With this late-20th-century country park, the full role of the public park as originally conceived, has been revived. The educational importance of the mid-Victorian park seemingly faded away this century and horticultural excellence has been eroded in favour of sports.

Cobtree re-emerges with the Museum of Kent Life (learn about the past), Kent Trust for Nature Conservation (learn about conservation of wildlife), the Nature Trail (learn about flora and fauna) and, not least, the Arboretum, an extensive planting of ornamental trees and shrubs, labelled for the edification of eager gardeners, and a place of quiet beauty for everyone.

Cobtree Manor Park was the bequest of the late Sir Garrard and Lady Tyrwhitt-Drake ‘for the benefit of the inhabitants of Maidstone and other members of the general public’. (1)

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