Kearsney Parks – August 2018 Update

There is a lot to report on this month!

Works update

We have awarded the building contract for the restoration of the Kearsney Abbey billiards room and cafe extension to a local company, Coombs. Work will start in October this year. We will be closing the car park next to Kearsney Abbey café in late September. This is to allow work to start on extending the café. The café will be closed during this time but we are aiming to provide a temporary mobile facility on site.

The western car park will remain open with some restricted access later in the year. We will do our best to keep disruption to a minimum and the parks will remain open. However, there may be times when certain areas of the park need to be closed off temporarily, for the safety of both contractors and the public. We will clearly signpost these areas.

Art in the park

Our Art in the Park – Kearsney Interpreted project, run in partnership with Dover Arts Development, will be very active in the parks over the coming weeks! More information about all the activities is online at www.kearsneyparks.co.uk/events

Creating new spaces – sharing stories: join Louise Webb for a free workshop on Tuesday 21st, Thursday 23rd or Friday 24th August. The Friday workshop will have a special family focus. You’ll be able to pick up a blank map of the parks, and encouraged to explore different areas and create temporary names and alternative uses.

Meanderings – art and music in the park: on Saturday 25th August at 4pm, Gabor Stark will install a mobile structure that explores different locations along the meandering culverts and ponds. The Leon String Quartet will perform compositions by Matthew Brown, Philip Glass and others.

Short video walk and long video walk: digital video maker Jamie Jenkinson will be in the park on Monday 27th and Tuesday 28th August – join him to learn how to get more out of your smartphone and record what you see in the parks.

River Song – swans, music, water, light: on Saturday 15th September, join Katharine Beaugie on a journey along the River Dour in celebration of the beauty of the chalk stream and the swans that glide along it. The event will end at River Garage Studio for music, a photographic exhibition, and water and light installation.

Tree activities

On Saturday 8th September, local ecologist Mike Phillips will be leading a walk around the parks to look at the very special trees, help you learn how to identify them and talk about woodland management. Details are at www.kearsneyparks.co.uk/events

If the walk inspires you to have a closer look at the trees, we still have a few tickets left for the Big Tree Climb on Saturday 15th September. To book a space, please go to https://www.kearsneyparks.co.uk/Whats-On/2018/Big-Tree-Climb-September-2018.aspx

Kearsney Parks Forum

The next meeting of the Kearsney Parks Forum will take place on Tuesday 4th September. This will be held in the café in Kearsney Abbey from 6pm – 7.30pm. New members are always welcome! If you’d like to come along, please email [email protected] by Thursday 30th August.

Keep in touch

If you have any comments or questions, please email us on [email protected] or follow us on Twitter @Kearsneyparks