About the reserve

Bright sunny glades filled with bees, butterflies and wild flowers contrast with the cool sheltered Yew woodland. Climb the steep trails and emerge onto ‘The Plateau’ - a remnant of the quarrying that used to take place here and the perfect picnic spot with views over Maidstone and into the Weald. As you descend the slopes you find the remains of a beech avenue planted in Victorian times, much changed after the 1987 storm but still full of birds flitting about in the canopy.

This is a site with something to see in all seasons with a fantastic display of fungi and leaf colour in the autumn, jewel bright wildflowers in the spring and summer and silhouettes of birds of prey gliding across the winter sky.

The Larches is the perfect size for a family stroll with lots of variety to fascinate the curious but also forms part of a bigger complex of woodland and Downland that stretches for over 10 miles. Sandwiched between the North Downs Way and the Pilgrims Way, it’s a great starting point for an adventure into the wider countryside.