Sittingbourne: Industrial Heritage, Leisure and Nature

Several themes come to the fore during a stay in Sittingbourne: the town’s industrial history, archaeological insights, leisure activities and green spaces. If you’re looking for a hotel in Sittingbourne, you can consider which of these aspects of the town you’d like to shape your trip most.

Railway Heritage and Archaeology

The Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway is the surviving southern half of the former Bowater’s Railway. It was built to transport raw materials for papermaking and finished products within the Sittingbourne mill. The line runs between Sittingbourne Retail Park and Kemsley Paper Mill, using original steam locomotives, coaches and wagons. This connects a specific route with the town’s industrial history.

Sittingbourne and nearby Milton Regis also have a history of papermaking, brickmaking and barge building. Archaeological topics are explored in the CSI: Sittingbourne exhibition, which contains information about excavations and the history of early Anglo-Saxon Kent, and displays some of the finds discovered at the site. The project also gives the public an opportunity to see the conservation process for archaeological objects, with members of the public volunteering to help conserve them.

In 2017, volunteers built a replica henge at The Meads. The henge at The Meads was the first in the Swale area to be confirmed and excavated. The Sittingbourne Heritage Museum collection offers another connection to the past, but is not currently on display locally: the museum is closed and the collection is in storage. It includes many objects from Sittingbourne and the surrounding villages, donated or loaned by local people and other museums. These include the “The Plough” finds cabinet, containing late medieval objects from a demolished inn.

Leisure Activities and Events

Bayford Meadows offers leisure karting on a shared international main circuit for small groups of friends, families, and individual children and young people. The venue, which hosts British championships, has a 1,100 m race track licensed by the NKA/MSA. The Sittingbourne Golf Centre offers a different kind of activity: a round on its par-3 academy course, with six holes of golf or FootGolf. The two venues therefore offer different experiences, from karting to a short round of golf or FootGolf.

The Avenue Theatre presents major musicals, children’s productions, live music and films. The auditorium has 88 seats. The licensed bar is open during film screenings and live events. The programme and the size of the auditorium give the theatre its own distinctive setting alongside outdoor activities and sports.

Countryside and Walks

Milton Creek Country Park covers 52 hectares, with a mosaic of meadow, scrub and aquatic habitats. The park includes a community events area, a natural play area and a fishing lake. The landscape and range of visitor facilities sit side by side, without limiting the park to just one activity.

Walks in The Meads Community Woodland pass through young native trees, traditional hedgerows and poplars. Rose Hill Woods has wide paths beneath the dappled shade of mature trees. Grove Park and Rose Hill Woods are suitable for walks and walking dogs; at Rose Hill Woods, the wide paths and tree shade combine. These places add a scenic dimension to Sittingbourne’s historical themes.

Getting Around at the Station

At Sittingbourne station, travellers can get help finding their way around the station and boarding or leaving the train while train services are running. A ramp is available if needed. If you need this assistance, you can take it into account when planning your train journey.

For the wider travel overview: Kent.