A little-known park in the UK is being discovered by tourists – and it even has its own beach.
Samphire Park, in Kent, is a nature reserve owned by Eurotunnel which was created when the Channel Tunnel was built.
AlamyA lesser-known park in the UK has it’s own beach – and barely any crowds[/caption]
AlamySamphire Hoe was created during the construction of the Channel Tunnel[/caption]
AlamyThe pebble beach is perfect for rock pooling, and you can take dogs[/caption]
Found at the foot of the White Cliffs of Dover, the reserve also has 17 ‘green flag’ awards, which are given to well-managed parks and green spaces.
It was named by a retired school teacher following a competition, with ‘Samphire’ coming from the rock samphire once harvested in the area, and ‘Hoe’ being a small piece of land that juts out into the sea.
To get to the 30-hectare park, you arrive via a tunnel which opens out to the amazing views.
It has its own pebble beach, which on a clear day has views of France, while families often use it for rock pooling and paddling.
Nature-lovers often flock to the park too with more than 220 species of birds, as well as butterflies, moths and dragonflies.
There are also sheep and even Shetland and Highland cows roaming the park.
Don’t expect crowds if you visit – around 100,000 visit every year, so it remains quiet.
But there are lots of fun activities throughout the year including bird and whale watching, guided walks and art sessions.
AlamyThe reserve has activities such as guided walks and art sessions[/caption]
Schools often conduct school trips there too.
You have to pay to enter, costing 50p for 30 minutes, or £2 for more than two hours.
However, there are lots of car parking spaces, as well as toilets and a tea kiosk serving snacks such as bacon rolls and ice cream.
People have been raving about the park on TripAdvisor.
One person said: “One of those places you wish you’d discovered before.
“It’s worth my 80-minute trip just for a picnic alone as it’s just so unique, both in how it looks & how it was built.”
Another said: “There is a real feeling of stumbling onto another world as you descend through the tunnel.”
And families have said it’s great for kids, being able to spot lots of different wildlife at the beach and in the reserve.
Elsewhere in the UK is a lesser-known adventure park dubbed the “strangest place in the world”.
And here’s a UK holiday park which has its own private beach.
AlamyThe park has amazing views too[/caption]