Burham Down

Burham Down is a woodland reserve in Kent.LocationBurham Down lies west of the A229 adjoining the KCC picnic site on Common Road, Blue Bell Hill.Bus 101 Maidstone and Chatham/Gillingham stops in Blue Bell Hill village . The reserve is accessible via a network of public footpaths with parking at two main areas - the KCC Bluebell Hill Picnic Site and roadside parking near the Windmill Pub in Burham. For safety reasons, entry to the two chalk pits within the reserve is by permit only, available from Kent Wildlife Trust.Being on a hillside, some paths are steep and uneven and there are some stiles.DescriptionThe reserve is part of the much larger Wouldham to Detling Escarpment SSSI, Kent Downs AONB. It is in two parts, totalling 104 hectares. The south-eastern section (excluding the chalk pits) is dominated by woodland and scrub, with two areas totalling approximately 5 hectares, which are managed by grazing using the Trust's own herd of Exmoor ponies.The northern section, which includes Wouldham Common, is also predominantly woodland with some recently cleared areas, now under grazing management. Access to this section is by arrangement only.Woodland and scrub areas have a wide variety of tree and shrub species typical of the chalk soil. This provides an important habitat for dormice and breeding birds including nightingale and hobby. Woodland glades and edges have important populations of lady and fly orchid.