Mote Park, Maidstone, Kent

Address: Mote Ave, Maidstone ME15 7RN

Located in Maidstone, Kent this is a beautiful area to walk your dog and spend time with your family and friends! The landscape is vast and offers many different views as you walk.

We have been to this park on several occasions and never get bored! There is a path which leads you to walk the full size of the park; with other routes that offer a shorter walk if you prefer. The paths are perfect if it has been raining and you forgot to bring your wellies (we are sure the weather report said it wouldn’t rain that day!)

On our latest walk in Mote Park we were lucky as it was not as muddy, so forgetting the wellies was not such a disaster! It was a little nippy though, so coats for all! We decided to take the long walk through the park, which led us past the lake and up through open fields where we could look over most of the park. There are always plenty of other dog owners walking their dogs, great for Yianni as he never passes up the opportunity for a meet and great!

As we walked we came across Mote house which is located in the park grounds. This mansion house and grounds are full of history! In 1370 the Woodville family purchased Mote Park. Elizabeth Woodville then married King Edward IV in 1464, which resulted in the Park becoming a possession of the Royal family. Victoria gave birth to The Princess In The Tower with her story being featured in the BBC series - The White Queen.

The Woodville family claimed the land until it was sold to Sir Henry Wyatt of Allington Castle in 1492, who handed the land over to his grandson Sir Thomas Wyatt in 1524. The land was returned to the crown under Queen Elizabeth following the beheading of Sir Thomas Wyatt. The Parkland was then passed and sold to several other families until it was sold to the Maidstone Borough Council in 1929, where it was used for several different uses i.e. an orphanage for the Caldecott Foundation, the British Armed Forces as a headquarters and training facility for the mainland invasion etc.

The Mansion house has now been converted into a stunning, modern retirement village.

We ended our walk around the lake, which dogs are allowed to go into and plenty take this opportunity to do so. Yianni is not a massive lover of water, so he remained by our side watching and looking confused at what they were doing!

This park not only offers a great experience for your furry friend, it also has a lot to offer us, humans, too! On-site is:

• Large Play Park at the main entrance. Smaller play park located at opposite end of the main entrance
• Café offering food, drinks and ice cream.
• 30-acre lake with a Watersports Centre offering a variety of boating, sailing, and diving on the lake. You can try out rowing and windsurfing or just get the family into a pedalo swan to explore.
• Fishing docks around the lake for a day of fishing (you will need to apply for a daily permit to fish and you will need your rod licence to buy a permit. The service is managed by Maidstone Victory Angling and Medway Preservation Society.)
• The model railway which costs only 30p per ride! This runs every Sunday during British Summer Time and on Boxing Day from 9:30 am to 5 pm.
• You may even see model boats speeding around part of the lake on your visit!

As well as this the park also is host to several events throughout the year (Oktoberfest, Radio 1 big weekend etc.), so be sure to check the events schedule for any you may want to attend -https://www.visitmaidstone.com/whats-on/mote-park-events.

When we finished our walk we had built up an appetite, so went on the hunt for somewhere to eat that allows dogs. In the summer this is not so much of a problem because most places are fine with eating in the garden with a dog in tow.

After a quick search, we found The Potting Shed in Maidstone, which was only about a 10-minute drive from the park - and how glad we were to find it! You are able to take your dog inside and eat at a table in the bar area.

The service was excellent and the food was fabulous! We would advise calling ahead as you can reserve a table in the bar area so that you are sure to get a spot! Their website offers a booking service but this is for the restaurant and not the bar area if you are taking your dog. If you are going in the warmer weather, they have a large garden for you to dine in the sunshine.

Pictured: Max-Bone Oliver Dog Jacket & Max-Bone 11 Howard Dog Hoodie

We hope that you can make the trip out to this walk and enjoy it as much as we do!

Love the Aurora Pets Family x