Kent's National Nature Reserves
Updated 18 November 2021
Applies to England
Blean Woods
Blean Woods NNR is part of The Blean, the largest ancient broadleaved woodland in southern Britain.
Main habitats: woodland
Area: 90 hectares
Management: partnership of Natural England, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and the Woodland Trust, with input from Canterbury City Council, Swale Borough Council and Kent County Council
Features of interest
The Blean is the largest ancient broadleaved woodland in southern Britain. Hornbeam, hazel, beech, oak, birch and sweet chestnut grow on the reserve, while brambles, bracken and bluebells are dominant on the woodland floor. Plants such as common spotted orchid, common centaury and St John’s wort are found in the woodland rides.
The Blean is home to many forest birds such as woodpeckers, tree creepers and nuthatch. Spotted flycatcher, nightjar, bullfinch and hawfinch are also seen here and there is an important population of nightingales. A lucky visitor in summer might hear the sweet fluting song of the golden oriole, an occasional summer rarity.
The woods are one of the few areas in Britain that supports the heath fritillary butterfly and the scarce seven-spot ladybird can also be found here.
There are 4 nature trails through the woods, ranging in length from 1.5 kilometres to 13 kilometres. One route is suitable for wheelchair access. Leaflets and information panels are available for visitor information. The nearest toilet and refreshment facilities are in local towns and villages; there is a picnic area on the reserve.
Directions
The reserve is west of and immediately adjacent to the A290, opposite Blean village.
By car, access to Blean Woods is via tracks from the A290. There is a car park on the reserve.
The nearest train stations are Whitstable (6 kilometres to the north), Canterbury East and Canterbury West (5 kilometres to the south east).
Regular bus services along the A290 between Canterbury and Whitstable are provided by Stagecoach East Kent.
Blean is also close to Route 1 of the Sustrans National Cycle Network.
Contact
For more information, contact the RSPB:
Email blean.woods@rspb.org.uk
Telephone: 0770 683971
Dungeness
Dungeness is one of the largest shingle landscapes in the world.
Main habitat: coastal, lowland grassland, maritime
Management: jointly owned and managed by Natural England and the RSPB (As well as the management by the RSPB, the Romney Marsh Countryside Project undertakes some management on behalf of Natural England.)
Further information about the NNR, its wildlife and how to visit can be found on the Dungeness website.
Contact
RSPB
Email: dungeness@rspb.org.uk
Telephone: 01797 320588
Website: www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/d/dungeness/
Romney Marsh Countryside Project
Email: mail@rmcp.co.uk
Telephone 01797 367934
Website: www.rmcp.co.uk
Elmley
Elmley National Nature Reserve is home to large numbers of wintering wildfowl and breeding waders. This wide expanse of grazing marsh, divided by ditches and frequent shallow surface flooding, is at or below sea level.
Main habitats: coastal
Management: Elmley NNR is managed by Elmley Conservation Trust (ECT)
Further information about the NNR, its wildlife and how to visit is available on the Elmley Nature Reserve website.
Contact information
Email: info@elmleynaturereserve.co.uk
Kingshill Farm
Sheerness
Kent
ME12 3AW
Telephone: 01795 664896
Ham Street Woods
Ham Street Woods NNR is a remnant of an ancient forest that once covered the whole Weald after the last Ice Age. The woods are still managed in a traditional way, which help it support an outstanding collection of birds and moths.
Main habitats: woodland
Area: 97 hectares
Features of interest
Ham Street Woods is part of the larger Orlestone Forest, a fragmented area of woodland that is the remnant of a continuous oak forest that once covered the Weald.
As well as being one of the first National Nature Reserves to be designated in 1952, Ham Street Woods is nationally designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest because it includes a series of broadleaved woodlands supporting outstanding bird and invertebrate communities.
Ham Street Woods is home to rare moths (such as the triangle and silky wave moths), and butterflies (such as the White Admiral); breeding birds, including rare ones such as the nightingale and hawfinch; and also to 2 protected species: the great crested newt and the dormouse.
Oak, sweet chestnut, birch, aspen and hornbeam flourish in the higher parts of the site, whilst in the damper soil of the valleys ash, hawthorn, hazel and alder are found. Hornbeam trees are easy to spot as they have been coppiced so have multiple stems. Wild Service, or ‘chequer’ trees are also found in the woods; they are an indicator of ancient woodland.
In spring the floor of the woods is filled with primrose, white wood anemones and bluebells, whilst autumn is the perfect time for appreciating the fabulous fungi and autumnal leaves.
There are 3 way-marked trails (varying between 2.5 and 5 kilometres) through the reserve. There is a map and information board at the entrance.
Directions
Two major trails pass through the reserve, the Saxon Shore Way and the Greensand Way.
Ham Street station is 5 to 10 minutes walk (less than 0.5 kilometres) from the reserve.
Hamstreet village is well served by buses. See the Traveline website for details.
The main entrance to the reserve is at the end of Bourne Lane in Hamstreet village, 10 km south of Ashford. There is a small car park at the end of Bourne Lane (TN26 2HH); voluntary car parking charges can be paid in advance or on the day using the RingGo app. There are other car parks nearby in the village.
School and community groups
For information about the opportunities for school visits contact the reserve manager by email: piers.griffin@naturalengland.org.uk or telephone 07881037704.
An education pack is available for this reserve.
Volunteering
For information about volunteering opportunities contact the reserve manager by email: piers.griffin@naturalengland.org.uk or telephone 07881037704.
Contact
For general enquiries telephone 0300 060 3900 or email: enquiries@naturalengland.org.uk
High Halstow
The reserve is a complex mosaic of scrub and woodland habitat, dominated by hawthorn scrub and ancient oak woodlands, with regenerating elm woodland.
Main habitat: woodland
Management: RSPB as part of the Northward Hill reserve.
Contact
RSPB - Northward Hill reserve Telephone: 01634 222480 or email: northkentmarshes@rspb.org.uk
Lydden Temple Ewell
Lydden Temple Ewell consists mainly of old chalk grassland on the more inaccessible slopes with improved grassland on the clay cap and gentler slopes.
Main habitat: lowland grassland
Management: Lydden Temple Ewell is owned and managed by Kent Wildlife Trust
Further information about the NNR, its wildlife and how to visit can be found on the Lydden Temple Ewell page on the Kent Wildlife Trust website.
Contact information
Email: info@kentwildlife.org.uk
Telephone: 01622 662012
Sandwich and Pegwell Bay
Sandwich and Pegwell Bay National Nature Reserve, with its spectacular stretch of fragile windswept coastline, including chalk cliffs, mud flats, saltmarsh and sand dunes, is internationally important for waders and wildfowl both on migration and over-winter.
Main habitats: coastal
Management: Sandwich and Pegwell Bay is owned by a range of organisations including Kent Wildlife Trust, National Trust, RSPB, Thanet District Council and Kent County Council, with the management led by Kent Wildlife Trust.
Further information about the NNR, its wildlife and how to visit can be found on the Kent Wildlife Trust’s page on Sandwich and Pegwell Bay and Pegwell Bay Country Park website.
Contact
Tony Swandale Reserve Manager
Telephone: 01622 662012
Stodmarsh
Stodmarsh NNR is situated in the lower regions of the north Kent plain within the Stour valley.
Main habitat: an internationally-important mixture of reed beds, fens, ditches, wet grassland and open water
Features of interest
The reserve has the largest reed bed in the south east of England, which supports a range of specialised birds and insects. The reed beds are an excellent sanctuary for migrating birds such as swallows and house martins in the summer and starlings in the winter. Bittern, marsh harrier, kingfisher, great crested grebe, coot, moorhen, reed bunting, bearded reedling can all be seen.
The reserve supports a large variety of invertebrates (including dragonflies and moths) and rare plants. It also has a strong population of water voles.
Stodmarsh has over 6 kilometres of footpaths, including a circular walk around the whole site. There are short and long easy access ‘sensory’ trails at the Stodmarsh end of the reserve, both with wheelchair access.
For more information see the leaflet for this reserve.
Directions
Stodmarsh is on the path of the Stour Valley Walk.
Route 1 of the Sustrans National Cycle Network runs through Stodmarsh village, from where you can access the car park for the reserve. There are no cycle routes through, or within the NNR. If you arrive by bike, you should leave it in the cycle racks in the reserve’s car park and explore the NNR on foot.
The nearest station is Sturry, 5 kilometres to the south west.
Regular bus services along the A28 from Sturry to Upstreet are provided by Stagecoach East Kent. For additional details of bus services in the area go to the Kent County Council website.
The reserve car park is east of Stodmarsh village, located along the turn off between the Red Lion pub and the church (CT3 4BA). Toilets (including an accessible toilet) are located in the car park. Voluntary car parking charges can be paid in advance or on the day using the RingGo app. There is additional pay and display parking by the Grove Ferry Pub (CT3 4BP) which can be found at the opposite end of the reserve on Grove Road, south east of Upstreet.
Contact
For more information about the reserve, school visits or volunteering:
Email: enquiries@naturalengland.org.uk
Telephone: 0300 060 3900
Swanscombe Skull Site
This small geological site is of national importance because of prehistoric fossils discovered here, including one of the oldest human skulls ever found in the UK.
Main habitat: geological.
Management: Swanscombe Skull Site NNR is managed by Swanscombe and Greenhithe Town Council.
Further information about the NNR, its wildlife and how to visit can be found on the Swanscombe Skull website.
Contact
Swanscombe and Greenhithe Town Council, 01322 385513
The Swale
The Swale National Nature Reserve is a grazing marsh that supports significant populations of waterfowl.
Main habitat: grazing marsh, coastal
Management: The Swale NNR is managed by Elmley Conservation Trust (ECT)
Further information about the NNR, its wildlife and how to visit is available on the Elmley Nature Reserve website.
Contact
Email: info@elmleynaturereserve.co.uk
Kingshill Farm
Sheerness
Kent
ME12 3AW
Tel: 01795 664896
Wye
Wye NNR consists of chalk grassland and woodland on steep coombes.
Main habitats: lowland grassland
Features of interest
The site’s chalk grassland is notable for the range of orchids it supports, 21 species having been recorded including lady orchid, fly orchid and the rare late and early spider orchid and man orchid.
As well as grassland the reserve encompasses areas of scrub, woodland and over 3.5 kilometres of hedgerows; these habitats support around 50 breeding bird species including hawfinch, lesser spotted woodpecker and kestrel.
Reptiles found here include adder, grass snake, slow worm and common lizard.
The reserve is renowned for its views over the Romney Marsh and Weald, and out to the Channel coast. The site is also widely known for landscape features such as the Devil’s Kneading Trough a dry, steep-sided valley formed by peri-glacial action near the end of the last ice age.
For more information see the leaflet for this reserve.
Directions
Wye is on Route 18 of the National Cycle Network.
The nearest train station is Wye.
The reserve is 2 km south east of the town of Wye and 6 km north east of Ashford. By car, access to Wye is via minor roads from the A28. The reserve’s eastern boundary is marked by a minor road from Wye to the village of Hastingleigh.
There are 2 car parks available on this road - next to, and opposite, the reserve. The car park on the same side of the road as the reserve can accommodate coaches by prior arrangement. Voluntary car parking charges, for both car parks, can be paid in advance or on the day using the RingGo app.
The post code for the reserve is TN25 5HE.
Two trails pass near the reserve: the Stour Valley Walk and the North Downs Way National Trail.
School and community groups
For information about the opportunities for school visits contact the reserve manager by email: piers.griffin@naturalengland.org.uk or telephone 07881037704.
An education pack is available for this reserve.
Volunteering
For information about volunteering opportunities contact the reserve manager by email: piers.griffin@naturalengland.org.uk or telephone 07881037704.
Contact
For general enquiries call 0300 060 3900 or email: enquiries@naturalengland.org.uk.