithic artefacts have been found nearby. A post-medieval ditch lies to the east.

The land also has the remains of a buried ice house, which was used to store ice from one of the site's two ponds before the age of refrigeration.

Ms Lovering said HCC hoped to hold an official opening event in the summer but the site was already covered by insurance for public access.

"Great views north and south will make this a fine place for local people to visit," she said.