Archbishop's Palace, Bekesbourne
2 ha
Plan your visit
🦅Birds🦉Wildlife✦Heritage
Public accessFree entryDogs welcome2 ha
Getting here
51.25664, 1.14186
Open directionsv
Visiting this summer
Seasonal nature notes and what to look for now
- 🐦63+ species recorded in this area — summer evenings are best for activity; watch for Blue Tit and Blackbird
- ✦Historic character is a year-round quality here — summer brings its own atmosphere to the setting
- 🛝Playground 274m away — built-in entertainment for younger visitors alongside the wider site
🌤️ Visiting this summer
- 🐦63+ species recorded in this area — summer evenings are best for activity; watch for Blue Tit and Blackbird
- ✦Historic character is a year-round quality here — summer brings its own atmosphere to the setting
- 🛝Playground 274m away — built-in entertainment for younger visitors alongside the wider site
- £Free to visit — no entry charge
- 🐕Dogs welcome
🦅Bird watching
Very strong match
Birds — Blue Tit, Blackbird, Robin +60 more · last seen 2026
Free
Mammals — Grey Squirrel, Hedgehog, Rabbit +11 more · last seen 2026
Free
Historic site with public access
Free
🦋Insect spotting
Strong match
Insects — Stag Beetle, Harlequin Ladybird, Western Honey Bee +86 more · last seen 2026
Free
🛝Family friendly
Good match
playground
Free
Trails nearby
Within roughly 5 km11 signed routes nearby · 12 public paths nearby
Signed route nearbyPublic paths
Elham Valley WayWalking route▾
Named routeListed length 40kmRegional walking route
Stour Valley WalkWalking route▾
Named routeListed length 82.9 kmRegional walking route
Miner's Way TrailWalking route43.5 km▾
Named routeLength 43.5 kmRound tripRegional walking route
Via Francigena - 01 part Great BritainWalking route▾
Named routeRef VFInternational walking route
North Downs Way (Canterbury loop)Walking route▾
Named routeNational walking route
The Wappingspublic footpath · 11 m▾
Public pathpublic footpathLength 11 mSurface asphaltIncline upPath type: footway
The Wappingspublic footpath · 213 m▾
Public pathpublic footpathLength 213 mSurface asphaltPath type: footway
Church Bankpublic footpath · 124 m▾
Public pathpublic footpathLength 124 mSurface dirt;grassPath type: footway
145 signed routes nearby
Signed route nearby
NCN National Route 18Cycling route▾
Named routeRef 18National Cycle Network
NCN Regional Route 17 (Kent)Cycling route▾
Named routeRef 17Regional cycle route
Route 1Cycling route▾
Named routeRef 1National Cycle Network
Great Stour WayCycling route▾
Named routeNational Cycle Network
Pilgrims Cycle TrailCycling route▾
Named routeRegional cycle route
NCN Regional Route 16Cycling route▾
Named routeRef 16Regional cycle route
Photos
The Old Palace, Bekesbourne
Weather for this location
Next 14 daysNearby places
Useful places within 5 km
Events & activities nearby
Switch provider to compare local events, tours and bookable activities.
Wildlife to spot
4,168 records · National Biodiversity Network
Wildlife to spot
4,168 records · National Biodiversity NetworkWoodpigeon · Robin · Blue Tit · Great Tit · Collared Dove +35
- WoodpigeonColumba palumbus2025
- RobinErithacus rubecula2025
- Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus2025
- Great TitParus major2025
- Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto2025
- ChaffinchFringilla coelebs2025
- MagpiePica pica2025
- WrenTroglodytes troglodytes2025
- GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis2025
- DunnockPrunella modularis2025
- Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis2025
- Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major2025
- RookCorvus frugilegus2025
- BlackbirdTurdus merula2025
- JackdawColoeus monedula2025
- Carrion CrowCorvus corone2025
- Herring GullLarus argentatus2025
- GreenfinchChloris chloris2025
- Song ThrushTurdus philomelos2025
- MoorhenGallinula chloropus2025
- House SparrowPasser domesticus2025
- Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus
- House MartinDelichon urbicum2025
- Rock DoveColumba livia2025
- Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus2025
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos2025
- PheasantPhasianus colchicus2025
- Stock DoveColumba oenas2025
- StarlingSturnus vulgaris2025
- JayGarrulus glandarius2024
- WhitethroatCurruca communis2024
- KestrelFalco tinnunculus
- Corn BuntingEmberiza calandra2025
- Barn OwlTyto alba2025
- GoldcrestRegulus regulus2025
- TreecreeperCerthia familiaris2025
- Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea2025
- ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita2024
- Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus2024
- Grey HeronArdea cinerea2024
🦌Mammals5 species
springsummerautumnwinter
2026▾
Grey Squirrel · Rabbit · Beaver · Mole · Badger
- Grey SquirrelSciurus carolinensis
- RabbitOryctolagus cuniculus
- BeaverCastor fiber
- MoleTalpa europaea2025
- BadgerMeles meles2025
🦎Reptiles1 species
springsummer
2025▾
Grass Snake
- Grass SnakeNatrix helvetica
🐸Amphibians2 species
springsummerautumn
2025▾
Common Toad · Common Frog
- Common ToadBufo bufo
- Common FrogRana temporaria
🐝Insects35 species
springsummerautumn
2026▾
Orange Ladybird · Common Red Soldier Beetle · Harlequin Ladybird · Stag Beetle · Violet Ground Beetle +30
- Orange LadybirdHalyzia sedecimguttata2025
- Common Red Soldier BeetleRhagonycha fulva2025
- Harlequin LadybirdHarmonia axyridis2025
- Stag BeetleLucanus cervus2025
- Violet Ground BeetleCarabus violaceus
Forked Veilwort
- Forked VeilwortMetzgeria furcata
Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas
Wildlife to spot
4,168 records · National Biodiversity NetworkWoodpigeon · Robin · Blue Tit · Great Tit · Collared Dove +35
- WoodpigeonColumba palumbus2025
- RobinErithacus rubecula2025
- Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus2025
- Great TitParus major2025
- Collared DoveStreptopelia decaocto2025
- ChaffinchFringilla coelebs2025
- MagpiePica pica2025
- WrenTroglodytes troglodytes2025
- GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis2025
- DunnockPrunella modularis2025
- Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis2025
- Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major2025
- RookCorvus frugilegus2025
- BlackbirdTurdus merula2025
- JackdawColoeus monedula2025
- Carrion CrowCorvus corone2025
- Herring GullLarus argentatus2025
- GreenfinchChloris chloris2025
- Song ThrushTurdus philomelos2025
- MoorhenGallinula chloropus2025
- House SparrowPasser domesticus2025
- Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus
- House MartinDelichon urbicum2025
- Rock DoveColumba livia2025
- Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus2025
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos2025
- PheasantPhasianus colchicus2025
- Stock DoveColumba oenas2025
- StarlingSturnus vulgaris2025
- JayGarrulus glandarius2024
- WhitethroatCurruca communis2024
- KestrelFalco tinnunculus
- Corn BuntingEmberiza calandra2025
- Barn OwlTyto alba2025
- GoldcrestRegulus regulus2025
- TreecreeperCerthia familiaris2025
- Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea2025
- ChiffchaffPhylloscopus collybita2024
- Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus2024
- Grey HeronArdea cinerea2024
🦌Mammals5 species
springsummerautumnwinter
2026▾
Grey Squirrel · Rabbit · Beaver · Mole · Badger
- Grey SquirrelSciurus carolinensis
- RabbitOryctolagus cuniculus
- BeaverCastor fiber
- MoleTalpa europaea2025
- BadgerMeles meles2025
🦎Reptiles1 species
springsummer
2025▾
Grass Snake
- Grass SnakeNatrix helvetica
🐸Amphibians2 species
springsummerautumn
2025▾
Common Toad · Common Frog
- Common ToadBufo bufo
- Common FrogRana temporaria
🐝Insects35 species
springsummerautumn
2026▾
Orange Ladybird · Common Red Soldier Beetle · Harlequin Ladybird · Stag Beetle · Violet Ground Beetle +30
- Orange LadybirdHalyzia sedecimguttata2025
- Common Red Soldier BeetleRhagonycha fulva2025
- Harlequin LadybirdHarmonia axyridis2025
- Stag BeetleLucanus cervus2025
- Violet Ground BeetleCarabus violaceus
Forked Veilwort
- Forked VeilwortMetzgeria furcata
Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas
2025
2025
Green ShieldbugPalomena prasina2024Green ShieldbugPalomena prasina2024Cream-spot LadybirdCalvia quattuordecimguttataCream-spot LadybirdCalvia quattuordecimguttataBicolorous SawflyHemichroa australis2025Bicolorous SawflyHemichroa australis2025FirebugPyrrhocoris apterus2025FirebugPyrrhocoris apterus2025Eristalis pertinaxEristalis pertinax2025Eristalis pertinaxEristalis pertinax2025Western Conifer Seed BugLeptoglossus occidentalis2025Western Conifer Seed BugLeptoglossus occidentalis2025Batman HoverflyMyathropa florea2025Batman HoverflyMyathropa florea20257-spot LadybirdCoccinella septempunctata20257-spot LadybirdCoccinella septempunctata2025Red-legged ShieldbugPentatoma rufipes2025Red-legged ShieldbugPentatoma rufipes2025Dark Bush-cricketPholidoptera griseoaptera2025Dark Bush-cricketPholidoptera griseoaptera2025Speckled Bush-cricketLeptophyes punctatissima2025Speckled Bush-cricketLeptophyes punctatissima2025Oak Bush-cricketMeconema thalassinum2025Oak Bush-cricketMeconema thalassinum2025Swollen-thighed BeetleOedemera nobilis2025Swollen-thighed BeetleOedemera nobilis2025Lesser Stag BeetleDorcus parallelipipedus2025Lesser Stag BeetleDorcus parallelipipedus2025Black-headed Cardinal BeetlePyrochroa coccinea2025Black-headed Cardinal BeetlePyrochroa coccinea2025Eristalis tenaxEristalis tenax2025Eristalis tenaxEristalis tenax2025Cercopis vulnerataCercopis vulnerata2025Cercopis vulnerataCercopis vulnerata2025Red-headed Cardinal BeetlePyrochroa serraticornis2025Red-headed Cardinal BeetlePyrochroa serraticornis2025Malvapion malvaeMalvapion malvae2025Malvapion malvaeMalvapion malvae2025Trichochermes walkeriTrichochermes walkeri2024Trichochermes walkeriTrichochermes walkeri2024Zig-zag Elm SawflyAproceros leucopoda2024Zig-zag Elm SawflyAproceros leucopoda2024Alder Disc-minerHeterarthrus vagans2024Alder Disc-minerHeterarthrus vagans2024Glow-wormLampyris noctiluca2024Glow-wormLampyris noctiluca2024Rhamphus oxyacanthaeRhamphus oxyacanthae2024Rhamphus oxyacanthaeRhamphus oxyacanthae2024Xanthogramma pedissequumXanthogramma pedissequum2024Xanthogramma pedissequumXanthogramma pedissequum2024Face FlyMusca autumnalis2024Face FlyMusca autumnalis2024Broad CenturionChloromyia formosa2024Broad CenturionChloromyia formosa202410-spot LadybirdAdalia decempunctata202410-spot LadybirdAdalia decempunctata2024Limonia nubeculosaLimonia nubeculosa2024Limonia nubeculosaLimonia nubeculosa2024Woolly Apple AphidEriosoma lanigerum2024Woolly Apple AphidEriosoma lanigerum2024