The Deer Park lies south east of Ashford near Brabourne Lees and Mersham. Leave Ashford on the A20 towards Folkestone, go straight across the roundabout at Tescos after about three quarters of a mile turn left into Bockham Lane then first right into Quarrington Lane and the car park will be found after about three quarters of a mile on the right of a sharp bend in the lane. The park it's self is not open to the public only the public footpaths and dogs must be kept on the lead because of the deer.
The park is a beautiful place to walk through at any time of the year, it is mainly a large open area of grass and ferns with a scattering of young and mature trees. Near the car park there is a lovely row of beach trees which in the spring greet you with there lush green foliage which in the autumn turns to a lovely golden brown. Roughly in the middle there is a cops of beach and sweet chestnut with the odd sycamore. Also there are a few horse chestnut and other ornamental trees around showing that this was a park connected to the large house which can bee seen not far away to the west.
There are two lakes in the park, a small one by the path at the far end and a large one with a small island a little way off that's not open to the public. I have seen grey lag and canadian gees on the large lake together with mallard and other ducks also frequently a heron will visit both lakes and a cormorant.
Mallard are usually on the small lake together with moorhens and I have seen beautiful mandarin ducks there as well and once saw a couple of kingfishers arrive from the larger lake.
This park is the place to see buzzards in the area, I have seen half a dozen and more riding on the thermals there, you are alerted to there presents by there mewing call and if you are lucky you will be treated to a great aerial display.
Other birds there are green and great spotted wood peckers, mistle thrushes, nuthatch, wheatear, kestrel, sparrow hawk, swallows and house martins, pheasant, redleged partridge, little owl, yellow hammer, gold finch, chaffinch, long tailed tit, blue tit, great tit and coal tit, jackdaw, carrion crow and jay.
As for insects there is a wide variety, dragonflies and damselflies by the lakes and usually southern hawkers can be seen flying around the beech trees by the car park. Also in 2007 there was a hornet's nest in one of the beech trees there, a very impressive insect and on the wide path that takes you across the park digger wasps can be found and it's fascinating to watch them homing in on there burrows.
