Coastal Canines Club
Riverside Country Park Off-lead Dog Exercise Area Proposals
We are seeking your views on plans to create an off-lead dog exercise area within Riverside Country Park in Rainham. This will be funded by Bird Wise North Kent and is intended to reduce pressure on the paths along the estuary by providing an alternative safe space for dog walkers.
The proposed location is in the field next to the overflow car park. It will consist of a securely fenced area with 2 gates to enter and exit. Benches will be installed along with waste bins which will take both general and dog waste.
The consultation will take place from Monday 10 February to Sunday 9 March 2025.
View a map of the proposed area
Complete our survey and have your say
Our dogs love visiting the coast as much as we do with plenty of open space, fresh air and interesting scents to sniff out. Sadly, dog walking, especially dogs off-lead, was found to be the major cause of disturbance to birds on the north Kent estuaries and marshes.
By following our Coastal Canine Code you can ensure that our four legged friends can continue to enjoy the coast whilst avoiding disturbance to our feathered friends.
The Coastal Canine Code:
- Stay a good distance away from birds that are feeding or resting and move away if they become alert or stop feeding.
- Follow signs and requests, keeping to paths.
- Keep your dog under close control, on a short lead if necessary, if you cannot rely on its obedience.
- Exercise your dog away from feeding or resting birds and never allow them to chase birds.
- Stay behind the sea wall on the landward side where possible.
- Always clean up after your dog and pick up your rubbish, if there are no bins available please take it home with you.
- Join the Coastal Canines Club and receive a free goodie bag! Register for free using the Join The Club form and we will send you regular updates on how you and your furry friends can enjoy our coast responsibly and details on our guided walks and other dog-themed events.
Join The Club!
How to be Bird Wise in 30 seconds!
Here is Sam's guide to being Bird Wise in just 30 seconds!
Free dog training!
The team at Bird Wise North Kent got together with our friends at Bird Wise East Kent and dog behaviourist Mark Beeching to put together a series of short videos to help you get started with training your coastal canine. Each video focuses on a single command: Sit, Stay, Leave, Heel and Recall, to help you get the most of your walks and to keep you, your dog and other people and wildlife safe. You can watch the films below or over on the Birdwise YouTube channel.
Places to Visit
North Kent has some amazing places to go walking with your dog, here are just a few of them.
Gravesham
Jeskyns Park
Jeskyns is a great place to visit with your four legged friend, including woodlands, ponds, orchards and wildflower meadows at Jeskyns Community Woodland. They can test their skills on the Dog Activity Course, take a dip in Henhurst Lake or practice their recall and obedience in one of our safely fenced dog areas. The majority of Jeskyns is designated for off-lead walking, but visitors are asked to observe the rules of the Dogs On Leads Zone, designated with orange signs, which covers the cafe and family trail areas. Pay and display parking is available on site and there is a café with toilets.
Location: DA12 3AN
Camer Park
Camer Park is in Meopham and is a 45-acre designated area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with mature parkland a small area of woodland. The park has areas for picnics and a children’s play area. There is car parking, toilets and a refreshment kiosk. There is a series of walks from Camer Park set up by the Meopham Footpaths Group. The site is great for dog walking with dog bins provided throughout the site. You’ll see areas of grass which are not cut very often in the park. This offers opportunities for the reptiles that have been relocated from development sites to bask in the sun on warmer days. The reptiles are common lizards (Lacerta vivipara) and slow worms (Anguis fragilis) and are not dangerous, please be careful when in the park and under no circumstances remove a reptile if you see one. The main car park is locked half hour before sunset every evening but pedestrian access and vehicle access to the recycling area is open 24 hours a day.
Location: DA13 0AL
Shorne Woods Country Park
One of the most popular country parks in Kent with 292 acres of rolling woodlands, wetlands and meadows that can be explored via a variety of waymarked trails. There is a visitor centre with toilets and a café serving hot and cold meals, drinks and snacks. Outdoor seating with a drinking bowls for your dog mean that you can both enjoy a well earned drink after a long walk through the woods. There is plenty of parking on site, it is pay and display or free to season ticket holders.
Location: DA12 3HX
Trosley Country Park
Trosley Park covers 170 acres of beautiful woodland and chalk downland on the North Downs and provides some spectacular views. There are 3 waymarked trails – the Downland Trail is very steep in parts, while the Woodland Walk is much gentler. The Trosley Trail is an easy access route suitable for buggies and wheelchairs. All provide spectacular views over the downs. The Bluebell Café serves homemade snacks, light meals, cakes and even home-made dog biscuits for canine companions. There are toilets on site and plenty of dog bins. Pay and display parking is available on site.
Canterbury
Memorial Park
This is the largest public open space in Herne Bay, including formal gardens, toilets and play equipment.
Location CT6 5RB
Tankerton Slopes Coastal Park
The cliff-top lawns of Tankerton Slopes, with their colourful beach huts, roll gently towards the sea and provide an excellent vantage point to watch the nautical world go by. There are far reaching views across the estuary towards Southend. Toilets and several cafes are available along the slopes. Location via Tower Hill, Whitstable or Long Rock, Swalecliffe.
Location: CT5
Reculver Country Park
Reculver Country Park is a unique place combining undeveloped coast, historic buildings and wildlife interest. The Reculver Towers date from the 12th century and are surrounded by the remains of an important Roman fort and a Saxon monastery. Dogs are welcome and in some areas it is requested to keep them on a lead to avoid disturbing the wildlife. Parking is available on site, there are children’s play facilities and toilets along with a visitor centre, café and public house.
Location: CT6 6SS
Swale
Barton’s Point Coastal Park
TBarton’s Point set over 40 acres of coastal park in Sheerness . It has a ponds, lakes, play area and is right next to the beach with lots of space to walk the dog and a café serving home-cooked hot and cold meals and snacks.
Location: ME12 1BX
Oare Gunpowder Works Country Park
Oare Gunpowder Works is situated in Faversham and is a place which has become important for local wildlife. This was once a place which was highly industrial is now a place for people of all ages to enjoy learning about a part of Swale’s heritage and nature. The site is open to the public seven days a week although vehicle access to the car park is restricted. The visitor centre is open on weekends and public holidays from April to November 10:30 am to 4:30 pm.
Location: ME13 7UD
Milton Creek Country Park
Milton Creek Country Park is Sittingbourne’s newest green space, it is an oasis for wildlife, hidden from the world by a screen of industrial and residential development that hems it on three sides. The park is open at its northern end to Milton Creek, a shallow tidal inlet running north-east from Sittingbourne to join the Swale at Elmley Reach. The 128 acres of former landfill site now offers a large natural play area, a community events space, as well as an extensive network of paths through areas of different meadow, scrub and aquatic habitats that are home to many hundreds of animal species, some such as the Shrill Carder Bee, are very rare and of national or international importance. Dogs are welcome and there are plenty of bins on site. There are several entrances to the site.
Location: ME10 2EX
Medway
Ranscombe Farm Reserve
anscombe Farm Reserve occupies an area of 229 hectares immediately west of Strood and north of Cuxton village. With more than six miles (10km) of public footpaths, it offers excellent opportunities to enjoy tranquil walks in an attractive rural landscape with stunning views over the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Location: ME2 1LA
Capstone Farm Country Park
Capstone Farm Country Park covers 114 hectares of former farmland set on the North Downs. There is a variety of habitats within the park, including ancient woodlands, old orchards, a freshwater lake, meadows and hedgerows. Various walking, running horse riding and cycling trails are marked with plenty of dog bins available. There is free parking on site, a visitor centre, toilets and café.
Location: ME7 3JG
Broomhill Park
Broomhill Park is a much-valued open space in Strood, combining recreational opportunities with panoramic views of much of Medway, the rivers Medway and Thames. There is parking on site with walking routes, play area, fitness equipment and a picnic area.
Location: ME2 3NB
Great Lines Heritage Park
The Great Lines Heritage Park is Medway’s most prominent green space – connecting Gillingham, Chatham and Brompton, it has over 70 hectares of open space and includes the Napoleonic Fort Amherst. A weekly parkrun is held here on a Saturday, attracting runners from across the country and including those running with their dogs.
Location: ME4 4NA
Riverside Country Park
Riverside Country Park covers 100 hectares alongside the Medway Estuary, including Motney Hill and Berengrave Local Nature Reserve. There are various habitats within the park, including mudflats and salt marsh, ponds and reed-beds, grassland and scrub, which provide a haven for wildlife. Dogs are welcome throughout the park although dogs are required to be on leads in some of the more sensitive areas of the park. Plenty of walking routes, a children’s play area and free parking is available on site, there is a visitor centre with toilets and a café.
Location: ME7 2XH
Doggy Directory
Have you been somewhere in north Kent with your pooch and want to let others know about it?
Do you own a business that welcomes dogs (and their owners)?
If so, we’d love to hear from you.