Description
Ham Street Woods National Nature Reserve is part of Orlestone Forest and a woodland reminiscent of the continuous oak forest that once covered the Weald and a remnant of an ancient forest that once covered the whole of Weald after the last Ice Age. This 97-hectare site became the first Nation Nature Reserve in 1952 and is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest. Home to rare moths such as the Triangle and Single Wave moths, butterflies, breeding birds including the Nightingale and Hawfinch and two protected species, the Great Crested Newt and the Dormouse.
Sweet chestnut, birch, and hazel are just a few of the trees in the Woods, as are flora and fauna including primrose and bluebell, with three way-marked trails between 2.5-5km map on the information board at the entrance. The Saxon Shore Way and Greensand Way pass through the reserve.
Train
Ham Street - 5/10 minutes.
Advisory Notes
The main entrance to the reserve is at the end of Bourne Lane in Hamstreet village.
