Sevenoaks Visitor Centre Refurbishment

The Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve and Jeffery Harrison Visitor Centre attract thousands of visitors each year but is in urgent need of modernisation. A £2.1m transformation is currently underway and we expect to reopen in late summer 2025.    

Built almost four decades ago, this former gravel pit was transformed under the visionary management of Jeffery Harrison who believed that nature could thrive even in the most depleted of places. Jeffery was right. His actions set in motion the restoration of over 73 hectares of land, creating precious habitats and a vital asset in the fight against climate change. The centre became a beacon for nature and education throughout the county. We must reinvest now to continue that legacy and provide residents and visitors with the facilities they need to thrive alongside nature.    

If we don’t act now, the visitor centre will decline beyond repair, the habitats will deteriorate and our species will be forced to find a new home, never to return. This vital community resource will be lost.   

The upgrades aim to provide an ideal base for educational activities, study days, holiday clubs, and family visits as well as providing an ongoing haven for wildlife with opportunities to see the impact of wilding on the former gravel pit. 

The accessibility improvements include dedicated blue-badge parking, better access from the car park to the centre, improved accessible toilets and baby change facilities and dedicated parent and child parking. The changes will enable more people to easily access the site, aligning with Kent Wildlife Trust’s vision to encourage more individuals to take meaningful action for nature. 

The Jeffery Harrison Visitor Centre will benefit from new green energy investments, including solar panels, air source heat pumps, and EV parking. Leaky roofs and outdoor toilets will become a thing of the past, as upgrades create a bright modern space. Accessibility for all will thrive here, as new way marking, step-free access, and disabled parking bays enable every visitor to fall in love with this unique reserve.   

The café, already a hub for your community with indoor seating and a shop selling local products, will be immersed by nature as floor-to-ceiling windows and doors lead you out onto a new veranda overlooking the lakes. You'll soon be able to enjoy this space as Sevenoaks' best spot to relax over lunch, hire for corporate events and team building, or join us for events, study days, and species safaris.    

A new playground will bring our learning through play ethos to life, enhancing the existing sensory garden and encouraging the next generation to be inspired by, and respect, our natural environment. Already our leading centre for education, we’ll be able to teach more children than ever before as school groups arrive through the new coach parking facilities, and the visitor centre's digital transformation bridges the gap between nature and the modern world. Right now, only a small number of our children can experience this each year, but with improved and accessible facilities they can fully connect with Sevenoaks’ rare and abundant biodiversity.    

While all paths lead back to this thriving heart, improvements around the wildlife reserve will mean information is at hand for those seeking knowledge about their environment and climate. Zoning ensures visitors can discover something new with each visit and Sevenoaks anglers and birdwatchers can continue to experience unrivalled opportunities to connect with nature - just as Jeffery intended.    

Investments in the infrastructure will protect ground nesting birds, reptiles and invertebrates, while seasonal information will safeguard critical natural behaviours seen during breeding, fledging, and hibernation. With so many species - both resident and visiting - breeding at the Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve, new rafts and islands carefully placed on the lakes will give them more opportunities than ever before to safeguard populations.    

Over two thousand species have already been identified on the reserve, and many will be able to be spotted from the accessible bird hide overlooking West Lake, and new information points will help to guide your visit as you seek a glimpse of these majestic creatures.    

Whether you take a stroll around one of the 5 lakes or follow the chalk stream of the River Darent as it flows through the reserve, a visit to this beautiful and unique reserve will foster your connection with nature, improve your wellbeing, and leave you wanting to come back to discover more.