Just to the west of Blue Bell Hill picnic site, Burham Down Nature Reserve is made up of 17 hectares of mixed woodland and chalk downland and is rich in wildlife, especially in spring and summer. It also boasts some truly spectacular views over the Weald of Kent.
The area is part of the Woldham to Detling Escarpment Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and the Kent Downs National Landscape. The North Downs Way passes along the northern edge of the site, linking it with Blue Bell Hill, and providing further opportunities to explore the Downs.
The open grassland areas are important for the chalk grassland fauna found here, including the pyramidal orchid, dropwort and thyme. The presence of trees and shrubs typical of the chalk soil means that the area is also an important habitat for dormice, and birds including the nightingale and hobby.
In order to make the reserve as valuable as possible to local wildlife, encroaching scrub is cut back in winter, and new fencing has been installed so as to allow safe grazing.
Easy access information
This park and open space contains uneven trails, un-surfaced or narrow pathways. Also, there are width restricting features, such as stiles and narrow gaps making it difficult for visitors with pushchairs and/or wheelchairs to access some parts of the site.
