North Kent Woods and Downs National Nature Reserve marks one-year anniversary with a week long events programme  

A week of events will take place across the North Kent Woods and Downs National Nature Reserve from 23–30 May 2026 to mark one year since its designation as part of the King’s Series of National Nature Reserves. 

The programme includes guided walks, open days, family activities and wellbeing events across key sites including Shorne Woods Country Park, Cobham Woods, Ranscombe Farm and the wider North Downs Way corridor. Activities will offer opportunities for the public to explore the landscape and learn more about ongoing conservation work. 

Events programme 

• May Run For Wine, Silverhand Estate – 23rd May 2026 

• Shiver May Timbers Half Term Trail – 23rd May 2026 

• Woodland Cinema Night – 23rd May 2026 

• The Neolithic Trail Kent – 24th–25th May 2026 

• Wildlife Wanders – 24th May 2026 

• Exploratory Walk and Mausoleum Visit – 27th May 2026 

• Shorne Woods Country Park Open Day – 27th May 2026 

• Woodland Mindfulness and Plant Discovery Walk – 27th May 2026 

• Family Nature Games and Woodland Craft Session – 27th May 2026 

• Natural Fairy Basket Craft Workshop for Adults – 28th May 2026 

• Family Forest Art and Sensory Play – 28th May 2026 

• Seed Bombs – 29th May 2026 

• Halling and the North Downs Way Circular Wellbeing Walk – 30th May 2026 

One year of nature recovery  

In its first year, the reserve has moved from development into active delivery, with partners working across public, private and charitable land to manage the landscape as a connected ecological system. 

Key achievements include: 

• More than 500 species recorded in a major biodiversity survey (July 2025)  

• Rediscovery of the Maidstone Mining Bee  

• Over 270 moth species recorded in a single evening at Birling Estate  

• Confirmation of the nationally scarce Rufous Grasshopper  

• Coordinated veteran tree management across partner sites  

• Ongoing habitat restoration planning across woodland, chalk grassland and farmland  

• Grazing reintroduced in orchard landscapes at Crabbles Bottom and Shorne Common Rough  

• Wildflower meadow restoration underway across parish-managed land  

• Development of a long-term Woodland Management Plan  

The reserve brings together ancient woodland, chalk grassland and historic parkland across Gravesham and Medway, linking major sites such as Shorne Woods Country Park, Cobham Woods and Ranscombe Farm. Its proximity to large urban populations is helping to improve access to high-quality natural spaces. 

Public engagement has also expanded through guided walks, wellbeing activities and community-led events along the North Downs Way corridor. 

James Seymour, Deputy Director for Sussex and Kent at Natural England, said:

“In just one year, we have seen some fantastic results — from co-ordinated veteran tree work delivered across multiple partners, to real progress on plans and funding bids, and joined-up action to support the leisure plots. These are examples of the kind of nature recovery outcomes we hoped a King’s Series National Nature Reserve would drive, and they demonstrate what collaborative working can achieve for nature recovery.

National Nature Reserves are special places — hubs for research, spaces where people can connect with nature for their health and wellbeing, and a place where our most important habitats and species can thrive. The work at North Kent Woods and Downs shows what we can achieve when we work together to restore and enhance ecosystems for the benefit of both people and nature.”

Catherine Bradley, Head of Strategic Programmes at Kent Downs National Landscapes said: 

“This first year has confirmed the value of working across the North Kent Woods and Downs as a single connected landscape. That approach is already changing how veteran trees, chalk grassland and woodland habitats are managed in practice.

The reserve brings together a wide range of habitat types, from ancient woodland through to farmland and chalk slopes. Working across these systems collectively gives a clearer understanding of how the landscape functions.

The focus now is on building ecological resilience over time by strengthening these connections and ensuring management decisions are aligned at landscape scale.” 

The partnership will continue to focus on strengthening habitat connectivity, expanding restoration work and increasing opportunities for people to engage with the landscape, alongside securing further investment to support the long-term delivery and scaling of nature recovery across the reserve.