The Kent Downs is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in Kent, England. 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.

Areas

Among the named parts of the Downs are:

  • Alkham Valley a dry valley north-west of Dover;
  • 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:

{| class="wikitable sortable static-row-numbers"

!Hill

!Elevation

!Prominence

!Grid reference

|-

|Toy's Hill

|248 m (814 ft)

|117 m

|TQ469520

|-

|Wrotham Hill

|235 m (771 ft)

|129.4 m

|TQ593600

|-

|Wheatsheaf Hill

|217.7 m (714 ft)

|41.7 m

|TQ490516

|-

|Crockham Hill

|216 m (709 ft)

|41 m

|TQ445514

|-

|Raspit Hill

|207 m (679 ft)

|37 m

|TQ577548

|-

|Detling Hill

|202.2 m (663 ft)

|164.4 m

|TQ803586

|-

|Cheriton Hill

|187.7 m (616 ft)

|149.7 m

|TR197396

|-

|West Down

|186 m (610 ft)

|73 m

|TR091453

|-

|Tolsford Hill

|183 m (600 ft)

|61 m

|TR159386

|-

|Swinge Hill

|173.5 m (569 ft)

|63 m

|TR242385

|-

|The Mount

|152 m (499 ft)

|41 m

|TR043547

|-

|Summerhouse Hill

|147.9 m (485 ft)

|52 m

|TR166377

|-

|William's Hill

|132 m (433 ft)

|42 m

|TQ700684

|-

|Blackhouse Hill

|97 m (318 ft)

|31 m

|TR172355

|}

References

  • Kent Downs photo group on Flickr