Chestnut Wood ✦ Ancient woodland 1 ha
Plan your visit
🦉 Wildlife🦅 Birds🍄 Fungi
Free entry Dogs welcome 1 ha
Places › England › South East › Maidstone Getting here
51.32660, 0.66338
Open directionsv Visiting this summer
Seasonal nature notes and what to look for now
▾ 🌞 Midsummer — early morning visits most comfortable; look for deer fawns in quieter clearings 🍄 Mushroom foraging is at its best in summer here 🐕 Dogs welcome — bring water in summer; the site has enough space to find shade on hot days 🌤️ Visiting this summer
🌞 Midsummer — early morning visits most comfortable; look for deer fawns in quieter clearings 🍄 Mushroom foraging is at its best in summer here 🐕 Dogs welcome — bring water in summer; the site has enough space to find shade on hot days £ Free to visit — no entry charge🐕 Dogs welcome🌿 Ancient woodland — rare wildlife habitat🦉 Wildlife
Very strong match
Multi-group wildlife — Birds, Mammals, Reptiles; Multi-group wildlife — Birds, Mammals, Reptiles
Free
🦅 Bird watching
Very strong match
Birds — Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Magpie +73 more · last seen 2024; Birds — Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Magpie +73 more · last seen 2024
Free
🍄 Mushroom foraging
Strong match
Fungi — Lecanora expallens, Phaeophyscia orbicularis, Punctelia jeckeri +32 more · last seen 2014; Fungi — Lecanora expallens, Phaeophyscia orbicularis, Punctelia jeckeri +32 more · last seen 2014
Varies
🍂 Seasonal nature
Strong match
Plants — Bluebell, Bramble, Neat Feather-moss +20 more · last seen 2018; Plants — Bluebell, Bramble, Neat Feather-moss +20 more · last seen 2018
Free
🦋 Insect spotting
Strong match
Insects — Small White, Meadow Brown, Stag Beetle +43 more · last seen 2024; Insects — Small White, Meadow Brown, Stag Beetle +43 more · last seen 2024
Free
Deciduous woodland — fungi, berries and wild garlic
Varies
Trails nearby Within roughly 5 km 8 signed routes nearby
Signed route nearby
Saxon Shore Way Walking route 262 km ▾
Named route Length 262 km Regional walking route
Show on map Augustine Camino Walking route ▾
Named route Regional walking route
Show on map Oftord to Canterbury Cathedral Walking route ▾
follows North Downs Way from Otford to Broughton Lees
Named route Regional walking route
Show on map North Downs Way (Eastern) Walking route ▾
Named route National walking route
Show on map North Downs Way Link Path Walking route ▾
46 signed routes nearby
Signed route nearby
NCN National Route 1 Cycling route ▾
Named route Ref 1 National Cycle Network
Show on map NCN National Route 17 Cycling route ▾
Named route Ref 17 National Cycle Network
Show on map NCN National Route 174 Cycling route ▾
Named route Ref 174 National Cycle Network
Show on map Gillingham<>Rainham Cycle Path Cycling route ▾
Named route Local cycle route
Show on map Main Route Cycling route 460 m ▾
Named route Ref 1 Length 460 m National Cycle Network On-road Surface asphalt
Show on map Main Route Cycling route 209 m ▾
Named route Ref 1 Length 209 m National Cycle Network On-road Surface asphalt
Show on map ✦ Ancient woodland — continuously wooded since at least 1600 AD. A rare and irreplaceable habitat, rich in biodiversity and historical character.
Photos A249/westbound M2 slip roads
‹ ›
Weather for this location Next 14 days Nearby places Useful places within 5 km
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id: 70f6aaf2-5a25-4bf4-9630-348228f7e8c6
UK green spaces mapped from open public data — so anyone can find the woodland, trail, or nature reserve closest to them.
© 2026 Glade · Made with care for UK green spaces
Wildlife to spot
6,252 records · National Biodiversity Network
▾
Wildlife to spot 6,252 records · National Biodiversity Network Woodpigeon · Magpie · Jackdaw · Starling · Green Woodpecker +41
Woodpigeon Columba palumbus2023 Magpie Pica pica Jackdaw Coloeus monedula Starling Sturnus vulgaris Green Woodpecker Picus viridis2023 Rook Corvus frugilegus House Sparrow Passer domesticus2023 Carrion Crow Corvus corone2023 Jay Garrulus glandarius2023 Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus2023 Robin Erithacus rubecula2019 Song Thrush Turdus philomelos2019 Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs2019 Great Tit Parus major2019 Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus2019 Redwing Turdus iliacus2019 Swift Apus apus Kestrel Falco tinnunculus Herring Gull Larus argentatus2023 Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis2023 Blackbird Turdus merula2019 Dunnock Prunella modularis2019 Rock Dove Columba livia2019 Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus2019 Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto2019 Coal Tit Periparus ater2019 Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula2019 Greenfinch Chloris chloris2019 Little Egret Egretta garzetta Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita2023 Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla2023 Little Gull Hydrocoloeus minutus2023 Anas platyrhynchos x Anas platyrhynchos x2023 Fieldfare Turdus pilaris2019 Wren Troglodytes troglodytes2019 Red-legged Partridge Alectoris rufa2019 Goldcrest Regulus regulus2019 Common Gull Larus canus2019 Skylark Alauda arvensis2019 Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus2019 Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba yarrellii2019 Barn Owl Tyto alba2019 Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis2019 Stock Dove Columba oenas2019 Brambling Fringilla montifringilla2019 Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major2019 🦌 Mammals 7 species
spring summer autumn
2026 ▾
Red Fox · Badger · Hedgehog · Grey Squirrel · Stoat +2
Red Fox Vulpes vulpes2025 Badger Meles meles Hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus2025 Grey Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis2020 Stoat Mustela erminea2024 Small White · Stag Beetle · Gatekeeper · Comma · Glow-worm +15
Small White Pieris rapae2019 Stag Beetle Lucanus cervus2022 Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus2019 Comma Polygonia c-album2019 Glow-worm Lampyris noctiluca Ivy Bee Colletes hederae2020 Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas
Wildlife to spot 6,252 records · National Biodiversity Network Woodpigeon · Magpie · Jackdaw · Starling · Green Woodpecker +41
Woodpigeon Columba palumbus2023 Magpie Pica pica Jackdaw Coloeus monedula Starling Sturnus vulgaris Green Woodpecker Picus viridis2023 Rook Corvus frugilegus House Sparrow Passer domesticus2023 Carrion Crow Corvus corone2023 Jay Garrulus glandarius2023 Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus2023 Robin Erithacus rubecula2019 Song Thrush Turdus philomelos2019 Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs2019 Great Tit Parus major2019 Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus2019 Redwing Turdus iliacus2019 Swift Apus apus Kestrel Falco tinnunculus Herring Gull Larus argentatus2023 Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis2023 Blackbird Turdus merula2019 Dunnock Prunella modularis2019 Rock Dove Columba livia2019 Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus2019 Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto2019 Coal Tit Periparus ater2019 Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula2019 Greenfinch Chloris chloris2019 Little Egret Egretta garzetta Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita2023 Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla2023 Little Gull Hydrocoloeus minutus2023 Anas platyrhynchos x Anas platyrhynchos x2023 Fieldfare Turdus pilaris2019 Wren Troglodytes troglodytes2019 Red-legged Partridge Alectoris rufa2019 Goldcrest Regulus regulus2019 Common Gull Larus canus2019 Skylark Alauda arvensis2019 Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus2019 Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba yarrellii2019 Barn Owl Tyto alba2019 Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis2019 Stock Dove Columba oenas2019 Brambling Fringilla montifringilla2019 Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major2019 🦌 Mammals 7 species
spring summer autumn
2026 ▾
Red Fox · Badger · Hedgehog · Grey Squirrel · Stoat +2
Red Fox Vulpes vulpes2025 Badger Meles meles Hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus2025 Grey Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis2020 Stoat Mustela erminea2024 Small White · Stag Beetle · Gatekeeper · Comma · Glow-worm +15
Small White Pieris rapae2019 Stag Beetle Lucanus cervus2022 Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus2019 Comma Polygonia c-album2019 Glow-worm Lampyris noctiluca Ivy Bee Colletes hederae2020 Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas
Brown Rat
Brown Rat
Rattus norvegicus2022
Rattus norvegicus2022
Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus2019
Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus2019
Painted Lady Vanessa cardui2019
Painted Lady Vanessa cardui2019
Large White Pieris brassicae2019
Large White Pieris brassicae2019
Green-veined White Pieris napi2019
Green-veined White Pieris napi2019
Peacock Aglais io2019
Peacock Aglais io2019
Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria2019
Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria2019
Small Tortoiseshell Aglais urticae2019
Small Tortoiseshell Aglais urticae2019
Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina2019
Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina2019
Orange-tip Anthocharis cardamines2019
Orange-tip Anthocharis cardamines2019
Black-headed Cardinal Beetle Pyrochroa coccinea
Black-headed Cardinal Beetle Pyrochroa coccinea
Holly Blue Celastrina argiolus2019
Holly Blue Celastrina argiolus2019
Brown Argus Aricia agestis2019
Brown Argus Aricia agestis2019
Common Blue Polyommatus icarus2019
Common Blue Polyommatus icarus2019
Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta2019
Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta2019
Common Cockchafer Melolontha melolontha2019
Common Cockchafer Melolontha melolontha2019 Events & activities nearby Switch provider to compare local events, tours and bookable activities.
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