Bluebell Hill RNR

These RNRs are good examples of chalk grassland habitat maintained by annual full width cuts carried out by Kent Highways Services and the RNR volunteer scrub clearance team. All the cuttings are raked off and removed to habitat piles or used for composting.

Approx. OS map ref TQ 746610 - 752593
Location Along Blue Bell Hill, A229
Status SNCI, RNR
Site Ref No: TM01A, TM01B, TM01C, TM01D, TM01E, TM01F, TM02 and TM03
Access: Parking in layby close to the Lower Bell Pub

Points of interest

This complex of verges supports no less than eight different species of orchid! Pyramidal, bee and common spotted-orchid can be seen on the open chalk grassland. In the woodland and scrub edges man orchid and broad-leaved helleborine, white helleborine, fly orchid and common twayblade can be found. Chalk grassland flowers such as wild marjoram, fairy flax, horseshoe and kidney vetch can be found, which attract a variety of insects. For the first time in 2007, the adonis blue butterfly was recorded on one of the sites. Other butterflies such as chalkhill blue, skippers and brown argus can also be seen.

Some of the verges support a good reptile population including adders, common lizards and slow-worms. Management of these sites has been tailored to ensure that the area remains favourable for reptiles.

Project funders

In recent years, extensive scrub clearance on five of the Bluebell Hill verges has been made possible by grant aid from Medway Valley Countryside Partnership and Rail Link Countryside Initiative. This has removed most of the invasive scrub, and will allow the chalk grassland to be maintained by regular autumn mowing, which will be undertaken by Kent Highways, assisted by the Road Verge Officer and Road Verge Volunteers.

 

 

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