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Park Gate Down The Hector Wilks Reserve

Park Gate Down - The Hector Wilks Reserve

Ancient chalk grassland with a very rich flora.

Location

Lies between Stelling Minnis and Elham
Canterbury
CT4 6NE

OS Map Reference

TR163452

What3Words:
shuttled.eminent.hazelnuts
A static map of Park Gate Down - The Hector Wilks Reserve

Know before you go

Size
7 hectares
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Entry fee

None
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Parking information

Limited parking
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Bicycle parking

None
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Grazing animals

Cattle and sheep
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Walking trails

Rugged uneven slopes.

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Access

There are Kissing gates, a slope and rambler gates. The Lower paths are level, the upper paths steep. The surface is slippery and muddy when wet.

Dogs

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When to visit

Opening times

Open at all times. Volunteer work parties take place at Park Gate Down on Fridays undertaking habitat management. Be aware that essential management can sometimes be noisy and if you are concerned it may disturb your visit consider visiting on a different day. If you would like to get involved, please visit our volunteering page.

Best time to visit

May to August for orchids and wild flowers

About the reserve

This picturesque reserve renowned for its rare orchid varieties consists of seven hectares of ancient chalk grassland with scrub and fringing woodland on the east side of a dry valley.

It has attracted many feeding and breeding birds, including green and great-spotted woodpeckers amongst many others. The site is good for adder, common lizard and slow worm. It has a rich flora, including cowslip, primrose, violet, marjoram and salad burnet. It is also rich in orchids such as early-purple, common-spotted, pyramidal, green-veined, bee and monkey.

Contact us

Karen Weeks
Contact number: 01622 662012
Contact email: [email protected]