Care Home in Dartford, Kent

At the heart of the village

Steeped in history, The Old Downs has been both a private family home and a school since its beginnings in 1887. Nestled at the end of a private, winding driveway and surrounded by greenery, the Home is at the heart of the village community with local shops and transport links to Longfield, London and the Kent coast.

Elegant rooms and period features


Our 41 rooms have been tastefully styled to meet individual tastes, but we encourage our residents and families to personalise their rooms and we are happy to give any assistance with this. No job is too big or too small and our maintenance team are happy to help paint a room, hang pictures, put up shelves or move furniture around. Lift access makes it easy for our residents to move freely around the Home and there is easy access to several gardens and a terraced area. Our Housekeepers work tirelessly to maintain a clean and welcoming environment.

Despite being a period building, the Home is spacious and has been tastefully extended to provide a light and airy conservatory that boasts beautiful views across the valley. Our new tearoom and refurbished dining areas also provide a relaxing space for our residents to enjoy private time with their friends and family.

Recreation and well-being


Our Recreation and Well-Being Team and Carers support our residents to remain as independent as possible and encourage them to continue enjoying their own hobbies and interests. The team provides activities five days a week, enjoying anything from art and crafts and baking, to watching movies or sports. Our garden overlooks the Fawkham Valley and is the perfect setting for a spot of gardening, a BBQ or just enjoying some fresh air.

With Millbrook Garden Centre, Hall Place and Gravesend Promenade close by we also make the most of our minibus for visiting local places of interest and enjoying country drives. Family and friends are always welcome to join us.

In the warmer months, we enjoy our front-of-house garden which has a BBQ and summer house, with ample shade from the sun provided by the old oak trees. Families are encouraged to join us for a BBQ or one of our many special events. With decorations, entertainment and often fancy dress, all our staff and residents join in with gusto – especially when the karaoke machine appears!

Our gardens attract a great deal of wildlife, particularly the squirrels whose antics are always entertaining! We also enjoy the varied bird life (including our resident woodpecker) and often wild rabbits too.

Well-being and personal care go hand in hand, and we ensure that everyone’s needs are taken care of. We have our own salon with a hairdresser for the ladies and a barber for the gentlemen, plus a well-equipped nail bar for those who would like a manicure. We are also visited by chiropodists, district nurses, speech therapists and eye care specialists. Our Well-Being Team are also available for booking hand-massages, manicures, reflexology and other holistic treatments.

More on Recreation & Leisure

Care services

• Day Care & Weekend Care
• Respite Care & Short Breaks
• Residential Care
• Dementia Care
• End of Life Care

What makes us unique

	We embrace leading technology and resources to keep us at the forefront of delivering the very best person-centred care. One of these initiatives is called ‘Nourish’; a digital system with hand-held devices which our Nurses and Carers use for creating accurate care plans and notes which are live and updated in real time. Please feel free to ask us more about Nourish and how it works in the Home.
	We also offer a bespoke service called ‘interactiveMe’ which is an online memory box packed full of photos music and text. Should you wish to use this, our Recreation and Well-Being Manager, Viv, will speak with family and friends to create a unique memory tool for your loved one.

Many of our residents have been pet owners and still love the company of animals. Our Manager Caroline is currently training her own black Labrador, Bella, to be a PAT dog and can’t wait for everyone to make a fuss of her when she visits the Home.

As well as supporting a variety of charities, The Old Downs also takes part in Nellsar competitions held throughout the year and enjoys some healthy competition with their nearest rival and sister Home, Sonya Lodge.

Careers Hub

Nellsar is a great choice to begin or continue a career in care. We strive to offer the best training and support, while rewarding individual achievements.

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A message from the Manager

Hello, my name is Caroline Cheeseman and I am the Home Manager for The Old Downs Residential Care Home situated in Hartley, Kent. I have worked in the care industry since 2000. I started my career in care in a local hospital’s Accident and Emergency department, which I really enjoyed, after seven years I decided to combine my management skills with my passion for care and became a Care Home Manager. I joined The Old Downs in May 2017 bringing 10 years’ experience of managing both Dementia Residential and Nursing Homes.

When I first came to see The Old Downs I was pleasantly surprised by the location of the Home. It is close enough to be included in a wonderful community as well as having a calm setting with spectacular views of the Kent countryside.

More from Caroline Cheeseman