Parks for People Project- Share your memories of Kearsney Abbey and Russell Gardens in Dover

by Barry O’Brien

Kearsney Abbey and Russell Gardens are the most significant heritage parks in the Dover district. Russell Gardens is Grade II listed, whilst Kearsney Abbey contains many Grade II listed features and is the most popular public park in the district.

Both parks are highly valued by the community but, sadly, especially given their age, and high use, some aspects of the parks heritage are at risk. This includes some built heritage, but also the lack of appreciation and understanding of the park’s history and their links with Dover’s industrial heritage.

Parks for People is a joint Heritage Lottery Fund and Big Lottery Fund programme which aims to protect and enhance historic parks with Kearsney and Russell Gardens being recent recipients of funding from the project, with the aim being to ensure that this heritage is protected, and that people have more opportunities to visit and be involved with the parks and learn about their history.

Generations of local people have grown up enjoying the Kearsney Parks, the peoples’ parks. Part of the project is to capture those memories and encourage people to share their experiences. You may have childhood memories of long summer days playing in the parks, or perhaps you worked at the great country houses that stood in the grounds.

We’ve already learned of the Scout Camps that were held in the parks as well as stories of the Open Theatre, Peacocks, Freddy Mac, Pitch and Putt and Brenda Pittaway ‘The Swan Lady’ but would welcome your memories and recollections to help build a bigger picture of how the people of Dover enjoyed Kearsney Abbey and Russell Gardens.

You can contact Dover District Council direct using the form at the website http://www.kearsneyparks.co.uk/Get-Involved/Share-Your-Memories.aspx or e-mail your contact details to [email protected] who is charged with recording these memories.

There are already many photographs of Kearsney on line at http://www.kearsneyparks.co.uk/Resources/Harding-Archive.aspxRalph from the collection of Ralph Harding who was a resident of Kearsney Court and was keenly interested in preserving and restoring Kearsney Court and Russell Gardens. Sadly he passed away in 2016 but his wife, Josie, has kindly agreed to these photographs being made available online.