The reserve, off Bargrove Road, is in the care of the Vinters Valley Park Trust. This is a new-style public amenity: an area for quiet recreation in a natural environment, a nature reserve and an educational resource.

Narrow paths traverse the steep wooded slopes; the grassland areas have a profusion of grasses and wildflowers, attracting butterflies and moths. The wetlands range from shaded carr to the open waters of the lake and the scrub provides cover for many birds and animals.

A listed ha-ha on the eastern boundary, an ice¬house and several exotic trees date from the earlier park.

Vinters Valley Nature Reserve was once part of Vinters Park, an 18th-century park owned by the Whatman family, that was purchased by Kent County Council in 1952. (1)

<1> Parks and Gardens Data Services Limited (PGDS), 2005, Parks and Gardens UK (www.parksandgardens.org) (Website). SKE16061.