Tyland Barn pond

Tyland Barn Nature Park & Gardens

Tyland Barn is the headquarters of the Kent Wildlife Trust and a base for many of our educational activities. The restored 17th-century barn offers a flexible indoor space and is available for hire.

Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 9am to 5:30pm 
Nature Park & Gardens: Monday - Friday, 9.30am to 3.30pm (unless events are taking place, see events running below) 
Pond Cafe: Monday - Saturday, 9am to 4pm 
Weekends: Events & Group Bookings only, find out more about our events below.

  • Accessible toilet

  • Accessible trails

  • Baby changing facilities

  • Bird hides

  • Cafe/refreshments

  • Disabled parking

  • Education centre

  • Parking

  • Picnic area

  • Toilets

  • Visitor centre

  • Wifi

Parking information: Parking available on site

Bicycle parking: Bicycle parking available on site

Walking trails: Disabled access to the barn and nature park (with its short nature trail) is very good.

Dogs: Assistance dogs only

Wheelchair accessible. All surface path around wildlife garden. Pond with an accessible platform. Read more on our accessibility.

About the reserve

Tyland Barn is the headquarters of the Kent Wildlife Trust and a base for many of our educational activities. The restored 17th-century barn is now home to the Pond Café. For food or venue hire, contact them here.

The nature park is a wildlife haven and at various times of year home to bees, tadpoles and in recent years breeding kestrels. Tyland Barn is a fantastic and easy way to experience the wonders of our Kentish countryside. The park was created to be a little Kent and now has woodlands, colourful wildflower meadows and a large pond full of life. Wander along the wheelchair and buggy-accessible paths and you might spot spectacular orchids, stag beetles in the log piles or dragonfly flitting over the reeds. 

The planting in the Tyland Barn area has recently been redesigned and becomes a contemporary, colourful and inspirational example of how we can all help wildlife in our gardens. As the seasons change, there is always something new to discover in the park. There are lifting logs and warm compost heaps to look through for bugs even in the darkest of months and come the summer, the bug hotels buzz with solitary bees. The Nature Park at Tyland Barn is a lovely place to visit with the family or to learn more about the huge variety of Kent’s wildlife.

Contact Us

If you need to get in touch regarding Tyland Barn, for any reason, please contact us on:

Contact number: 01622 662012
Contact email: [email protected] 

Upcoming events at Tyland Barn

Toddler with a sweep net
Tim Horton

Nature Tots Maidstone (Nov/Dec- Friday morning)

Event
to

Nature Tots is Forest School tailored specifically for little ones, and can inspire a love of nature that lasts a lifetime.

Toddler with a sweep net
Tim Horton

Nature Tots Maidstone (Jan/Feb - Tuesday morning)

Event
to

Nature Tots is Forest School tailored specifically for little ones, and can inspire a love of nature that lasts a lifetime.

Toddler with a sweep net
Tim Horton

Nature Tots Maidstone (Jan/Feb - Friday morning)

Event
to

Nature Tots is Forest School tailored specifically for little ones, and can inspire a love of nature that lasts a lifetime.

Common Toad
David Sewell

Amphibian Ecology and Survey Techniques

Event
to

This course will help you understand the importance of habitats to the different amphibians. You will learn how to recognize the key species and be part of a torchlight survey at Vinters Valley Nature Reserve.

Mountain view from Yangthang, Ladakh
Geoff Downer

An Introduction to Geology

Event
to

Investigate rocks and minerals and learn about fossils and plate tectonics

Water vole
©Margaret Holland

Introduction to Water Vole ecology and surveys

Event
to

Learn about European Water Voles: their ecology, field signs and survey methods. Then put into practice what you have learned in an outdoor survey