The Sevenoaks park shuts on 28 September and is due to reopen by summer 2027 as all five lakes get their biggest overhaul in nearly 300 years.

Bradbourne Lakes will close to the public on Monday 28 September so that the biggest transformation of the park in nearly 300 years can begin. Sevenoaks District Council expects it to reopen by summer 2027. (Sevenoaks District Council, Bradbourne Lakes restoration moves to next stage)

That gives residents a week and a half, including one final weekend, to visit before the gates shut for around nine months.

What the works will do

The council says the restoration will improve accessibility, biodiversity and water quality while protecting the park’s heritage. The work includes:

  • restoring and repairing all five lakes
  • repairing and upgrading sluices, bridges, lake banks and other historic structures
  • removing accumulated silt and reusing it for new planting beds and habitat areas
  • new wildflower planting and improved pathways
  • a natural play area and an accessible toilet with baby changing facilities
  • new habitats for bats and birds
  • improving water flow and quality to support wildlife in the River Darent

(Sevenoaks District Council, article 609)

Timeline of the Bradbourne Lakes restoration: the Re-bourne festival launched the project on 11 July 2026, the park closes to the public on 28 September 2026, the works run through autumn and winter restoring all five lakes and their historic structures, and the park is expected to reopen by summer 2027 with a natural play area, an accessible toilet and new wildlife habitats
Graphic by Sevenoaks Online

Who is paying for it

The project is funded by a £1.6 million grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Sevenoaks District Council has added more than £500,000 secured from housing developer contributions. (Sevenoaks District Council, article 609)

Alongside the building work, Kent Wildlife Trust, West Kent Mind, the South East Rivers Trust and Historic England will run a programme of volunteering, community engagement, education and wellbeing activities.

The restoration follows years of campaigning by the Bradbourne Residents’ Association. Public consultation by landscape specialists Land Use Consultants found residents’ priorities were restoring lake edges, removing silt, repairing paths and structures, managing overgrown vegetation and improving wildlife habitats.

Cllr Irene Roy, the council’s Cabinet Member for Cleaner and Greener, called the lakes “a treasured green space at the heart of our community”. She thanked the residents’ association for “dedication, passion and contribution to shaping these plans”, and asked for patience during “the most significant improvements to Bradbourne Lakes since they were created almost 300 years ago”. (Sevenoaks District Council, article 609)

A project already under way on paper

The restoration has planning permission under application 25/03292/FUL. The final details are still coming through the system: a submission covering the scaled drawings and materials for the park’s model boat launching deck, required by condition 11 of that permission, appeared on the council’s planning portal this week. (Sevenoaks District Council planning portal, condition 11 details for 25/03292/FUL)

The launching deck matters to one of the park’s oldest traditions: model boating on the lakes, which the Crowborough Model Boat Club showcased at July’s Re-bourne festival.

The project was launched publicly at that free festival on 11 July, where the Mayor of Sevenoaks Town Council started a community time capsule. We covered the festival preview and how the day went at the time.

What it means for you

  • The whole park closes from Monday 28 September. The last full weekend to visit is 26 and 27 September.
  • The closure is expected to last until summer 2027, so plan on the park being shut through autumn, winter and spring.
  • While it is closed, our guide to parks and playgrounds in and around Sevenoaks lists the alternatives, including Knole Park on the other side of town.
  • Plans, drawings and updates are on the council’s project pages at sevenoaks.gov.uk/bradbournelakes, and the full planning file is searchable on the council’s planning portal.

Sources

Image: One of the five ornamental lakes at Bradbourne Lakes Park, Sevenoaks. Photo by Nigel Chadwick, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Geograph.