West Blean
Encyclopedia
West Blean is ancient semi-natural woodland protected by a SSSI, 5km north of the city of Canterbury
in Kent
, England that also includes Thornden Wood
some 5km north of Canterbury City centre, there are woodland car parks on Thornden Wood Road which runs between Greenhill (Herne Bay) towards Canterbury. From the south, leave Canterbury through Tyler Hill and continue for a few miles until you see a turning on the right marked Greenhill, which is Thornden Wood Road.
Bus 6a and 4a from Canterbury Bus station.
West Blean (and Thornden Wood) forms an important part of a wider conservation jigsaw, linking the Blean Woods National Nature Reserve in the west with East Blean Woods
in the east, and thereby establishing a continuous nature conservation complex owned and managed by a partnership of bodies including other conservation organisations, statutory bodies and local planning authorities
40% of the reserve is densely planted conifer plantation and 40% is sweet chestnut
coppice plantation. The remaining 20% is mixed native deciduous woodland. Nightjars and nightingale
are present. Common cow-wheat
, the foodplant of the caterpillar of the heath fritillary
is already present in some parts of the wood. In the coming years, Kent Wildlife Trust
will be working to remove the conifer plantations and restore the ancient woodland habitat and associated species. The Trust will also establish and maintain an annual coppice management programme, which will benefit the nationally rare heath fritillary and white admiral
butterflies, and many other species, including bluebell
, wood anemone
, long-eared owl
, yellow necked wood mouse
and dormouse
. In the even longer term the aim will be to diversify the sweet chestnut coppice by restoring native coppice species such as hazel
, hornbeam
and oak
.
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England that also includes Thornden Wood
Location
Sandwiched between Blean Woods and East Blean WoodsEast Blean Woods
East Blean Woods is a National Nature Reserve south of Herne Bay in southeast England.The reserve covers 122 hectares of ancient semi-natural woodland situated on poorly drained London clay, with a small area of gravelly soil in the south. The underlying clay results in much surface water and mud...
some 5km north of Canterbury City centre, there are woodland car parks on Thornden Wood Road which runs between Greenhill (Herne Bay) towards Canterbury. From the south, leave Canterbury through Tyler Hill and continue for a few miles until you see a turning on the right marked Greenhill, which is Thornden Wood Road.
Bus 6a and 4a from Canterbury Bus station.
Access
There are firm level paths from the car parks into the woods including a two mile track that passes right through the reserve.Points of Interest
This reserve makes up a substantial portion of the Blean complex, potentially covering thousands of hectares, and forming one of the largest concentrated tracts of ancient semi-natural woodland in England. The reserve itself covers some 489 hectares purchased in December 2003 and the Trust continues to seek further opportunities to expand the site.West Blean (and Thornden Wood) forms an important part of a wider conservation jigsaw, linking the Blean Woods National Nature Reserve in the west with East Blean Woods
East Blean Woods
East Blean Woods is a National Nature Reserve south of Herne Bay in southeast England.The reserve covers 122 hectares of ancient semi-natural woodland situated on poorly drained London clay, with a small area of gravelly soil in the south. The underlying clay results in much surface water and mud...
in the east, and thereby establishing a continuous nature conservation complex owned and managed by a partnership of bodies including other conservation organisations, statutory bodies and local planning authorities
40% of the reserve is densely planted conifer plantation and 40% is sweet chestnut
Sweet Chestnut
Castanea sativa is a species of the flowering plant family Fagaceae, the tree and its edible seeds are referred to by several common names such Sweet Chestnut or Marron. Originally native to southeastern Europe and Asia Minor, it is now widely dispersed throughout Europe and parts of Asia, such as...
coppice plantation. The remaining 20% is mixed native deciduous woodland. Nightjars and nightingale
Nightingale
The Nightingale , also known as Rufous and Common Nightingale, is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae...
are present. Common cow-wheat
Melampyrum pratense
Melampyrum pratense or Common Cow-wheat is a plant species of the genus Melampyrum. This plant has an interesting relationship with ants. It produces a sugary liquid from small glands under its petals, which wood ants feed on...
, the foodplant of the caterpillar of the heath fritillary
Heath Fritillary
The Heath Fritillary is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family. It is found throughout the Palaearctic from Western Europe to Japan, in heathland, grassland, and in coppiced woodland. Its association with coppiced woodland earned it the name "Woodman's Follower" in parts of the UK...
is already present in some parts of the wood. In the coming years, Kent Wildlife Trust
Kent Wildlife Trust
Kent Wildlife Trust covers the county of Kent, England, and is one of the largest of the 47 Wildlife Trust organisations in the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man and Alderney...
will be working to remove the conifer plantations and restore the ancient woodland habitat and associated species. The Trust will also establish and maintain an annual coppice management programme, which will benefit the nationally rare heath fritillary and white admiral
Limenitis camilla
The White Admiral, Limenitis camilla, is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family. They are found in woodland throughout southern Britain and much of Europe and Asia, extending as far east as Japan....
butterflies, and many other species, including bluebell
Common Bluebell
Hyacinthoides non-scripta, commonly known as the common bluebell, is a spring-flowering bulbous perennial plant. -Taxonomy:...
, wood anemone
Wood Anemone
Wood anemone is a common name for three closely related species of woodland anemone.In Europe: Anemone nemorosaIn North America: Anemone quinquefoliaThe Yellow wood anemone is Anemone ranunculoides....
, long-eared owl
Long-eared Owl
The Long-eared Owl - Asio otus is a species of owl which breeds in Europe, Asia, and North America. This species is a part of the larger grouping of owls known as typical owls, family Strigidae, which contains most species of owl...
, yellow necked wood mouse
Yellow-necked mouse
The Yellow-necked Mouse Apodemus flavicollis is closely related to the wood mouse, with which it was long confused, only being recognised as a separate species in 1894. It differs in its band of yellow fur around the neck and in having slightly larger ears and usually being slightly larger overall....
and dormouse
Dormouse
Dormice are rodents of the family Gliridae. Dormice are mostly found in Europe, although some live in Africa and Asia. They are particularly known for their long periods of hibernation...
. In the even longer term the aim will be to diversify the sweet chestnut coppice by restoring native coppice species such as hazel
Hazel
The hazels are a genus of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate northern hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family Betulaceae, though some botanists split the hazels into a separate family Corylaceae.They have simple, rounded leaves with double-serrate margins...
, hornbeam
Hornbeam
Hornbeams are relatively small hardwood trees in the genus Carpinus . Though some botanists grouped them with the hazels and hop-hornbeams in a segregate family, Corylaceae, modern botanists place the hornbeams in the birch subfamily Coryloideae...
and oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
.