Dunorlan Park

The tea pavilion was built in 1966 and the park continued to operate unchanged until 1996 when meadows on the south side of the estate, previously leased out for grazing and thus not open to the public, were incorporated into the park and are now managed for their wildlife interest. Other areas of these meadows are occasionally leased out for events and shows including both the Chinese and Moscow State Circus, and previously the Hawkenbury Allotment Holders' Association (HAHA) annual show.

The Friends of Dunorlan Park started as an informal conservation group in the 1990s, when signs of neglect and underinvestment were shown by many features in the park. After meetings with the Tunbridge Wells Council about restoration initiatives, an initial application for lottery funding, under the Urban Parks Programme was made. This application was turned down, but a subsequent application to the new Heritage Lottery Fund was submitted in 1999. In this time, The Friends of Dunorlan Park was officially launched in October 1996 and became a registered charity (No. 1063715/0) on 31 July 1997. In February 2003, the Heritage Lottery Fund approved a grant of £2.1 Million towards the cost of…