Beacon Wood Country Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Beacon Wood Country Park |
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| Area | 70 acres |
| Created | 1991 |
| Operated by | Kent County Council, |
| Status | Open 7 days a week, dawn until dusk |
Beacon Wood Country Park is a lovely public woodland. You can find it near Bean and Dartford in Kent, England. This park used to be an industrial clay pit. But it was later turned into a beautiful woodland park for everyone to enjoy. It is currently owned by a company called LaFarge.
Contents
Park History
From Ancient Woodland to Beacon Hill
Beacon Wood has a very interesting past. For more than 400 years, it was a natural hill covered in old trees. People used these trees for many things. They provided wood for building homes and fences. The strong oak trees were even used to build ships.
During the Elizabethan era (around 1580), a special beacon was placed on top of the hill. This hill was about 300 feet high. This beacon was part of a chain of lights. These lights were lit to warn people that the Spanish Armada was coming. Later, in the 1800s, some of these old woods were cleared. Farmers then planted fruit orchards there.
The Industrial Years
In 1885, a company called E.C. Powder Company Limited leased part of the site. They started making smokeless gunpowder there.
Later, in the 1930s, Beacon Wood was taken over by a company called APCM Ltd. This company was also known as "The Combine." They wanted the clay reserves found in the area. From 1935 to 1964, a huge amount of clay was dug out. About four million tonnes of clay were removed. This clay was mixed into a liquid and pumped through a 3 km pipeline. It went from the Bean Clay Pit to Johnsons Cement Works. There, the clay was mixed with crushed chalk. It was then heated in kilns to make cement.
Even after they stopped digging for clay in 1964, the land stayed with APCM. People were not allowed to visit it.
Creating a Country Park
In 1991, Blue Circle Industries leased the 70-acre disused clay pit. They leased it for 15 years to Kent County Council. This was when Beacon Wood Country Park was created! A group called Groundwork UK helped manage the park's creation.
Groundwork Trust and local residents from Bean worked together. They made paths and planted many new trees. The park officially opened on Wednesday, July 10, 1991. Sir Derek Barber, who was the Chairman of the Countryside Commission at the time, opened it. After the park opened, Groundwork Trust set up a volunteer group. These volunteers helped take care of the woodlands.
Changes in Ownership and Management
In 2001, Blue Circle Industries was taken over by the Lafarge Group. So, the land became owned by Lafarge. Lafarge Cement UK is a big cement maker in the UK. They still make cement products using the old Blue Circle brand.
On April 1, 2001, Kent County Council and Dartford Borough Council took over managing the park. They took over from Groundwork Kent Thames-side.
In 2004, there was a plan to make Beacon Wood bigger. The idea was to connect it with Darenth Country Park. This would create a larger "joined" park. Another idea came up in 2005. This plan suggested linking Beacon Wood Country Park with several other local woods. These included Darenth Wood (a special SSSI), Darenth Country Park, Lords Wood, and Ladies Wood. The goal was to create a "Dartford Ancient Woodlands Country Park." This would allow more people to visit the area. However, it's not clear what happened to this plan.
In 2006, Lafarge extended the lease for Kent County Council. This meant the council could manage the park until 2016.
Recent Times
In April 2012, the country park was temporarily closed. This was due to budget cuts at Kent County Council. There was also a change in the lease agreement. The site was returned to Lafarge's ownership. Local residents were worried that the land might be sold to property developers.
However, Lafarge Cement UK then made a new agreement. They partnered with Groundwork UK and Bean Parish Council for five years. This partnership helps manage the park.
In September 2012, a group called "The Friends of Beacon Woods Country Park" was formed. This group helps get the community involved in managing the park. They also encourage local residents to use the park. They want to show how important it is to learn about and protect our environment.
Images for kids
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An old railway wagon in Beacon Wood Country Park.
