Kent has reaffirmed its reputation as the ‘Garden of England’ with a new National Nature Reserve boasting flagship species including, orchids, the Maidstone mining bee, Hazel dormouse and skylarks.
The county is said to have been given its famous nickname by Henry VIII to acknowledge its beautiful green landscape and abundant supply of food and drink. While much has changed over the centuries, modern day visitors to the newly opened reserve will find that it is still worthy of this title. The site offers access to a rich mix of wildflower meadows, chalk grasslands and ancient woodlands which have maintained tree cover since the Tudor era.
Many people have enjoyed the picturesque North Kent countryside, including Charles Dickens, who praised the fresh greenery and bustling wildlife of Kent, and frequently returned to the area in his writings, drawing inspiration from this idyllic landscape. The natural beauty of the area has now been put back in the spotlight with this declaration.
Over 400,000 people live within five miles of the new North Kent Woods and Downs National Nature Reserve and 8 million people live just an hour’s drive away, making this opening an exciting opportunity for people to connect with internationally important nature.
The new National Nature Reserve covers 800 hectares, equivalent to over 1100 football pitches, and partners will be working to support conservation efforts beyond the boundary of the reserve, helping to create a joined-up approach to nature recovery for a further 1100 hectares in the surrounding area.
With support from Natural England and Kent Downs National Landscape, the Reserve will be managed by a number of partners including the National Trust, Woodland Trust, Kent County Council, Plantlife, Silverhand Estate (Vineyard Farms Ltd), and the West Kent Downs Countryside Trust. Affiliated partners include Gravesham Borough Council, Birling Estate, Shorne Parish Council, Tarmac and Forestry England.
Tony Juniper, Chair of Natural England said: “Creating bigger, better and more joined up natural areas is one of the most vital and fundamental steps we must take in meeting our national targets for Nature’s recovery. This new reserve, with its hundreds of ancient trees set amid extensive chalk grasslands, lays the foundations for multiple partners to work together to improve Nature across a significant area of countryside.
“This reserve presents one further excellent example of the progress that can be made when people decide to work together across landscapes.
“Millions of people visit our National Nature Reserves and having a new one accessible to so many people and with such fantastic Nature is truly a cause for celebration.”
Cllr Emma Morley, Gravesham Borough Council’s cabinet member for operational services said: “We are blessed to have such beautiful and historically significant landscapes within our borough, which are rightly being recognised through the creation of this NNR. Nature does not recognise human boundaries, and so we look forward to working with the various partners and colleagues to protect and nurture this extensive, beautiful and fascinatingly varied reserve, allowing generations to come to enjoy its beauty.”
Gary Smith, CEO, Silverhand Estate, said: “We are delighted to be a part of and working alongside the NNR. Sustainability, regenerative farming and protection of the landscape is at the heart of everything we do on our Estate. The work our conservation team does has had an enormously positive impact on the local landscape and we are excited to be able to share this with the community going forward.”