A much-loved community nature reserve in the heart of the Kent countryside has been officially designated as a Local Wildlife Site (LWS), bringing new protection to one of Pluckley's most valued green spaces.
Pluckley Nature Reserve, owned and managed by Pluckley Parish Council, has this month become the 495th site to be formally designated across Medway and Kent. Its status was confirmed by Ashford Borough Council following a year of work by Kent Wildlife Trust and the Friends of Pluckley Nature.
The small but species-rich site features neutral grassland, scrub, a small area of woodland along the southern boundary and three ponds, creating a mosaic of habitats that supports a remarkable range of wildlife. Dormice, nightingale, grizzled skipper, grass snake and slow worm are all recorded here, alongside a strong showing of fungi, including at least four species of waxcap and a 2025 survey that identified the nationally rare Pholiota pityrodes.
Among the site's botanical highlights are nine grassland indicator plant species, including adder's-tongue fern, common-spotted orchid and glaucous sedge, alongside agrimony and creeping cinquefoil - both foodplants of the grizzled skipper, a butterfly with a very restricted distribution in East Kent. The ponds support all three native newt species, common frog and dragonflies including white-legged damselfly and four-spotted chaser.
The designation also recognises the site's importance in the wider landscape. Pluckley Nature Reserve sits less than 300 metres from Taylor's Meadow (LWS AS81), and together the two sites allow species to move freely between them.
Dave Shenton, LWS Officer at Kent Wildlife Trust, said:
“This is yet another positive step for nature. This fantastic addition to the LWS network in Kent will help wildlife to thrive not only within the site itself but by building wildlife corridors and stepping stones that will allow wildlife to spread and move through the landscape.”
The Friends of Pluckley Nature are central to the reserve's success and instrumental in achieving the designation, carrying out a range of vital management activities including woodland and scrub management, control of non-native invasive species and fencing.
Find out more about Local Wildlife Sites in Kent and Medway at kentwildlifetrust.org.uk/projects/local-wildlife-sites
Fungi at Pluckley Nature Reserve