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The Great Britain Guide

Wildlife reserves · South East England

West Blean and Thornden Woods

Free admission

West Blean and Thornden Woods is a wildlife reserve in the United Kingdom.

A memorial seat by a footpath in West Blean Wood - geograph.org.uk - 621666

pam fray — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
2 h–4 h
Best time of year
Autumn & winter (migration & wildfowl)
Nearest railway station
Chestfield & Swalecliffe · 3.8 km
  • Free entry
  • Dog-friendly

About

West Blean and Thornden Woods is a wildlife reserve in the United Kingdom. Heritage designation: Site of Special Scientific Interest. Coordinates: 51.3281°, 1.0875°.

Photo gallery

Protected designations

  • Site of Special Scientific Interest: West Blean and Thornden Woods SSSI
  • National Nature Reserve: BLEAN WOODS
  • Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Kent Downs

Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.

From the Wikipedia article

West Blean is an area of ancient semi-natural woodland with SSSI status, 5km north of the city of Canterbury in Kent, England, also including Thornden Wood. It is managed by the Kent Wildlife Trust. This reserve makes up a substantial portion of the Blean complex, potentially covering thousands of hectares, and forming one of the largest concentrated tracts of ancient semi-natural woodland in England. The reserve itself covers some 489 hectares purchased in December 2003 and the Trust continues to seek further opportunities to expand the site.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Coordinates
51.3281, 1.0875
County
Kent
District
Canterbury
Parish
Chestfield
Postcode
CT6 7NZ
Parliamentary constituency
Canterbury
Nearest railway station
Chestfield & Swalecliffe3.8 km

Sources

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Frequently asked questions

Where is West Blean and Thornden Woods?
West Blean and Thornden Woods is in Kent, South-East England, United Kingdom (postcode CT6 7NZ), in the parish of Chestfield.
Is West Blean and Thornden Woods a listed building?
West Blean and Thornden Woods is officially recognised as Site of Special Scientific Interest listed.
Is West Blean and Thornden Woods a protected site?
Yes — West Blean and Thornden Woods is part of the West Blean and Thornden Woods SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the BLEAN WOODS National Nature Reserve.
Is West Blean and Thornden Woods free to visit?
Yes, West Blean and Thornden Woods is free to enter.
How do I get to West Blean and Thornden Woods?
The nearest railway station is Chestfield & Swalecliffe, about 3.8 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode CT6 7NZ.
Are dogs allowed at West Blean and Thornden Woods?
Most wildlife reserves allow dogs on lead only, with restrictions during ground-nesting bird season (March-July). Check signage at the reserve.