The Cobtree Estate was the Creation of Sir Garrard Tyrwhitt-Drake and his father, Hugh William Tyrwhitt-Drake, who first leased Cobtree Manor House in 1896. Cobtree Manor has traditionally been thought to be the original Dingley Dell in Charles Dickens' Pickwick Papers and one of Charles Dickens' sons confirmed this to Sir Garrard Tyrwhitt-Drake.
In 1951 Sir Garrard set up and endowed the Cobtree Charity
Trust. One of the objects of the Trust was that after Sir Garrard's
Death, the grounds and the lands, some 300 acres, should be used for
the benefit of the inhabitants of Maidstone and the surrounding neighbourhood.
Following Sir Garrard's death in 1964, lengthy discussions took place
between the Trust and Maidstone Borough Council. In 1971 the Trust and
the Council entered into an agreement whereby Cobtree Manor and estate
were leased to the Council for 999 years at a peppercorn rent with the
provisions that the Council should maintain the estate as open space,
be responsible for all maintenance costs and lease Cobtree Manor and
the immediate grounds to Lady Edna Tyrwhitt-Drake.
In the early nineteen-eighties work began on three schemes. An 18-hole
municipal golf course was laid out on 130 acres of land covering the
eastern part of the estate. The other two schemes were the laying out
of a Country Park known as Cobtree Manor Park and the development of
a museum of Kent Rural Life.
The Cobtree Manor Park Golf Course was developed over open parkland
with many mature trees, supplemented by extensive new planting. The
original 18-hole, 5716 yard long course contained many challenging and
attractive holes. The opening ceremony, on 25th August 1984, featured
the Mayor of Maidstone, Councillor Michael Nightingale, and the Chairman
of the Trustees of the Cobtree Estate, Mr Geoffrey Fletcher, driving
off from the first tee.
Owing to Major roadworks the course was extensively remodelled in 1994
and now measures 5586 yards Par 69 for men and 4972 yard par 70 for
women.
