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There is a car park just by the entrance located at Castle Rd. It's a pay and display and a flat fee of 2.50 a day. We arrived just before 1pm on a Saturday, and it was full already. I noticed that some cars were parked along the Castle Rd, which is a very narrow road, and might a problem if you have a large car.
A mix of both. There are a few areas that are a bit more hilly, and some are very flat. The gravel paths running through the main open fields, are very clear and with good signage. Once you adventure into the woodland trails, the paths can be a bit more bumpy, but overall, it was easy to get around.
Yes there is water, River Darent. Perfect for water loving dogs. The river is not very deep and with low banks and easy access to the water. And if your dog does not love water, there is also a footpath along the river. The river and footpath is located just behind the visitor's centre.
Most of the poo bins are located near the visitor centre and the picnic areas. But there were a few others located along the walking trails.
Roman Lullingstone Village and Lullingstone Castle, both in the vicinity of the park. One of the park walking route, Lullingstone Loop, passes through both attractions.
It was a beautiful and sunny day. We arrived just before 1pm, and it was calm, but with lots of families, kids and dogs. The park offers a couple of different walking routes, some more challenging than others. I decided to follow the red route, called Discovery Trail. As it was my first time visiting the park, I felt the Discovery Trail was going to cover most of the different parts of the park, but it didn't work, as Maple always leads the walk, and soon I was following her route. We started walking through a vast open area that took us to this beautiful Golf Course. Easy walk, clear footpaths, and gorgeous landscape. This was the area where we encountered other families and where Maple was able to play with other dogs. Be aware that some of these routes are shared with horses too.
From there, we took one of the woodland trails. The walking was quiet and with almost no interaction with other people or dogs. Again, clear paths and a few pocket areas where you could take a break, with benches and even a small playground. After probably a 45 minutes walk, we got back to the area near the car park, where we had a bit of rest. This area has some tables and benches, where Maple had a quick snack and some water. From there we discovered the entrance to the route along the river, that is located just behind the visitor's centre. And that was the area where Maple enjoyed the most. The River Darent is calm, clear water and if you dog loves a good swim, then you are up for a treat.
Overall, Lullingstone Country Park is a great destination for all types of dogs!
