Sittingbourne offers a range of reasons to visit: industrial heritage, archaeological interest, landscapes and leisure activities. The surviving southern half of the former Bowater’s Railway brings the history of local papermaking vividly to life. Exhibitions, green spaces and stage performances offer further perspectives on the town.
Industrial history and archaeological insights
The Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway is the surviving southern half of the former Bowater’s Railway. It was built to transport raw materials for papermaking and finished products within the works in Sittingbourne. Today, the railway runs between Sittingbourne Retail Park and Kemsley Paper Mill. It operates original steam locomotives, carriages and goods wagons. The line and its vehicles are thus directly connected to the industrial use of the works.
Sittingbourne and nearby Milton Regis also have a history of papermaking, brickmaking and barge building. This broadens the picture beyond the works railway: the industrial history concerns both places and encompasses several crafts and transport connections. While trains are running, staff at Sittingbourne station can help with directions and with boarding and alighting; a ramp is available if needed.
Archaeological themes offer a different perspective on the past. The CSI: Sittingbourne exhibition explores the excavation and history of early Anglo-Saxon Kent and displays finds discovered at the site. The project also gives the public insight into the conservation of archaeological objects and involves public volunteers in this work. In 2017, volunteers built a replica henge at The Meads. The henge at The Meads was the first in the Swale area to be confirmed and excavated. Industrial history and early archaeology thus sit alongside one another as distinct aspects of the town’s history.
Green spaces with varied landscapes
Milton Creek Country Park covers 52 hectares and features a mosaic of grassland, scrub and aquatic habitats. Its listed facilities include a community events area, a natural play area and a fishing lake. Landscape and amenities can be seen as two sides of the same park, without needing to appeal to the same interests.
At The Meads Community Woodland, walks wind through young native trees, traditional hedgerows and poplars. Rose Hill Woods, by contrast, has broad paths in the dappled shade of mature trees. Grove Park and Rose Hill Woods are used for walks and dog walking. Visitors choosing outings by landscape will find different settings here: young trees and hedgerows in the Community Woodland, and mature trees and broad paths in Rose Hill Woods.
Karting, golf and theatre
Bayford Meadows offers recreational karting for small groups of friends, families, and individual children and teenagers on its shared international main circuit. The 1,100-metre track is NKA/MSA licensed and hosts British championships. The Sittingbourne Golf Centre offers another activity with a clearly defined format: a round of six golf or FootGolf holes on its Par-3 academy course. The options are distinctly different—from karting on a licensed race track to a round on a short Par-3 course that also includes FootGolf.
The Avenue Theatre presents major musicals, children’s productions, live music and films. Its auditorium has 88 seats. The licensed bar is open during film screenings and live events. The theatre adds a changing programme of stage and film entertainment to the themes of industry and landscape. Sittingbourne can therefore be explored according to your interests: historical themes, walks and green spaces, or leisure activities and events.
Discover more destinations: Teynham, Woodchurch, Boughton Monchelsea, Tilmanstone, Westgate-On-Sea, Linton, Eythorne, Cliffs End.
For the wider travel guide: Kent.
