List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Kent facts for kids

The River Beult north-east of Paddock Wood

Kent is a county in the south-eastern part of England. It's bordered by Greater London and the Thames Estuary to the north, Sussex and Surrey to the west, and the English Channel and North Sea to the south and east. The main town is Maidstone. Kent has beautiful chalk hills called the North Downs and lovely wooded areas known as the Weald. Its coastline has both flat parts and tall cliffs.

In England, special places called Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) are chosen by Natural England. This group helps protect England's nature. When a place becomes an SSSI, it gets legal protection because it's super important for wildlife, plants, or unique rocks and landforms.

As of May 2018, there are 98 SSSIs in Kent! Some are special for their geology (rocks and land), some for their biology (plants and animals), and some for both! Many of these sites also have other important protections, like being Special Areas of Conservation or national nature reserves. Some are even managed by groups like the Kent Wildlife Trust or the National Trust.

Amazing Natural Sites in Kent

Site Name	Picture	Why it's Special	Public Access	Location	More Info
Alex Farm Pastures	Alex Farm Pastures	This site has very rare grassland that hasn't been changed by farming. Rabbits help keep it healthy by grazing. You can find unusual butterflies here, like the pearl-bordered fritillary.	No public access.	Ashford	Map
Alkham, Lydden and Swingfield Woods	Coppiced woodland with bluebells	These woods are on steep chalky hills and have a mix of trees and chalk grassland. Look for rare plants like the lady orchid and burnt orchid.	Public access to part of the site.	Dover	Map
Allington Quarry	Allington Quarry	This old quarry is important for geology. It shows cracks in the rock filled with loess (wind-blown dust). These cracks probably formed during the last ice age when the ground froze and thawed.	No public access.	Maidstone	Map
Aylesford Pit	Aylesford Pit	This site is a geological treasure! Many ancient animal bones and paleolithic (Stone Age) tools have been found here. It helps scientists understand what life was like during the Ice Age.	No public access.	Aylesford	Map
Baker's Hole	Bakers Hole	This place is famous around the world! It has the most stone tools and flakes from the Early Middle Stone Age (about 325,000 to 180,000 years ago) found in Britain. Many of these tools were made by Neanderthals.	No public access.	Swanscombe	Map
Bourne Alder Carr	Metal bridge over River Bourne	The River Bourne flows through this area, making the soil very rich. This helps many different plants grow, including some unusual ones. There's also a swampy area near a fish pond.	Public access to part of the site.	Sevenoaks	Map
Brookland Wood	In Brooklands Wood	This wood has many different types of trees and plants. Alder trees grow in wet spots, while hazel, ash, and field maple prefer drier areas. Small streams here are home to various mosses and liverworts.	Public access to part of the site.	Tunbridge Wells	Map
Charing Beech Hangers	Pilgrim's Way	This steeply sloped site has old beech and oak trees. Many different plants grow on the ground, including some rare kinds. You might also find unusual insects, like the rare slug Limax tenellus.	Public access to part of the site.	Ashford	Map
Chattenden Woods and Lodge Hill	Great Chattenden Wood	This site has a mix of old woodlands, grasslands, and scrub. Many nightingales (a type of bird) come here to breed. You can also find rare moths and other insects.	Public access to part of the site.	Rochester	Map
Chequer's Wood and Old Park	Pond on the outskirts of Canterbury	This site is special for both its nature and its geology. Fordwich Pit here has many ancient Acheulian handaxes, some as old as 550,000 years! The area also has different habitats like alder woods, grasslands, and ponds.	No public access.	Canterbury	Map
Church Woods, Blean	Blean Woods Nature Reserve	This woodland has many different trees and plants, plus lots of birds and rare insects. Keep an eye out for the nationally rare heath fritillary butterfly!	Public access to all or most of the site.	Canterbury	Map
Cobham Woods	Mill Hill, Cuxton	These woods grow on different types of soil, from sandy to chalky. There's even a field with some unusual plants, like the very rare rough marsh-mallow, which has been here since 1792!	Public access to all or most of the site.	Rochester	Map
Combwell Wood	Rogers Rough Road	This is a very old wood. Some parts might have been untouched for thousands of years, holding rare mosses that survived from a warm period long ago. You can also find several rare water beetles here.	Access to footpaths through the site only.	Cranbrook	Map
Cowden Meadow	Cowden Meadow	This meadow is full of plants that grow in grasslands that haven't been farmed for a long time, like quaking grass and oxeye daisy. Wet areas are home to hard rush.	Access to footpaths through the site only.	Edenbridge	Map
Cowden Pound Pastures	Cowden Pound Pastures	This is another rare grassland habitat that is kept healthy by animals grazing. You'll see grasses like crested dog's tail and common knapweed. Wet areas near a stream have water mint.	No public access.	Edenbridge	Map
Dalham Farm	Dalham Farm	This farm shows how rocks and soil can slowly slide down a gentle hill. It's important for scientists to study how land changes over time, especially where there's no sea erosion.	Public access to part of the site.	Rochester	Map
Darenth Wood	Darenth Wood Road in Darenth Wood	This ancient wood is home to many rare insects. Some beetles here are so rare they are only found in a few places in the country, and they live in dead or dying oak trees.	Public access to all or most of the site.	Dartford	Map
Dover to Kingsdown Cliffs	Langdon Hole near Dover	These famous white cliffs show rocks from 99 to 86 million years ago! They are important for understanding how geology works. Many seabirds nest here, and the seashore has lots of different algae.	Public access to all or most of the site.	Dover	Map
Down Bank	Down Wood and the route of the Stour Valley Walk	This chalk meadow is a butterfly paradise, with 28 different species, including the rare Duke of Burgundy. You might also spot the endangered black-veined moth and rare plants like man orchid.	Access to footpaths through the site only.	Canterbury	Map
Dryhill	Ragstone outcrop, Dryhill Nature Reserve, Kent	This old quarry shows rocks from about 120 million years ago. It's famous for its many fossils of ancient sea creatures called brachiopods and bivalves, which help scientists study ancient environments.	Public access to all or most of the site.	Sevenoaks	Map
Dungeness, Romney Marsh and Rye Bay	Dengemarsh Sewer	This huge area has many important habitats like salt marshes, sand dunes, and lagoons. It's home to lots of rare and endangered animals and plants. Geologically, it shows how the coastline has changed over time.	Public access to part of the site.	Romney Marsh	Map
East Blean Woods	East Blean Woods from Hicks Forstal Road	This wood has a mix of trees, including old oaks. It's a great place to see the rare and protected heath fritillary butterfly and many different woodland birds.	Public access to all or most of the site.	Canterbury	Map
Ellenden Wood	Bridleway in Ellenden Wood	This wood is bursting with life, with over 250 types of plants and 300 types of fungi! You can also find rare insects and mammals like wood mice and dormice.	Public access to all or most of the site.	Whitstable	Map
Farningham Wood	Pond in Farningham Woods	This ancient wood has different soil types, leading to a wide variety of plants and insects. Its ponds are home to several types of amphibians, and a rare hoverfly has been seen here.	Public access to all or most of the site.	Dartford	Map
Folkestone to Etchinghill Escarpment	Cattle from Crete Road West	This large area of chalk grassland has three nationally rare plants: late spider orchid, early spider orchid, and bedstraw broomrape. It also has a key geological site called Holywell Coombe, showing ancient mollusc fossils.	Public access to part of the site.	Folkestone	Map
Folkestone Warren	Samphire Hoe	These chalk cliffs are home to several rare plants and are a nesting spot for many birds. They are also important for studying the Cretaceous period (about 145 to 66 million years ago).	Public access to part of the site.	Folkestone	Map
Gibbin's Brook	Pond at Gibbin's Brook	This site is mostly marshy grassland with a stream, a pond, and some dry grassland. It's especially known for its many insects, particularly moths.	Public access to all or most of the site.	Ashford	Map
Great Crabbles Wood	Footpath on Crutches Lane	This wood has a mix of trees like sweet chestnut and oak. You can find rare plants here, such as lady orchid, man orchid, and bird's nest orchid.	Public access to all or most of the site.	Gravesend	Map
Great Shuttlesfield Down	Great Shuttlesfield Down	This grassland is grazed by sheep and cattle, keeping it healthy. It's home to the rare adonis blue butterfly and two types of solitary wasps.	Access to footpaths through the site only.	Folkestone	Map
Greatness Brickworks	Greatness Brickworks	This site from the Cretaceous period (the age of dinosaurs!) is full of fossils, especially ammonites. It's super important for studying ancient life in the Weald area.	No public access.	Sevenoaks	Map
Halling to Trottiscliffe Escarpment	Footpath junction on Hanginghill Wood	This area on the North Downs has chalk grasslands and beech woodlands. It's very important for insects, with rare bugs and the only known place in Britain for a certain moth called Hypercallia citrinalis.	Public access to part of the site.	Rochester	Map
Ham Street Woods	Ham Street Woods - Gill Farm Track	This wood is over 400 years old and has a huge variety of insects, especially those that live in dead wood. You can find 12 rare or scarce species here, including a nationally rare beetle.	Public access to all or most of the site.	Ashford	Map
Hart Hill	Hart Hill	This site is a bit of a mystery! It shows rocks from the Pliocene epoch (about 5.3 to 2.6 million years ago). Scientists study the ancient sea shells found here to understand its age.	No public access.	Ashford	Map
Hatch Park	Deer Park	This park has special grasslands that are still managed by a herd of deer. It also has very old trees with lots of unique lichens growing on them. Several ponds here have marshy areas nearby.	No public access.	Ashford	Map
High Rocks	High Rocks on top	This geological site is famous for its amazing sandstone rock formations, especially the tallest cliffs in the Weald. Scientists study how the rocks here have been shaped by weather over time.	Public access to part of the site.	Tunbridge Wells	Map
Hoad's Wood	Etchden Road	This wood is amazing for its insects, especially butterflies and moths. Two types of moths found here, the broad-bordered beehawk and black-veined moths, are nationally rare. Many different birds also breed here.	No public access.	Ashford	Map
Holborough to Burham Marshes	Old Wharf of Wouldham Cement Works	This site is in the flood plain of the River Medway and has many different habitats like reedbeds, grasslands, and woodlands. It's a great spot for birds in winter and has five rare insects, including three types of bees.	Public access to all or most of the site.	Snodland	Map
Hollingbourne Downs	View over Hollingbourne Downs	This chalky hillside has untouched grasslands and beech woodlands. You'll find grasses like tor-grass and upright brome, and shrubs like the wayfaring-tree along the edges of the woods.	Public access to all or most of the site.	Maidstone	Map
Hothfield Common	Hothfield Common	This common has rare heathland and the best valley bog in Kent. Over a thousand insect species have been found here, including several that are nationally rare, like a special bee and a cranefly.	Public access to all or most of the site.	Ashford	Map
Houlder and Monarch Hill Pits, Upper Halling	Houlder and Monarch Hill Pits, Upper Halling	This site shows layers of rock and soil from the end of the last ice age. It helps scientists understand how the environment changed about 13,000 years ago.	No public access.	Rochester	Map
Hubbard's Hill	Greensand Way in Beechmont Bank near timberworks	This geological site shows how freezing and thawing ice can cause soil and rock to move down hills. The deposits here are from ice ages, some as recent as 12,500 years ago!	Public access to all or most of the site.	Sevenoaks	Map
Ileden and Oxenden Woods	Track through Pitt Wood	These woods have different soil types and many different habitats. They are home to a rich variety of birds and plants, including two nationally rare orchids: narrow-lipped helleborine and lady orchid.	Public access to all or most of the site.	Canterbury	Map
Knole Park	Bracken and trees, Knole park	This park has woodlands, open parkland, and ponds. It's known for having the best ancient woodland insects in the county, including a nationally rare beetle. It also has many different types of fungi.	Public access to all or most of the site.	Sevenoaks	Map
Larkey Valley Wood	Coppiced trees in Larkey Valley Wood	This wood has a wide variety of plants, including some rare ones like the lady orchid. It's also a great place for birdwatching, with many breeding birds like tree pipits and hawfinches.	Public access to all or most of the site.	Canterbury	Map
Lenham Quarry	Lenham Quarry	This quarry is important because it shows rocks from the Pliocene epoch (about 5.3 to 2.6 million years ago). There are not many places in Britain where you can see rocks from this time period.	Public access to all or most of the site.	Maidstone	Map
Lullingstone Park	River Darent, Lullingstone Country Park	Some trees in this wood are over 400 years old! It's a very important place for insects, lichens, birds, and fungi. Over 340 types of beetles have been found here, including two that are nationally rare.	Public access to all or most of the site.	Sevenoaks	Map
Lydden and Temple Ewell Downs	Lydden and Temple Ewell Downs	This site has some of the richest chalk grasslands in Kent. It's amazing for insects, especially butterflies like the marbled white, adonis blue, and the very rare silver-spotted skipper.	Public access to all or most of the site.	Dover	Map
Lympne Escarpment	The start of Romney Marsh at Port Lympne	This steep hillside has woodlands and grasslands with many springs. Because it's close to the sea and humid, plants like stinking iris (which usually grow in woods) can be found in the grassland here.	Public access to part of the site.	Hythe	Map
Lynsore Bottom	Road through Fryarne Park Wood	These woods have many different tree types and a rich variety of plants on the ground. They are also important for breeding birds like tawny owls and hawfinches.	Public access to all or most of the site.	Canterbury	Map
Magpie Bottom	View of Magpie Bottom Valley	This steep chalk grassland is home to many different herbs, including the nationally rare Kentish milkwort and seven types of orchids, like the uncommon man orchid. There are also areas of woodland and scrub.	Public access to all or most of the site.	Sevenoaks	Map
Marden Meadows	Marden Meadow	These meadows are special because they are untouched grasslands that are cut for hay and then grazed each year. They have ancient ponds and hedgerows, with trees like midland hawthorns.	Public access to part of the site.	Tonbridge	Map
Medway Estuary and Marshes	Wrecks in Bedlams Bottoms	This site is super important for birds, especially in winter. It also has amazing plants, like the nationally rare oak-leaved goosefoot.	Public access to part of the site.	Sittingbourne	Map
Northward Hill	Saxon Shore Seats	This site has mixed woodland, scrub, ponds, and grassland. It's home to the largest heronry (a place where herons nest) in Britain, with over 200 pairs! You can also find rare moths here.	Public access to all or most of the site.	Rochester	Map
Oaken Wood	Footpath through Oaken Wood	This site is a great example of unusual landforms, with cracks and tilted rocks caused by freezing and thawing during the Ice Age.	Public access to all or most of the site.	Maidstone	Map
Oldbury and Seal Chart	Redhill Wood, Seal Chart	Over 250 types of fungi have been found here, including 10 that are rare! It's also home to snails and slugs that are typical of ancient woodlands, like the rare snail Phenacolumax major.	Public access to all or most of the site.	Sevenoaks	Map
One Tree Hill and Bitchet Common	Stile on Greensand Way	This site has mixed woodlands, some of which are very old. The habitats vary, from acidic soils to damp, rich soils. You can find several rare plants and insects here.	Public access to all or most of the site.	Sevenoaks	Map
Orlestone Forest	Church Lane	Natural England calls this site "nationally significant" for its insects! Hundreds of insect species have been recorded, including 39 that are nationally rare. Some are only found in Britain at this very site!	Public access to part of the site.	Ashford	Map
Otford to Shoreham Downs	Bridleway signpost at the beginning of the way to Shoreham	These downs have woodlands, scrub, and chalk grasslands rich in different plant species. Even though grazing has declined, it's still very diverse, with over a hundred plants recorded.	Public access to part of the site.	Sevenoaks	Map
Otterpool Quarry	Otterpool Quarry	This quarry shows rocks from the Cretaceous period (about 145 to 66 million years ago). It's full of fossil ammonites, which are ancient sea creatures, and helps scientists match rock layers around the world.	No public access.	Lympne	Map
Park Wood, Chilham	Park Wood	This wood has many different trees and plants. It's home to lots of breeding birds and insects, including two rare types: a wasp and a fly.	Public access to all or most of the site.	Canterbury	Map
Parkgate Down	Park Gate Down	This grassland is grazed by sheep and cattle, keeping it healthy. You can find a variety of orchids here, including the uncommon lady orchid and musk orchid.	Public access to all or most of the site.	Canterbury	Map
Parsonage Wood	Parsonage Wood	This wood is a great example of a woodland valley in the High Weald. It has humid conditions, leading to a diverse range of mosses, ferns, and liverworts. Some plants here show that the wood is very ancient.	Public access to all or most of the site.	Cranbrook	Map
Pembury Cutting and Pit	Blackhurst Lane	This site shows rocks from the Early Cretaceous period (about 140 to 100 million years ago). You can find many fossils of an extinct plant called Lycopodites here.	Public access to part of the site.	Tunbridge Wells	Map
Peter's Pit	Peters Pit	This used to be a chalk quarry and now has many ponds. Some of these ponds are home to the great crested newt, a protected species. You might also see grass snakes and common European adders here.	Access to footpaths through the site only.	Rochester	Map
Polebrook Farm	Gate near Polebrook Farm	The fields on this farm are thought to have looked the same for over 700 years! The hedges and meadows are rich in different plants, with at least 19 types of grasses.	Public access to part of the site.	Edenbridge	Map
Preston Marshes	Looking W across the Newnham Valley	This site in the River Little Stour valley is mostly covered in common reed, with some willow scrub and pasture. It's a great place for many breeding and wintering birds like reed buntings.	No public access.	Canterbury	Map
Purple Hill	Purple Hill	This chalk grassland has many different herbs, including the nationally rare Kentish milkwort and several uncommon orchids. It also has scrub and woods.	No public access.	Maidstone	Map
Queendown Warren	Cattle grazing near Holly House Farm	This site has dry grassland and woodland on a south-facing slope. It's home to two rare plants, early spider orchid and meadow clary, and a wide variety of insects.	Public access to all or most of the site.	Sittingbourne	Map
River Beult	River Beult from Stephen's Bridge near Headcorn	The river itself has nearly 100 different plant species! You can see floating plants like yellow water-lily in the water and plants like amphibious bistort on the banks.	Public access to part of the site.	Tonbridge	Map
Robins Wood	Double stiles through Robins Wood	This deep valley along a stream in the Weald is very humid, which helps many mosses, ferns, and liverworts grow. The woodland here is thought to have been around since the last ice age ended, about 11,700 years ago.	Access to footpaths through the site only.	Cranbrook	Map
Rusthall Common	Outcrop of Tunbridge Wells Sandstone at Toad Rock, Rusthall	This geological site is important for showing how sandstone rocks weather and change. Look for Toad Rock, which has a narrow base shaped by ancient winds and ice.	Public access to all or most of the site.	Tunbridge Wells	Map
Sandwich Bay to Hacklinge Marshes	Shingle Beach North of Deal looking over Sandwich Bay to The Isle of Thanet	This site is incredibly rich in nature, with over 30 plant species and 168 insect species that are nationally rare or scarce! Many birds spend the winter here. It's also geologically important, with ancient fish fossils from about 57 million years ago.	Public access to part of the site.	Sandwich	Map
Scord's Wood and Brockhoult Mount	The Greensand Way on Brockhoult Mount	This sloping site has some of the best sessile oak forests in Kent. The grasslands on acidic soils have plants like common bent and heath bedstraw.	Public access to part of the site.	Westerham	Map
Scotney Castle	A Bridge and Gate at Scotney Castle	This site has parkland, grassland, and woodland. It's home to dormice, which are a protected species. You can also find several nationally scarce insects, like a rare door snail.	Public access to all or most of the site.	Tunbridge Wells	Map
Seabrook Stream	Seabrook Stream	This site is special for its 67 species of cranefly found in its wet areas. Four of these craneflies are nationally scarce, and one is only known in two other places in Britain!	Public access to part of the site.	Folkestone	Map
Sevenoaks Gravel Pits	Bird Hide	This site has flooded gravel pits that attract many breeding and wintering birds. You can find thirteen different species of dragonfly here, along with reedbeds and woodlands.	Public access to part of the site.	Sevenoaks	Map
Sheppey Cliffs and Foreshore	Cliff top past Manor Way	These cliffs show rocks from the Eocene epoch (about 56 to 34 million years ago) with amazing fossils of ancient animals and plants, including tropical vines! It's also important for a nationally rare plant called dragon's teeth.	Public access to part of the site.	Sheerness	Map
Shorne and Ashenbank Woods	Ashenbank Wood	These woods are important for their many different insects, especially dragonflies, beetles, and true bugs. Some rare beetles are found here. Old clay workings have been turned into ponds for wildlife.	Public access to all or most of the site.	Gravesend	Map
Sissinghurst Park Wood	Sissinghurst Park Wood	This wood is mainly sweet chestnut trees. It's special because of the many rare plants found along its paths. It's the most eastern place in Britain where the ivy-leaved bellflower grows.	No public access.	Cranbrook	Map
South Thames Estuary and Marshes	Fleet in St Mary's Marshes	Over 20,000 waterfowl use this site, and some species are found in internationally important numbers! There are rare plants along the ditches and many different insects, including nationally rare beetles and flies.	Public access to part of the site.	Rochester	Map
Southborough Pit	Barnetts Wood Allotments, Andrew Rd	This site shows rocks from about 140 million years ago. It's the main place where a special ancient soil bed, containing fossils of an extinct plant, was first studied.	Public access to part of the site.	Tunbridge Wells	Map
Spot Lane Quarry	Spot Lane Quarry	This site shows layers of loess (wind-blown dust) from the Ice Age, about 352,000 to 130,000 years ago. It's one of the few places in Britain where you can study fossils of land snails in loess.	Public access to all or most of the site.	Maidstone	Map
Stodmarsh	Looking SE across Stodmarsh nature reserve	This site has flooded gravel pits, reed beds, and grasslands, with a wide variety of plants and animals. Several rare moths have been found here, and two rare birds, cetti's warbler and the bearded tit, breed here in large numbers.	Public access to part of the site.	Canterbury	Map
Sturry Pit	Sturry Pit	This old gravel quarry has yielded many ancient hand axes from the Stone Age. It's important for understanding the history of the Thames river basin during the Ice Age.	Public access to all or most of the site.	Canterbury	Map
Swale, TheThe Swale	The Swale and The Saxon Shore Way	This site has mudflats, salt marshes, and freshwater marshes. It's home to many wildfowl and wading birds, including internationally important numbers of teal and wigeon. It also has a rich variety of insects and plants.	Public access to part of the site.	Faversham	Map
Swanscombe Skull Site	Swanscombe Skull Site place of discovery	This site is famous because in 1935, a dentist found part of a 400,000-year-old skull here! It belonged to an early Neanderthal woman and is one of only two places in Britain where such ancient human remains have been found.	Public access to all or most of the site.	Swanscombe	Map
Tankerton Slopes	Tankerton Slopes	This slope has a large population of hog's fennel, a nationally rare plant. It's also home to a nationally rare moth whose caterpillars only eat hog's fennel!	Public access to all or most of the site.	Whitstable	Map
Thanet Coast	Brooksend Outfall	This coastline has cliffs, foreshore, salt marshes, and lagoons. It's important for many wintering birds and three nationally rare insects. It's also a key site for studying ancient rocks and plants from about 56 to 34 million years ago.	Public access to part of the site.	Birchington	Map
Tower Hill to Cockham Wood	Saxon Shore Way along the River Medway	This site has woodlands and sandy areas with many different insects, including seven nationally rare bees and wasps. Upnor Quarry here shows a full sequence of ancient rocks.	Public access to part of the site.	Rochester	Map
Trottiscliffe Meadows	Trottiscliffe Meadows	These meadows are rare examples of untouched grasslands in Kent. They have many uncommon plants like marsh valerian and a rare moss.	Access to footpaths through the site only.	West Malling	Map
Wansunt Pit	Wansunt Pit	This site is important for understanding the Ice Age history of the Thames river. Stone tools made by early humans (Homo heidelbergensis) from about 424,000 to 374,000 years ago have been found here.	Public access to part of the site.	Dartford	Map
Wateringbury	Wateringbury SSSI	This site has a special type of rock called tufa that shows a complete record of ancient snails. It helps scientists understand how different species moved into the area after the last ice age ended.	No public access.	Maidstone	Map
West Blean and Thornden Woods	Pond off Thornden Wood Rd, Thornden Woods	These woods are home to over fifty species of breeding birds and many different insects, including five nationally rare and thirteen nationally scarce types. You can also find the protected hazel dormouse here.	Public access to part of the site.	Herne Bay	Map
Westerham Mines	Entrance to a former Mine	The main reason this site is special is because five different species of bats use these old mines to hibernate! Some moths also spend the winter in the mines.	Public access to part of the site.	Westerham	Map
Westerham Wood	Westerham Wood	This ancient oak wood is managed in a traditional way. It has a wide variety of plants on the ground and many different breeding birds. You can also find lots of insects, mosses, and fungi here.	No public access.	Westerham	Map
Wouldham to Detling Escarpment	Footpath becomes Bridleway	This chalky hillside has woodlands, untouched grasslands, and scrub. You can find the nationally rare meadow clary plant and several scarce insects. It's also known for its many well-preserved fossil fish from the Mesozoic Era (the age of dinosaurs!).	Public access to part of the site.	Chatham	Map
Wye and Crundale Downs	Wye Downs NNR	This site has many different habitats, including grasslands, wet meadows, scrub, and woodlands. The Devil's Kneading Trough, found here, is an important geological spot showing changes from the last ice age.	Public access to part of the site.	Ashford	Map
Yockletts Bank	Yockletts Bank	This sloping woodland on dry chalky soil is home to many different woodland birds. The ground is covered in bluebells and many types of orchids.	Public access to all or most of the site.	Canterbury	Map

See also

• List of Local Nature Reserves in Kent
• Kent Wildlife Trust

Sources