The Friends of Boxley Warren work with the landowner and other organisations to conserve, promote and protect Boxley Warren Local Nature Reserve for the benefit of wildlife and people.

Regular volunteer tasks are held throughout the year and the group also run some guided walks and other events. Volunteer activities will take you to parts of the site that are not usually open to the public and offer the opportunity to make a difference to the local environment.

If you would like to get involved in the excellent volunteer work that takes place at Boxley Warren or find out about membership then please do get in touch.

Contact details:* friends@boxleywarren.org.uk8 www.boxleywarren.org.uk( 01303 815170Friends of Boxley Warrenc/o Boxley Parish CouncilBeechen Hall, Wildfell CloseWaldersladeCHATHAMKent ME5 9RU

Boxley Warren is a very special place in the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This 97 hectare site is not only valuable for wildlife but affords magnificent views of the Greensand Ridge and across to the Low Weald. It can be seen from almost the whole of the Maidstone area and count-less thousands of people see it from their cars on the M20 every day. Yet it remains an unspoilt part of the Kent countryside that offers a glimpse into the past as well as being an example of forward thinking wildlife conservation.

The majority of the site sits on the chalk scarp slope of the North Downs. These are some of the steep-est slopes in the county with very thin chalk soils. These challenging conditions offer opportunity to a stunning diversity of interesting plants, insects and other wildlife.. The northern section of Boxley Warren sits on the gentler dip slope of the chalk downs. Here, the soil is clay-with-flints, suitable for broad-leaved woodland and more recently for agriculture. It is this combination of geology and the way that the area has been used by people that has created the Boxley Warren we see today.

For more information about Boxley Warren visit the website at www.boxleywarren.org.uk

Friends of Boxley Warren About Boxley Warren Boxley Warren Local Nature Reserve

B Wildlife informationB Local walksB Join the Friends of Boxley Warren

A special placeBoxley Warren’s place in the landscape is well recognised. It sits within the protected Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and large parts of the site are designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest for the quality of the chalk grassland and woodland. The site also carries a European designation as a Special Area of Conservation predominantly because of the lowland yew woodland.

The site was declared a Local Nature Reserve by Maidstone Borough Council in 2007 which means that the manage-ment of the site is now prescribed by a team of wildlife and landscape experts who work with the landowner to ensure that Boxley Warren remains a tranquil haven for wildlife into the future.

You can often see buzzards circling majestically above the woodland at Boxley Warren. This is partly because of the thermal currents around the steep slopes. These

magnificent birds make their nests in inaccessible woodland and can sometimes be seen in aerial combat or being mobbed by other birds.

Peregrine falcons are occasional visitors and kestrels can also be seen hovering above areas of rough grassland and scrub, seeking out small mam-mals and other prey.

A rescued landscapeThe landscape at Boxley has changed significantly in recent years from a notorious off-road playground and fly-tippers paradise to the restored semi-natural landscape that you see today.

Access to the site for motorised vehicles has been restricted and fly-tipping has been made more difficult. As a consequence, the footpaths are less rutted and damaged, there is less rubbish lying around and the place is more attractive to walkers. Now the focus is to improve the area for wildlife by actively managing the woodland and maintaining the chalk grassland.

Birds

How we keep Boxley Warren at its bestSince Boxley Warren became a Local Nature Reserve, the way the site is managed has been decided by a team of experts including the landowner, Natural England, Maidstone Borough Council, Boxley Parish Council, Friends of Boxley Warren and the Mid Kent Downs Countryside Partnership.

Grazing is used to keep the grassland in shape and a combination of volunteers and contractors manage the rest of the site. We pay careful attention to the plants and animals that depend on the Nature Reserve, to determine the best ways to manage this special place. The Friends of Boxley Warren meet regularly to carry out valuable work to conserve and enhance the site.

Enjoy your visitThe spectacular scenery and network of paths make Boxley Warren and its surrounds a great place to visit. To make the most of your visit please ensure that you keep to the public footpaths and byways and keep dogs under control.

Wild flowersThe chalk grassland and woodland provide a home for some uncommon plants. Several species of orchid including bee, man, and fly orchids as well as white and broad-leaved helleborines can be found at Boxley Warren. Ground pine is a rare plant that survives on bare patches of soil on the steeper slopes, while wild liquorice grows in the hedgerows alongside the Pilgrims Way. However, it’s not just the rarities that make the plant life special at Boxley. Look out for the flushes of colour created by cow parsley and cowslips in Spring and birds foot trefoil and vipers bugloss during the Summer months. The fiery autumn leaves make a fantastic woodland show in Autumn.

Other wildlifeBoxley is also host to a range of other wildlife including foxes, dormice, reptiles, butterflies, bats and of course the box trees from which it most likely gained its name. More information about wildlife can be found on the website.

Stinking hellebore

Ground pine

Adders

Yew woodland

Fly tippingDesigned by Clarity Interpretation www.clarity-consultancy.co.uk 01303 249501

friends of boxley warren leaflet final draft SE changes.indd 1 26/08/2014 14:08

BO

XL

E

Y

W

AR

RE

N

SAN

DLI

NG

BOXL

EY

Boxl

ey W

ood

Har

p Fa

rm

Westfield Wood (KWT)

A229

HS1

Boar

ley

Farm

1 2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9 10

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

1

23

4

5

6

7

8

Shor

t and

Hill

y W

alk

(3 m

iles/

5km

)

Long

and

Hill

y W

alk

(6 m

iles/

9km

)

Shor

t and

Fla

t Wal

k (3

mile

s/5k

m)

Num

bere

d po

ints

in w

alks

text

Byw

ay (n

o m

otor

ised

veh

icle

s)

Byw

ay O

pen

to A

ll Tr

affic

11

1

Woo

dlan

d in

Box

ley

War

ren

LNR

Oth

er w

oodl

and

Scru

b/sc

atte

red

tree

s

Sett

lem

ents

/bui

ldin

gs

Stee

p gr

adie

nt

WA

LK R

OU

TES

Old

Cha

tham

Roa

d is

the

star

t/fin

ish

poin

t for

all

wal

ks.

Ther

e is

free

on-

stre

et p

arki

ng. T

o re

ach

it, h

ead

sout

h-bo

und

on th

e A

229

and

turn

left

at t

he S

hell

petr

ol s

tatio

n.Pa

rkin

g in

Box

ley

villa

ge is

lim

ited

- bes

t avo

ided

.

Shor

t and

Fla

t Wal

k (3

mile

s/5

km)

Hea

d so

uth

alon

g th

e O

ld C

hath

am R

d (1

) with

the

hous

es

on y

our r

ight

unt

il yo

u ge

t to

a cr

ossr

oads

(2).

Tur

n le

ft

and

wal

k al

ong

the

road

, aga

in w

ith th

e ho

uses

on

your

rig

ht. T

o yo

ur le

ft th

ere

are

spec

tacu

lar v

iew

s of

the

Boxl

ey

War

ren

Loca

l Nat

ure

Rese

rve

and

the

chal

k sc

arp

slop

e as

it

stre

tche

s ou

t tow

ards

Det

ling

and

beyo

nd. T

urn

left

at t

he

next

cro

ssro

ads

(3) (

sign

post

ed to

Boa

rley)

and

follo

w th

is

smal

l roa

d as

it c

ross

es th

e ra

ilway

and

pas

ses

the

hous

e un

til y

ou g

et to

Boa

rley

Farm

(4).

Turn

righ

t and

follo

w th

e fo

otpa

th a

cros

s th

e fie

ld a

nd th

en le

ft a

fter

a s

mal

l gro

up

of tr

ees.

You

will

now

be

head

ing

stra

ight

tow

ards

Box

ley

War

ren

(5).

Hea

d st

raig

ht u

p th

is p

ath

tow

ards

the

hedg

e-ro

w in

the

dist

ance

. To

take

on

the

long

er w

alk

turn

righ

t at

the

end

of th

e lin

e of

tree

s an

d jo

in th

e ‘L

ong

and

Hill

y W

alk’

at p

oint

(6)

Follo

w th

e fo

otpa

th s

trai

ght t

hrou

gh th

e he

dger

ow a

nd

you

will

find

you

rsel

f on

the

Pilg

rims’

Way

(7).

Tur

n le

ft w

ith

the

open

cha

lk g

rass

land

fiel

d on

you

r rig

ht.

Follo

w th

e Pi

lgrim

s’ W

ay a

ll th

e w

ay th

roug

h Bo

xley

War

ren,

pas

t the

W

hite

Hor

se S

tone

(8),

until

you

com

e ou

t int

o th

e op

en

agai

n an

d cr

oss

the

railw

ay b

ridge

. Tak

e th

e le

ft h

and

fork

(9

) and

wal

k do

wn

a sh

ort p

ath

until

you

com

e ou

t on

Old

Ch

atha

m R

d on

ce m

ore

(10)

. Tur

n le

ft to

fini

sh o

ff th

e w

alk.

Long

and

Hill

y W

alk

(6 m

iles/

9 km

)Fo

llow

the

‘Sho

rt a

nd F

lat W

alk’

from

poi

nt 1

to p

oint

6 a

nd

then

hea

d ea

st a

cros

s th

e la

rge

arab

le fi

eld

all t

he w

ay to

Bo

xley

Vill

age.

You

will

eve

ntua

lly c

ome

out a

t the

mai

n ro

ad n

ext t

o th

e Ki

ngs

Arm

s pu

b (1

). C

ross

the

mai

n ro

ad

and

stra

ight

on

tow

ards

the

chur

ch.

Clim

b ov

er th

e st

ile

that

take

s yo

u in

to th

e fie

ld to

the

left

of t

he c

hurc

h (2

).

Follo

w th

e fo

otpa

th d

iago

nally

to y

our l

eft f

ollo

win

g th

e ov

erhe

ad c

able

s, ov

er a

noth

er s

tile

until

you

reac

h a

third

st

ile (3

). A

fter

neg

otia

ting

the

third

stil

e th

e fo

otpa

th tu

rns

slig

htly

left

so

you

are

head

ing

stra

ight

up

the

scar

p sl

ope.

Ke

ep to

the

left

of t

he fi

eld

until

you

get

to th

e ro

ad (4

).

Onc

e ov

er th

e ro

ad h

ead

stra

ight

up

the

hill

all t

he w

ay to

th

e to

p (t

his

bit’s

goi

ng to

get

the

hear

t rat

e go

ing

a lit

tle!).

(5

) Tur

n le

ft o

nto

the

Nor

th D

owns

Way

at t

he to

p of

the

hill

until

you

get

to a

road

(6).

Cro

ss th

e ro

ad c

aref

ully

and

tu

rn ri

ght f

or a

bout

50

met

res

until

you

reac

h th

e si

gnpo

st

for t

he N

orth

Dow

ns W

ay th

at ta

kes

you

left

off

the

road

. W

hen

you

reac

h an

othe

r roa

d (7

) cro

ss th

is a

nd fo

llow

the

sign

s st

raig

ht th

roug

h th

e fa

rmya

rd a

nd th

roug

h th

e ki

ss-

ing

gate

bac

k on

to th

e N

orth

Dow

ns W

ay a

nd in

to B

oxle

y W

arre

n Lo

cal N

atur

e Re

serv

e. F

ollo

w th

e fo

otpa

th a

s it

curls

roun

d th

e ed

ge o

f the

fiel

d an

d in

to w

oodl

and

(8).

Fo

llow

this

pat

h fo

r abo

ut 7

50m

(½ m

ile) u

ntil

you

com

e to

a T-

junc

tion

and

the

end

of s

ome

post

and

rail

fenc

ing

(9).

Turn

left

her

e an

d de

scen

d al

ong

the

hollo

w w

ay th

roug

h th

e m

yste

rious

yew

woo

dlan

d al

l the

way

to th

e bo

ttom

of

the

scar

p sl

ope

whe

re y

ou w

ill c

ross

a s

mal

l woo

den

brid

ge

and

go th

roug

h th

e ki

ssin

g ga

te o

nto

the

Pilg

rims’

Way

. Tu

rn ri

ght a

long

the

Pilg

rims’

Way

whe

re y

ou w

ill re

join

the

‘Sho

rt a

nd F

lat W

alk’

at p

oint

8.

Shor

t and

Hill

y W

alk

(3 m

iles/

5 km

)H

ead

nort

h al

ong

the

Old

Cha

tham

Roa

d (1

). F

ollo

w th

e fo

otpa

th u

ntil

it be

nds

to th

e rig

ht (2

) and

brin

gs y

ou o

ut

at a

brid

ge o

ver t

he ra

ilway

(3).

Fol

low

this

trac

k (P

ilgrim

s’ W

ay) i

nto

Boxl

ey W

arre

n Lo

cal N

atur

e Re

serv

e, p

ast t

he

Whi

te H

orse

Sto

ne o

n yo

ur le

ft a

nd th

en tu

rn le

ft (4

) ont

o th

e N

orth

Dow

ns W

ay fo

otpa

th. T

his

path

will

fork

a s

hort

di

stan

ce u

p th

e hi

ll. T

ake

the

right

han

d fo

rk (5

) and

fol-

low

the

path

all

the

way

up

the

scar

p sl

ope.

The

slo

pe w

ill

even

tual

ly fl

atte

n off

and

take

you

thro

ugh

som

e br

oad

leav

ed w

oodl

and

and

even

tual

ly o

ut in

to a

n ar

able

fiel

d (6

). T

urn

right

and

follo

w th

e ou

tline

of t

he w

ood

for a

bout

a

kilo

met

re (j

ust o

ver ½

mile

). S

hort

ly a

fter

you

hav

e go

ne

unde

rnea

th a

pyl

on tu

rn ri

ght d

own

anot

her f

ootp

ath

into

the

woo

d (7

). F

ollo

w th

is fo

otpa

th (a

hol

low

way

) as

it w

inds

dow

n th

e st

eep

slop

e th

roug

h ye

w w

oodl

and

all t

he

way

to th

e bo

ttom

of t

he h

ill.

Cros

s a

smal

l woo

den

brid

ge

and

go th

roug

h th

e ki

ssin

g ga

te o

nto

the

Pilg

rims’

Way

(8).

Tu

rn ri

ght a

long

the

Pilg

rims’

Way

whe

re y

ou w

ill re

join

the

‘Sho

rt a

nd F

lat W

alk’

at p

oint

8.

Whi

te H

orse

Sto

ne (S

ched

uled

Anc

ient

M

onum

ent)

The

Mon

umen

t was

pro

babl

y as

soci

ated

with

a p

rehi

s-to

ric b

uria

l cha

mbe

r, si

mila

rly to

the

othe

r mon

umen

ts

form

ing

the

chai

n of

Med

way

Meg

alith

s. B

oxle

y w

as a

ve

ry im

port

ant s

ite in

ver

y ea

rly h

isto

ry.

Whe

n th

e Ch

anne

l Tun

nel R

ail L

ink

was

bui

lt, ju

st to

the

Wes

t of

the

Ston

e, a

ver

y si

gnifi

cant

Neo

lithi

c Lo

ngho

use

was

al

so d

isco

vere

d - t

he e

arlie

st w

ell-d

ated

Neo

lithi

c st

ruc-

ture

in B

ritai

n, a

t a li

kely

600

0 ye

ars

old!

Thi

s w

as a

ver

y im

port

ant s

ite th

roug

h m

any

eras

, fal

ling

as it

doe

s on

a

cros

sroa

ds o

f tra

cks

runn

ing

East

-Wes

t and

Nor

th-S

outh

. Th

ere

are

still

som

e pe

ople

who

wor

ship

at t

he W

hite

H

orse

Sto

ne to

day.

Mor

e he

ritag

eBo

xley

War

ren

has

a hi

stor

y of

hum

an a

ctiv

ity th

at

stre

tche

s ba

ck o

ver 5

000

year

s. F

rom

Neo

lithi

c bu

ildin

gs

and

meg

alith

s to

toda

y’s

farm

ed la

ndsc

ape,

peo

ple

have

m

ade

thei

r mar

k on

Box

ley

War

ren.

Anc

ient

‘hol

low

w

ays’

whi

ch a

re ro

utes

that

hav

e be

com

e su

nken

ove

r th

e pa

ssag

e of

tim

e st

ill s

tret

ch u

p an

d do

wn

the

scar

p sl

ope

and

one

of th

ese

now

form

s th

e pu

blic

foot

path

th

at g

oes

nort

h fr

om th

e Pi

lgrim

s’ W

ay c

onne

ctin

g w

ith

the

Nor

th D

owns

Way

. W

ell s

haft

s, a

band

oned

dw

ellin

gs a

nd ri

fle b

utts

use

d up

unt

il W

orld

War

II a

re

just

som

e of

the

othe

r his

toric

al e

vide

nce

we

know

ab

out a

nd th

ere

are

still

a p

leth

ora

of o

ther

feat

ures

yet

to

be

foun

d. Ye

w w

oodl

and

Yew

woo

dlan

d is

a ra

re h

abita

t and

is th

e re

ason

why

Bo

xley

War

ren

has

Euro

pean

leve

l site

pro

tect

ion.

The

ev

ergr

een

tree

s ca

st y

ear-

long

sha

de w

hich

mea

ns

that

not

man

y pl

ants

can

gro

w

bene

ath

the

yew

tr

ees.

How

ever

, th

is m

akes

the

yew

woo

dlan

d of

Bo

xley

an

eerie

an

d un

usua

l pla

ce

that

has

to b

e ex

perie

nced

. N

ot

muc

h m

anag

e-m

ent t

akes

pla

ce

Pilg

rims’

Way

and

Nor

th D

owns

Way

The

Nor

th D

owns

Way

is o

ne o

f the

Nat

iona

l Tra

ils a

nd is

a

cont

inuo

us ro

ute

usin

g pu

blic

righ

ts o

f way

that

link

s Fa

rnha

m in

Sur

rey

all t

he w

ay to

Dov

er.

It ro

ughl

y fo

llow

s th

e ro

ute

of th

e Pi

lgrim

s’ W

ay th

at li

es a

t the

bo

ttom

of t

he s

carp

slo

pe a

t Box

ley.

His

tory

tells

us

that

the

Pilg

rims’

Way

was

use

d by

thos

e w

ho tr

avel

led

betw

een

Cant

erbu

ry a

nd W

inch

este

r to

wor

ship

at t

he

shrin

es o

f Tho

mas

Bec

ket a

nd S

t Sw

ithin

. Thi

s ro

ute

may

in

deed

be

muc

h ol

der,

even

reac

hing

bac

k to

Pre

his-

tory

. A

fter

the

Pilg

rimag

es w

ere

abol

ishe

d by

Hen

ry V

III

in th

e 16

th C

entu

ry, t

he ro

ute

rem

aine

d w

ell u

sed

and

the

Vict

oria

n’s

form

alis

ed th

e ro

ute

whi

ch is

stil

l lar

gely

in

exi

sten

ce to

day.

Bot

h ro

utes

are

a fa

ntas

tic w

ay to

ex

plor

e so

me

of th

e m

ost s

pect

acul

ar s

cene

ry in

Sou

th

East

Eng

land

.

Boxl

ey W

arre

n Lo

cal N

atur

e Re

serv

e8

Old Chatham Road

friends of boxley warren leaflet final draft SE changes.indd 2 26/08/2014 14:08