Next week, from the 17th to the 20th of July, we are running a community project at Shorne Woods, to coincide with the Festival of Archaeology.
We will be exploring one of the narrow-gauge railway routes in the park. All welcome!
On Friday 25th and Saturday 26th of July, the team are running a small community dig at Trosley park, examining further elements of the Army camp there. The Saturday will be an open dig day. Again, everyone is welcome!
The shade is up for the Gravesend Mini-Dig on Windmill Hill.
SWAG star Pauline (blue t-shirt in the middle) at the recent launch of the new North Kent Woods and Downs National Nature Reserve. The Launch was held at the Shorne Woods Country Park.
Here is what the Gravesham Borough Council said about the event:
“Cllr Emma Morley, our cabinet member for operational services said: “We are blessed to have such beautiful and historically significant landscapes within our borough, which are rightly being recognised through the creation of this NNR.
“Nature does not recognise human boundaries, and so we look forward to working with the various partners and colleagues to protect and nurture this extensive, beautiful and fascinatingly varied reserve, allowing generations to come to enjoy its beauty.”
Over 400,000 people live within five miles of the new North Kent Woods and Downs National Nature Reserve and 8 million people live just an hour’s drive away, making this opening an exciting opportunity for people to connect with internationally important nature.
The new reserve covers 800 hectares, equivalent to over 1,100 football pitches, and partners will be working to support conservation efforts beyond the boundary of the reserve, helping to create a joined-up approach to nature recovery for a further 1,100 hectares in the surrounding area.
With support from Natural England and Kent Downs National Landscape, the reserve will be managed by a number of partners including the National Trust, Woodland Trust, Kent County Council, Plantlife, Silverhand Estate (Vineyard Farms Ltd), and the West Kent Downs Countryside Trust. Affiliated partners include ourselves, Birling Estate, Shorne Parish Council, Tarmac and Forestry England.”
We’ve spent some of May helping to recover parts of the clay pit conveyer from one of the park’s fishing ponds. The remains will be inspected with the view to restoring a small section to put on display near the cafe.
Gratefull thanks to the park rangers for their help!
