The Kent Downs is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in Kent, England.The Kent Downs website They are the eastern half of the North Downs and stretch from the London/Surrey borders to the White Cliffs of Dover, including a small section of the London Borough of Bromley. The AONB also includes the Greensand Ridge, a prominent sandstone escarpment which lies south of the chalk escarpment of the North Downs.
It was first designated as an AONB in July 1968 and covers 878 square km (326 square miles). The AONB's highest point is Toy's Hill, at 250m above sea level, and its boundaries include three main rivers: the Darent, Medway and Stour.
To the west, Surrey Hills AONB adjoins the Kent Downs AONB, and includes a continuation of the North Downs chalk ridge which runs through the Kent Downs, stretching from Farnham to the English Channel and reappearing within the Parc Naturel Régional des Caps et Marais d’Opale in France. High Weald AONB lies to the south east, separated by a distance of just over 2km at Bough Beech Reservoir.
As part of the management of the AONB, Village Design Statements have been adopted by 14 per cent of villages within its boundaries.
Areas Among the named parts of the Downs are: Alkham Valley a dry valley north-west of Dover;*walks/rides available in this Valley Betsom's Hill highest point in Kent at ; near Westerham Blue Bell Hill Burham Down Castle Hill Chartham Downs Denge Wood Detling Hill Elham Valley Hollingbourne Downs Knole Park Lullingstone Country Park Ranscombe Farm Samphire Hoe Summerhouse Hill Tolsford Hill Torry Hill Wye Downs
Walking The North Downs Way runs through the full length of the AONB, the Stour Valley Walk passes through the east of the AONB, and the Greensand Way to the south of Sevenoaks.
Principal summits The following hills within the National Landscape have at least 30 metres of topographic prominence: HillElevationProminenceGrid referenceToy's Hill248 m (814 ft)117 mTQ469520Wrotham Hill235 m (771 ft)129.4 mTQ593600Wheatsheaf Hill217.7 m (714 ft)41.7 mTQ490516Crockham Hill216 m (709 ft)41 mTQ445514Raspit Hill207 m (679 ft)37 mTQ577548Detling Hill202.2 m (663 ft)164.4 mTQ803586Cheriton Hill187.7 m (616 ft)149.7 mTR197396West Down186 m (610 ft)73 mTR091453Tolsford Hill183 m (600 ft)61 mTR159386Swinge Hill173.5 m (569 ft)63 mTR242385The Mount152 m (499 ft)41 mTR043547Summerhouse Hill147.9 m (485 ft)52 mTR166377William's Hill132 m (433 ft)42 mTQ700684Blackhouse Hill97 m (318 ft)31 mTR172355
References
External links Kent Downs photo group on Flickr