Kent sits at the edge of England, but look closer, and it's actually the centre of something much bigger.
The Cross-Channel Geopark is the world's first transnational geopark to span a body of water, linking the chalk landscapes of Kent with those of northern France in one continuous geological story. From the White Cliffs of Dover and the Kent Downs to the dramatic cliffs of Cap Blanc-Nez, the same chalk layers, fossils, and flint bands run beneath the Strait of Dover, connecting two countries that were once, quite literally, joined.
The Geopark is working towards UNESCO Global Geopark status, recognising its international significance and the landscape's remarkable place in both natural and human history.
A landscape 400 million years in the making
The story of Kent's chalk began long before the Channel existed. Around 450,000 years ago, a vast Ice Age lake in the North Sea was held back by a chalk ridge stretching from Kent to northern France. When that ridge gave way, a catastrophic megaflood carved through the landscape, creating the first version of the Strait of Dover and exposing the dramatic coastline we know today. A second great flood, around 160,000 years ago, widened and deepened it further.
The cliffs, valleys, and downland you see across Kent are the result of those extraordinary events and the same story continues on the other side of the Channel.
Explore the Geopark
Across Kent's coast, countryside, and historic landscapes, a network of Geosites brings this story to life. Each offers something different, and all sit within a county full of things to see and do.
- Walk chalk cliffs, downland, and spectacular coastal paths
- Hunt for fossils and discover traces of an ancient world
- Spot rare wildlife in habitats found nowhere else
- Explore heritage sites shaped by centuries of cross-Channel connection
- Experience landscapes formed by nature, sea, and deep time
Whether you're heading to the coast, the Kent Downs, or a historic town in between, you're never far from a piece of this extraordinary story.
Plan your visit
Explore the full network of Geosites and start planning your journey across the aspiring UNESCO Cross-Channel Geopark at geoparktransmanche.org
