Woodlands
The borough boasts a wide
range of woodlands which, as well as supporting a great diversity
of wildlife, provide attractive walks for both residents and
visitors a like.
Ancient Woodland Survey
The Ashford borough is one of the most heavily
wooded landscapes in the country, with over two thirds of its
woodland currently classified as ancient. Ancient woodlands are
widely recognised as being irreplaceable habitats and local
authorities have a key role to play in the protection of this
unique resource.
In view of the need to understand and
safeguard Ashford’s rich heritage of Ancient Woodland for future
generations at a time of intense development a survey has been
produced.
For more information about the Ancient
Woodland Survey please contact Linda Cross 01233 330387.
Kings Wood, Challock
Top of the list for a visit should be Kings Wood at Challock,
where an "Arts in the Environment" project reflects the living
landscape in a creative way. Kings Wood, a coppiced ancient
woodland which was once the hunting ground of King Henry VIII, is
now the site of an exciting arts project. It features sculptures
which draw on the natural landscape and materials and creates art
which works with the countryside rather than imposing upon it. A
three mile "green route" not only takes in the art works, but also
reveals the full beauty of the wood itself and links into other
walks including the shorter "brown route".
The sheer size of the wood, 1,500 acres, means that wildlife
such as deer, badgers, owls and foxes can all live without too much
disturbance from visitors and woodmen.
All of the art works have been produced by international artists
during annual residencies. Sculptures such as Andy Frost's
colourful and imaginative picnic tables and benches have been
inspired by the birds, animals and vegetation of the woods.
Another piece of work by Emily Allchurch is a sculpture with a
function. It requires the viewer to participate in its existence by
walking through it, and in wet weather it serves a practical
purpose by providing a dry walkway over what would otherwise be a
muddy part of the woodland.
Ham Street Woods
This remnant of a much larger Ice Age forest still provides
timber and is a haven for wildlife. An oak canopy shades hazel and
sweet chestnut, while a layer of bluebells, campions and yellow
archangel make the woodland floor a mass of colour in spring.
Nightingales and redstarts are elusive summer visitors.
The woodland in Ham Street Woods is said to be more than 400
years old. Located six miles from Ashford, near to Hamstreet and
Ruckinge, the site is on the escarpment of the old Saxon shoreline,
and indeed part of the Saxon Shore Way runs through the woods.
Plants such as bluebell, primrose (Primula vulgaris) and wood
anemone (Anemone nemorosa) flourish, and plants of open areas such
as goldenrod (Solidago virgaurea) and heath cudweed (Gnaphthalium
sylvaticum) colonise the coppiced wood.
You can see many breeding birds on the reserve, including
treecreeper, spotted flycatcher and redpoll, with nightingale,
hawfinch and sparrowhawk often present too.
The woods support a large number of rare invertebrates, most
notably species living on deadwood and butterflies such as the Duke
of Burgundy fritillary.
The site is also of archaeological interest and contains many
well-preserved earthworks for you to view, including a medieval
ditch and bank system and the remains of a staggered medieval dam.
The area is also a
National Nature Reserve.
Access: Ham Street and Orlestone Woods are located just off of
the A2070 heading from Ashford towards Ham Street.
See a google map.
Orlestone Forest
This large complex of woodland is a designated Forest Nature
Reserve with conservation its main objective. The 800 acre wood
supports nationally-important moth and butterfly populations.
Orlestone Forest is nationally regarded as one of the most
important conservation area for invertebrates (mainly insects) in
the UK. This large ancient woodland site near Ham Street is home to
several hundred invertebrate species, including 39 nationally rare
species and 134 nationally scarce species. Several species are
known to only exist in Orlestone Forest.
Park Wood (Great Heron Wood)
This smaller woodland provides an ideal location for a pleasant
ramble through broadleaved woodland and conifers and past numerous
ponds. There are classic ancient woodland banks with layered
hornbeam trees which in places frame attractive views of the
surrounding countryside. This is a good site for enjoying the songs
of the nightingale, blackcap and garden warbler.
Charing Beech Hangers
Both the North Downs Way circular walk and the sycamore-lined
Pilgrims Way are way marked through the sweet chestnut coppice, yew
and beech woods that make up this woodland complex. The wood
experienced the full force of the 1987 "hurricane" and the storm
damage left openings which have been seized upon by a number of
wild plants including orchids, wild thyme and marjoram.
The Warren
Situated close to the centre of Ashford and surrounded by
roads and a railway, the Warren is ideally located to
meet the leisure needs of an expanding urban population.
Covering an area of around 38 hectares, the site is a complex
of wet meadow pasture, acid grassland, woodland ponds, secondary
oak woodland, a disused quarry, chestnut coppice and former
pasture. The tree species within these habitats include oak, sweet
chestnut, silver birch, ash, rowan, and sycamore. Among these,
there are some fine veteran and ancient oaks and sweet chestnuts.
Along with the acid grassland area, the veteran and ancient trees
provide the greatest wildlife value on the site. The Warren is also
important for wildlife. The acid grasslands are unimproved, and
contain plants such as sheep's sorrel and bird's foot. The ponds
are home to amphibians, aquatic insects and the uncommon water
violet. A wide variety of birds also inhabit the site.
Access: Via Warren Lane (turning off A292 Maidstone Road).
There is ample parking and a network of way-marked paths through
the site starting from the car park.
This webpage was updated on
4/28/2010