Kemsing Down

An ancient woodland with some areas of grassland with interesting associated flora.

Opening times: open at all times.
Best time to visit: May to August for the wildflowers and butterflies.

  • Dog walking

  • No facilities

Size: 16 hectares.

Parking information: Very limited on the road parking.

Bicycle parking: None.

Grazing animals: Sheep.

Walking trails: Being situated on a hillside, some of the paths are steep and uneven, and there are steps in places. However, you will be rewarded with excellent views!

Dogs: On a lead.

There are Kissing gates and steps. The surface is grass/earth and is steep, uneven, narrow, and slippery when wet.

About the reserve

Well worth a visit for the panoramic views alone – this 16 hectare reserve includes ancient woodland and secondary woodland and scrub with areas of chalk grassland on the south facing slopes. Much of the downland has been lost, but there are still four open glades that are managed by winter mowing and by rabbit grazing. Orchids are present in areas, including man orchid, pyramidal orchid, and common spotted-orchid. Other grassland flora includes species such as squinancywort, common rock-rose and burnet-saxifrage. Many butterflies can be seen, including brown argus, common blue, dingy and grizzled skipper.

Contact Us

If you need to get in touch regarding Kemsing Down, for any reason, please contact:

Paul Glanfield
Contact number: 01622 662012
Contact email: [email protected] 

Environmental designation

  • Area of Outstanding Beauty (AONB)
  • Local Wildlife Site (LWS)