Children's Playgrounds
The Council has over 20 children's playgrounds throughout the Borough. The largest of these are at Central and Hesketh Parks, and there are numerous small and medium sized playgrounds elsewhere, in residential areas.

Playgrounds are managed by the Council's Housing or Environmental Contract Sections. They are maintained by the Environmental Contracts Section through a specialist contractor, Clements Play Management Ltd.
This company has a contract with the Council for playground inspection and routine maintenance until March 2009. A full list of playground sites is shown below (a few of the sites listed are not currently owned or managed by the Council but are due to be taken over from private developers in due course).
A skatepark has been constructed in Central Park after detailed consultation with the skateboarding community over the design. This park incorporates a bowl and a plaza, which was built by Gravity Engineering Ltd with funding by Dartford Borough Council and a grant from Barclays Spaces for Sport.
| Site name | Location | Age range | Locked at night | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acacia Hall | Entrance off High Street, Dartford | Toddlers to 10 years | Yes | Small playground with limited range of equipment. |
| Albert Road | Entrances off Albert Road / High Road and Martin Road / High Road, Wilmington | Toddlers to 10 years | Yes | Medium sized. Refurbished in 2004 |
| Almond Road | Entrance off Almond Road, Stone | Toddlers to 10 years | No | Small site. Has grass games area. |
| Attlee Drive | Entrances off Attlee Drive, Tennyson Road & Littlebrook Manor Way, Temple Hill | All ages | No | Large site with surfaced ball court and equipment for all ages. Refurbished in August 2005 |
| Bell Close | At eastern end of Bell Close, Stone | Toddlers to 8 years | No | Small playground with limited range of equipment |
| Cavell Crescent | Entrances off Henderson Drive, Cavell Crescent & Wordsworth Way, Temple Hill | All ages | No | Medium sized equipped site with a grass games area. Refurbished in August 2005. |
| Cedar Road | At junction of Cedar & Hazel Roads, Tree Estate, next to Community Centre | All ages, including teenagers | Yes - floodlit until 9.30pm | Medium sized recently refurbished site, with small skate park, floodlit ball court & teen shelter |
| Central Park | Entrances to the park off Market Street, Lowfield Street, Cranford Road & Princes Road, Dartford | All ages | Yes | Major facility with large range of equipment including bike track, ball court, grass games area, climbing wall and graffiti wall |
| Eagles Road | Eagles Road, Greenhithe | Toddlers to 8 years | No | Small site, recently adopted by the Council |
| Hesketh Park | Entrances to the park off Park Road, Pilgrims Way & The Brent | All ages | Yes | Major facility with large range of equipment including bike track & ball court |
| Hill Rise | On the green at Hill Rise, Darenth | Toddlers to 10 years | No | Medium equiped site with a bike track and grgass football area. |
| Humber Road / Kenwyn Road | Entrances off Humber & Kenwyn Roads, Dartford | Toddlers | No | Four small sites with limited equipment and grass. Recently adopted by the Council. |
| Jessamine Place | Entrances off Jessamine Place, Wiltshire Close & Kirby Road, Stone | Toddlers to 10 years | No | Medium sized equipped site including grass games area |
| Joyce Green Lane | Entrances off Joyce Green Lane & Trevelyan Close (stepped access), Temple Hill | All ages | No | Major equipped site. Refurbished in 2004 including a bike track, grassed football area and teenshelter |
| Lagonda Way | Entrance in Lagonda Way, Dartford | Toddler | No | Small equipped site with grass area. Refurbished in 2007. |
| Low Close | Entrance in Low Close, Stone | Toddler | No | Small toddler only equipped site. Refurbishment planned in April 2007 |
| Page Close | Access from Page Close & Stonewood, Bean | Toddler | No | Small equipped site. Refurbished in 2004 |
| Penney Close | Entrance off Penney Close, Dartford | Toddlers to 8 years | No | Small equipped site |
| Queens Gardens | Entrances off Queens Gardens, Hesketh Avenue & Princes Road, Dartford | Toddlers to 10 years | No | Medium sized equipped site with grass games area. Toddler area refurbished in Nov/Dec 2005. |
| Swallow Close | Entrances off Swallow Close and Chalice Way, Saxon Park, Stone | Toddlers | No | Small toddler only equipped site |
| Willow Road | Entrances off Willow Road, Heath Lane & Blackmans Close, Dartford | Toddlers to 8 years | No | Small sized equipped site. Refurbished in August 2005. |
| Willow Walk | Entrance off Francis Road, Chatsworth Road & Savoy Road, Dartford | All ages | No | A major equipped site including multi games wall, bike track and teenshelter. Refurbished in 2004 |
| Wilmot Road recreation ground | Entrance off Wilmot Road, Dartford | All ages | No | Large equipped site with ball court, bike track and grass football area adjacent.Partly Refurbished in Nov/Dec 2005 and completed in April 2007 |
| Windermere Close | Entrance off Windermere Close, Dartford | Toddlers to 8 years | Yes | Small site with limited equipment and grass area |
| Worcester Park | Accessed from Church Path, Steele Avenue and Cowley Avenue, Stone | All ages | No | Large equipped site, currently owned and managed by Persimmon Homes Ltd, shortly to be adopted by Dartford Borough Council. |
Parishes Councils Playgrounds
There are 21 equiped play facilities maintained, repaired and funded through Parish Council resources.
Stone Parish Council
Stone Recreation Ground
Waterstone Park (soon to be adopted)
Bean Parish Council
Bean Recreation Ground
Southfleet Parish Council
Southfleet Village Hall
Darenth Parish Council
Waller Park
Green St. Green Commons (Common Land)
Sutton & Hawley Parish Council
King Georges Field, Hawley
Burnt House Lane.
Sutton Recreation Ground
Playground r/o Balmoral Road
Wilmington Parish Council
Oakfield Park
Chestnut Grove Open Space (leased from DBC)
Swanscombe & Greenhithe Town Council
Swanscombe Park
Manor Park
Broomfield Road Recreation Ground
Swanscombe Heritage Park
Knockhall Road Recreation Ground
Valley View Playground (hopefully soon to be adopted from Official
Receiver)
Longfield Parish Council
Long Valley Hall & Park (leased from DBC)
Whitehill Road Recreation Ground
The Oval & Playground
Privately owned Playgrounds
- Phoenix Place - Playground etc
- The Dell - Playground
- Barnwell Road - Playground
- Darenth Village Park - Playground, open space, Football
- Ingress Park - Playground, Heritage park
- Bexley Park- Playgrounds, open spaces
- Prouting Homes Site - Playground, open spaces
- Co-op - Sports Ground
Housing Association
- Cugley Road - Playground
- Wodehouse Road - Playground
- Cornwall Road - Playground
- Groveherst Road - Playground
Other information
- Dogs are not allowed on any children's playground site
- Adults allowed on same site only if accompanying a child
- All playgrounds managed by Dartford Borough Council are inspected and cleaned daily except Christmas Day
- Priority on equipment should be given to the under 12's
- Please report any damaged equipment, accidents or other problems to 01322 343839
Links to:
- Maintenance of open spaces & parks
- Parks & open spaces
- National Children's Bureau - Children's Play Council - www.ncb.org.uk/cpc *
- National Playing Fields Association - www.npfa.co.uk *
- London Play - www.londonplay.org.uk


