Yockletts Bank

Yockletts Bank

John Young

Yockletts Bank

This must-see site for orchid aficionados has ancient woodland on a chalk escarpment with a clay cap. The slope of the valley supports mixed woodland of ash, hornbeam and beech with a hazel understorey.

Location

Yockletts Bank
Near Ashford
CT4 5PZ
A static map of Yockletts Bank

Know before you go

Size
23 hectares
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Walking trails

Please keep to the paths shown on the map to avoid distrubance to sensitive areas. Please note a kissing gate marks the entrance to the reserve.

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Access

Not Wheelchair accessible. There are a kissing gate, slopes and a narrow gap. The paths are unsurfaced chalk/clay/grass, steep in parts and muddy when wet. Signboards 1.4m high.

Dogs

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When to visit

Opening times

Open at all times. Volunteer work parties take place at Yockletts Bank 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

April to May

About the reserve

This must-see site for orchid aficionados has ancient woodland on a chalk escarpment with a clay cap. The slope of the valley supports mixed woodland of ash, hornbeam and beech with a hazel understorey.   Regular coppicing maintains the diversity of woodland plants and animals, and several small areas of chalk grassland are kept open by mowing anually to further enhance the variety of wildlife. This is probably one of the best sites for the lady orchid and there are excellent colonies of twayblade, common spotted, early-purple, fly and other orchids.   Spring flowers are also prolific with violets, primrose, wood spurge and, on the clay cap, bluebells. There is a huge diversity of birds such as nightingale, warblers and great spotted, lesser spotted and green woodpeckers, whilst reptiles include adder, grass snake and slow-worm.

Contact us

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