Canterbury Oast Trust facts for kids

The Canterbury Oast Trust (COT) is a charity in England. It helps people with learning difficulties. The Trust sets up and runs businesses where people can work and learn new skills. It also provides homes, care, and education in Kent and East Sussex.

Its biggest place is the South of England Rare Breeds Centre. This is a fun place for visitors near Ashford, Kent. It has a farm, an animal sanctuary, a restaurant, a plant nursery, and a place for meetings. All these places offer work for people with learning difficulties.

Other places run by the Trust include:

• Coterie Tea Rooms in Rye, East Sussex.
• Woodland management and woodcraft businesses at Poulton Wood near Aldington, Kent.
• Harrington College, a college for people with learning difficulties.

South of England Rare Breeds Centre

The South of England Rare Breeds Centre is a great place to visit. It shows many different farm animals. There's a petting barn where kids can meet animals up close. You can also find play areas for children and toddlers.

The Centre has discovery and wildlife gardens. There's a walk-through aviary and a butterfly tunnel. You can watch amazing falconry displays. There are also nice woodland walks. The Granary Restaurant serves food.

Old farm buildings from the 1700s (Yonsea Farm) are being moved here. This helps to save them. The Centre offers activities for school groups. These activities fit with school lessons.

Protecting Rare Animals

This Centre is one of sixteen special farms. These farms are approved by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. They help protect many different rare animal breeds.

You can see many types of rare sheep here. These include Manx Loaghtan, Jacobs, Lincoln Longwool, Wensleydales, and Portlands.

Rare pig breeds at the Centre include Berkshires, British Lops, Gloucestershire Old Spots, Middle Whites, and Tamworths.

You can also see rare cattle breeds. These are British Whites, Gloucesters, and Beef Shorthorns. There are also Bagot goats.

Events at the Centre

The Centre also has a special events place called The Falcons Centre. It is used for business meetings. It can also host civil marriage ceremonies. Many other events like banquets and dances happen here. Since 2008, the annual Bilsington Craft Fair has been held at the Centre.

Poulton Wood

Poulton Wood is a 10.2 hectare (about 25 acre) woodland. It is a Local Nature Reserve. It is famous for its beautiful bluebells. You can visit the wood for free.

The wood is next to Homelands. This is an old building from the 1600s in Aldington. The Canterbury Oast Trust uses Homelands as a home for people.

Poulton Wood has many types of trees. These include Ash, Hornbeam, and Oak trees. The Trust runs Poulton Wood Works. This group helps manage the woodland. They also make craft products and wooden furniture. They even offer a local tree felling service.