Manor Park Country Park

Manor Park Country Park is a rustic park in West Malling, Kent, England. The 52–acre park, formerly the private gardens of the close by Douces Manor changed into purchased from the manor's proprietors by Kent County Council in 1973 to be converted into a public open area. The park is legally covered as public leisure land in perpetuity by Fields in Trust as a part of the Queen Elizabeth II Fields Challenge. This country park became bought via Kent County Council, in 1973 by using the usage of a grant useful resource from the Countryside Commission.

The web page covers 52 acres, a part of which changed into the estate of the close by 18th Century Manor House. The Grade Listed II constructing is opposite the park. It became nevertheless within the Douce circle of relatives hands, until 1916, whilst the manor changed into sold by using the Trustees of Fredrick Andrews to transform it into a convalscent domestic for ladies. The residence turned into then used in the Second World War to deal with airmen and became used as the headquarters and Mess for officials flying from the nearby RAF West Malling Airfield.

Inside the Georgian wine cellar, 'the Twitch Inn' become installed. This become so named because of all the anxious tics resulting from continuously looking out for enemy aircraft, of the pilots. Many well-known air aces have frequented Douces Manor, along with ‘Sailor’ Moran, Stanford Tuck, Guy Gibson and Wing Commander John ‘Cats Eyes’ Cunningham with his navigator Jimmy Rawnsley.