Blean, West
O.S Map 179 TR 144633 : Nr Canterbury
Post code: (east end) Herne Common Road - CT6 7LQ
(west end) Thornden Wood Road - CT6 7NZ
West Blean (including Thornden Wood) forms an important part of a wider conservation jigsaw, linking the Blean Woods National Nature Reserve in the west with East Blean Wood in the east, and thereby establishing a continuous nature conservation complex, owned and managed by a partnership of local and national bodies.
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 nightingales are present. Common cow-wheat, the foodplant of the caterpillar of the heath fritillary is already present in some parts of the wood.
Directions
Sandwiched between Blean Woods and East Blean Wood some 5 km north of Canterbury City centre.
By Road:
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.
Public Transport:
Buses 4 and 6 from Canterbury and Herne Bay.
Download Reserve Map (PDF)
Key site for
- For nesting birds such as warblers , and insect eating birds such as insects and birds such as woodpeckers, nuthatches and treecreepers
- Plant life: The soil is mostly fairly acid, as shown by the carpets of bluebells and patches of heather, but more alkaline elsewhere, with characteristic species
such as spurge laurel, sanicle and common spotted-orchid present across the site. - Notable also for fungi in Autumn months.
Site update
- Open and recently coppiced areas supported a growth in white admiral, nightingale, nightjar, and tree pipit in West and South Blean. The Trust intends to establish and maintain an annual coppice management programme, which will benefit many rare key species including: nationally rare heath fritillary and white admiral butterflies, bluebell, wood anemone, long-eared owl, yellow-necked wood mouse and dormouse.
- Kent Wildlife Trust remain committed to returning ancient woodland to native species, continuing our vital conservation programme by removing conifer plantations in order to encourage endagered native wildlife to return.
- 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.
- A volunteer/corporate conservation project for up to 70 volunteers is being organised for March to carry out ride and coppice management.
