Blean's ancient woodlands

The ancient forest of Blean stretched across a vast expanse of countryside to the north of Canterbury in the 19th century. Patches of this woodland still exist – in fact it’s the largest ancient broadleaved wood in the south, and there are plenty of paths that lead through this precious habitat. This is just one of many walks you can follow and it gives you a great chance to observe a wide range of wildlife. Ancient woodland is that which can be traced back to around 1600, when the earliest maps were produced, and contains native trees such as birch, oak, hornbeam and hazel. A good way of identifying an ancient wood is by the presence of certain wild flowers, called indicator species. These plants don’t spread easily and aren’t found in great numbers in more modern woodlands. They include bluebells, anemones, wild garlic, dogs mercury, woodland orchids, butcher’s broom and herb Paris.

Blean woods provides a home for a wide variety of birds, ranging from woodpeckers, tree creepers and nuthatches to bullfinches and spotted flycatchers. In April or May you might be fortunate enough to hear the rich song of the nightingale. Wander the woods at dusk and, between April and July, you might hear the ‘churring’ of nightjars or see them swooping to snatch moths from the night air.

Part of this walk takes you along the Crab and Winkle Way, which gets its name from the railway line than ran between the coastal town of Whitstable (famed for its seafood) and Canterbury. The line started operating in 1830 and was the first regular steam passenger service in the world. George Stephenson and his son Robert engineered the line, and the original engine, Invicta, could only be used on the early stages of the route as the gradient in Clowes Wood was too steep. Here, a winding engine was used to haul the carriages up the slope, which was powered by the water in a ‘winding’ pond. The line operated as a passenger line until 1932 but continued to transport goods until its closure in 1952. Parts of the line were re-opened in 1999, and form part of Route One of the National Cycle Network. The ‘winding’ pond has been incorporated into a picnic site in the woods.

Start at the Clowes Wood car park at Gypsy Corner. Take the path in the right-hand corner of the car park, going through a metal squeeze point, then keep straight on at the crossing of tracks. Follow the forest track for 0.75 miles (1.2km), ignoring all side paths as it gently undulates through the trees to merge with the Crab and Winkle Way.

Bear left and follow the old trackbed gently uphill to reach the ‘winding’ pond and picnic area. This is a popular place for cyclists as well as walkers to take a breather and just listen to the sounds of the woodland. Ignore the track to the right and keep ahead.

Soon to take the path right, where the gravel track curves left. Pass between deciduous woodland and a conifer plantation, keeping ahead at junctions to follow the path through the edge of the wood, with farmland away to your left. Eventually exit the trees, the narrow hedged path leading you to a track.

Turn sharp right along the surfaced cycle path. Just as you re-enter the woodland, take the narrow marked path left. Keep close to the woodland fringe, then drop down through a cleared area, the path curving right to reach a track and crossing of paths. Turn right along the rough track and walk uphill, the track curving left and levelling out before merging with a wide forest track. Keep ahead and follow the track back to the ‘winding’ pond.

Pass the pond and bear right, then left with the main track and follow it back to Gypsy Corner, turning right at the crossing of tracks near the road to return to the car park.