There are many things to do in Sittingbourne. Here, we will talk you through our top 5 things to do in Sittingbourne.
Sittingbourne is an industrial town in the Swale district of Kent. It is a town that is easily connected to both Canterbury and London. It is also a town with a great deal of history as it is located beside the Roman Watling Street, an historic route running from Dover to London, which was used by the Romans and Anglo-Saxons.
There are a great deal of things to do in Sittingbourne and, within this article, we will look at the top five things to do in Sittingbourne.
1. Enjoy A Film Or A Bowl At The Light Sittingbourne
The Light Sittingbourne is located on St Michaels Road and it is the centre point of the Bourne Place development. At The Light, you can do a variety of things, from watching a film to bowling, having a trip to the arcade to having a game of interactive darts. There is also a diner so you can enjoy some nice food and drink after your day or evening out.
If you love films, arcades, bowling or darts, The Light Sittingbourne will be an excellent place for you to visit. A place that is perfect for young people, couples and families.
2. Enjoy Nature At Milton Creek Country Park
If nature is more your thing, Milton Creek Country Park will be top of your list of things to do in Sittingbourne. Milton Creek Country Park is a hidden oasis, screened off from the world by industrial and residential developments. Even with humans so close by, the park is filled with meadows, scrubs and aquatic habitats that are all home to hundreds of animal species.
The park is open at its northern end where Milton Creek flows out into the Swale. This corridor facilitates the migration of animal species in and out of the park as they move up and down the North Kent coast and provides additional roosting and feeding for the waders and wildfowl which over winter in the Swale and Medway estuary.
Free to visit with free parking from 7am till 7pm from 1st April till 30th September and 7am till 4pm from 1st October till 31st March, this is an excellent place to visit for nature lovers.
3. Have A Day At The Races Watching Kent Kings Speedway
If you enjoy adrenaline filled sports, then a day or night out watching Kent Kings Speedway will be perfect for you.
Central Park Stadium is home to a lot of the Speedway events, along with where you can watch Greyhound racing so it is a great place to visit for sports and race lovers.
4. Delve Into History At Sittingbourne Heritage Museum
If you are a history lover, when it comes to things to do in Sittingbourne, you should head to Sittingbourne Heritage Museum.
The museum houses many objects from Sittingbourne and the surrounding villages which have been donated or loaned by local residents and other museums. This includes artefacts, documents and photographs. Due to the amount of items donated, they are able to have many constantly changing displays as well as our more permanent features.
Sittingbourne Heritage Museum is located at the Forum Shopping Centre and it is open every Saturday from 10.30am to 2.30pm. It is also open some Tuesday mornings and some other weekdays. Check their website or social media for more information.
5. Enjoy A Day On Rail At The Light Railways
If you are a history lover or a fan or railways, there are a lot of things for your do here because Sittingbourne is home to two light railways – Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway and Bredgar and Wormshill Light Railway.
Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway
Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway is an industrial heritage railway which operates between Sittingbourne Retail Park and Kemsley Paper Mill using the original steam locomotives, coaches and wagons. Trains have operated over this route since 1905 and the very first steam locomotive ‘Premier’ re-entered service in May 2022. The second locomotive ‘Leader’ retired from service the same weekend.
The quirky narrow-gauge railway (2ft 6in between the rails) used to link Sittingbourne Paper Mill (now Morrison’s supermarket and adjacent housing estate) to Kemsley Paper Mill and Ridham Dock on the banks of the Swale Estuary. The first section of the two-mile journey from Sittingbourne Viaduct, heads out of town on a century-old reinforced concrete viaduct, then passes through Milton Creek Country Park and across Church Marshes before arriving at Kemsley Down station, within Kemsley Paper Mill and on the banks of Milton Creek.
Since 1969, the Railway has been preserved between Sittingbourne Viaduct and Kemsley Down stations.
Trains run every Sunday and Bank Holiday until the end of September. Return fares for adults are £9, £8 for senior citizens and £4.50 for children aged 3 to 15 years old. Children under 3 travel for free.
Bredgard and Wormhill Light Railway
Bredgard and Wormhill Light Railway is different as it is not a preserved line. It was built from scratch in 1975 by a group of friends and it now blends well into the North Kent Downs.
Initially a small industrial diesel locomotive was purchased. This was soon joined by others, but it was not until 1979 that ‘Bronhilde’, their first steam engine arrived. Over time, sheds were built, track laid and carriages constructed. As time went on more locomotives moved to Bredgar and the project became more ambitious. The mainline was re-laid, a proper station built and boogie coaches were designed and constructed.
The main objective of the railway is the preservation of steam locomotives in a form which enables railway enthusiasts, the general public and children to appreciate how important this type of energy was to industry for over 200 years.
The steam train only runs on certain days so please check the timetable before you visit. Train tickets are £4 for adults, £3 for children aged 4 to 16 years old and free for children under 4. They also have events throughout the year so it can be a fun day out, year round.
5 Top Things To Do In Sittingbourne
Sittingbourne is a town with things to do, no matter what you enjoy doing. There is The Light Sittingbourne, where you can watch films, go bowling, play in the arcade or have a game of interactive darts. If you are a nature lover, then you can visit Milton Creek Country Park, where you can walk around a beautiful green space and see a variety of nature.
Sport lovers can have a trip to watch Kent Kings Speedway or a greyhound race. History lovers have the Sittingbourne Heritage Museum and Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway and Bredgard and Wormhill Light Railway.
There are so many things to do in Sittingbourne. We hope you have found this article helpful and that you enjoy all of our suggestions.
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