High Wood ✦ Ancient woodland 29 ha
Plan your visit
🦉 Wildlife🦅 Birds🍂 Seasonal
Public access Free entry Dogs welcome 29 ha
Places › England › South East › Maidstone Getting here
51.26736, 0.65906
Open directionsv Visiting this summer
Seasonal nature notes and what to look for now
▾ ☀️ June — canopy now fully closed, creating cool dappled shade even on warm days 🐕 Early mornings are best for dog walks in summer — visit before 9am to avoid the heat and find quieter trails 📍 Open access throughout summer — no booking required 🌤️ Visiting this summer
☀️ June — canopy now fully closed, creating cool dappled shade even on warm days 🐕 Early mornings are best for dog walks in summer — visit before 9am to avoid the heat and find quieter trails 📍 Open access throughout summer — no booking required £ Free to visit — no entry charge🐕 Dogs welcome🌿 Ancient woodland — rare wildlife habitat🦉 Wildlife
Very strong match
Multi-group wildlife — Amphibians, Birds, Mammals, Reptiles; Multi-group wildlife — Amphibians, Birds, Mammals, Reptiles
Free
🦅 Bird watching
Very strong match
Birds — Mediterranean Gull, Peregrine, Woodpigeon +52 more · last seen 2025; Birds — Mediterranean Gull, Peregrine, Woodpigeon +52 more · last seen 2025
Free
🍂 Seasonal nature
Strong match
Ancient woodland — bluebells, fungi and autumn colour; Plants — Bluebell, Hyacinthoides, Eyebright · last seen 2018
Free
🦋 Insect spotting
Strong match
Chalk and limestone grassland — chalkhill blue, adonis blue and rare moths; Insects — Large White, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper +248 more · last seen 2025
Free
Dogs allowed — public woodland
Free
Deciduous woodland — fungi, berries and wild garlic
Varies
Trails nearby Within roughly 5 km 11 signed routes nearby
Signed route nearby
Stour Valley Walk Walking route ▾
Named route Listed length 82.9 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 Scenic Green Trail Section 7 Walking route 13.6 km ▾
Named route Ref SGT7 Length 13.6 km Local walking route
Show on map North Downs Way (Eastern) Walking route ▾
Named route National walking route
Show on map 15 signed routes nearby
Signed route nearby
NCN National Route 177 (Proposed) Cycling route ▾
Named route Ref 177 National Cycle Network
Show on map NCN National Route 17 Cycling route ▾
Named route Ref 17 National Cycle Network
Show on map Main Route Cycling route 321 m ▾
Named route Ref 17 Length 321 m National Cycle Network Traffic-free Surface asphalt
Show on map Main Route Cycling route 2.8 km ▾
Named route Ref 17 Length 2.8 km National Cycle Network Traffic-free Surface unsealedfirm
Show on map Main Route Cycling route 525 m ▾
Named route Ref 17 Length 525 m National Cycle Network Traffic-free Surface unsealedfirm
Show on map Main Route Cycling route 5 m ▾
Named route Ref 17 Length 5 m National Cycle Network Traffic-free Surface asphalt
Show on map 5 public paths nearby
Public paths
No named routes yet. Public paths are shown on the map.
✦ Ancient woodland — continuously wooded since at least 1600 AD. A rare and irreplaceable habitat, rich in biodiversity and historical character.
Weather for this location Next 14 days Nearby places Useful places within 5 km
All Historic
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id: 5500a31a-9d21-49e2-a695-f44d2f74c767
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
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Bookable tours Wildlife to spot
3,324 records · National Biodiversity Network
▾
Wildlife to spot 3,324 records · National Biodiversity Network Peregrine · Mediterranean Gull · Barn Owl · Turtle Dove · Swift +24
Peregrine Falco peregrinus Mediterranean Gull Ichthyaetus melanocephalus Barn Owl Tyto alba2023 Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur Swift Apus apus2021 Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos Woodpigeon Columba palumbus2023 Blackbird Turdus merula2022 Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus2022 Green Woodpecker Picus viridis2022 Kestrel Falco tinnunculus2022 Robin Erithacus rubecula2022 Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus2022 Great Tit Parus major2022 Jackdaw Coloeus monedula2022 Magpie Pica pica2022 Wren Troglodytes troglodytes2022 Tyto alba alba Tyto alba alba2019 Hobby Falco subbuteo2023 Stock Dove Columba oenas2023 Raven Corvus corax2023 Waxwing Bombycilla garrulus2023 Moorhen Gallinula chloropus2022 Coot Fulica atra2022 Quail Coturnix coturnix2022 Carrion Crow Corvus corone2022 Pheasant Phasianus colchicus2022 Skylark Alauda arvensis2022 Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita2022 🦌 Mammals 9 species
summer autumn winter
2025 ▾
Red Fox · Badger · Common Pipistrelle · Brown Hare · Wood Mouse +4
Red Fox Vulpes vulpes2021 Badger Meles meles2023 Common Pipistrelle Pipistrellus pipistrellus2024 Brown Hare Lepus europaeus Wood Mouse Apodemus sylvaticus2023 Grass Snake · Common Lizard
Grass Snake Natrix helvetica Common Lizard Zootoca vivipara Gatekeeper · Meadow Brown · Large White · Painted Lady · Common Blue +27
Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus2019 Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina2019 Large White Pieris brassicae2019 Painted Lady Vanessa cardui2019 Common Blue Polyommatus icarus2019 Field Grasshopper Chorthippus brunneus Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas
Wildlife to spot 3,324 records · National Biodiversity Network Peregrine · Mediterranean Gull · Barn Owl · Turtle Dove · Swift +24
Peregrine Falco peregrinus Mediterranean Gull Ichthyaetus melanocephalus Barn Owl Tyto alba2023 Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur Swift Apus apus2021 Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos Woodpigeon Columba palumbus2023 Blackbird Turdus merula2022 Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus2022 Green Woodpecker Picus viridis2022 Kestrel Falco tinnunculus2022 Robin Erithacus rubecula2022 Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus2022 Great Tit Parus major2022 Jackdaw Coloeus monedula2022 Magpie Pica pica2022 Wren Troglodytes troglodytes2022 Tyto alba alba Tyto alba alba2019 Hobby Falco subbuteo2023 Stock Dove Columba oenas2023 Raven Corvus corax2023 Waxwing Bombycilla garrulus2023 Moorhen Gallinula chloropus2022 Coot Fulica atra2022 Quail Coturnix coturnix2022 Carrion Crow Corvus corone2022 Pheasant Phasianus colchicus2022 Skylark Alauda arvensis2022 Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita2022 🦌 Mammals 9 species
summer autumn winter
2025 ▾
Red Fox · Badger · Common Pipistrelle · Brown Hare · Wood Mouse +4
Red Fox Vulpes vulpes2021 Badger Meles meles2023 Common Pipistrelle Pipistrellus pipistrellus2024 Brown Hare Lepus europaeus Wood Mouse Apodemus sylvaticus2023 Grass Snake · Common Lizard
Grass Snake Natrix helvetica Common Lizard Zootoca vivipara Gatekeeper · Meadow Brown · Large White · Painted Lady · Common Blue +27
Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus2019 Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina2019 Large White Pieris brassicae2019 Painted Lady Vanessa cardui2019 Common Blue Polyommatus icarus2019 Field Grasshopper Chorthippus brunneus Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas
Hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus2019
Hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus2019
Hazel Dormouse Muscardinus avellanarius2024
Hazel Dormouse Muscardinus avellanarius2024
Bat Chiroptera2021
Bat Chiroptera2021
Soprano Pipistrelle Pipistrellus pygmaeus2021
Soprano Pipistrelle Pipistrellus pygmaeus2021
Roesel's Bush-cricket Roeseliana roeselii
Roesel's Bush-cricket Roeseliana roeselii
Meadow Grasshopper Pseudochorthippus parallelus
Meadow Grasshopper Pseudochorthippus parallelus
Small White Pieris rapae2019
Small White Pieris rapae2019
Chalk Hill Blue Polyommatus coridon2019
Chalk Hill Blue Polyommatus coridon2019
Green-veined White Pieris napi2019
Green-veined White Pieris napi2019
Purple Emperor Apatura iris2019
Purple Emperor Apatura iris2019
Long-winged Cone-head Conocephalus fuscus
Long-winged Cone-head Conocephalus fuscus
Speckled Bush-cricket Leptophyes punctatissima
Speckled Bush-cricket Leptophyes punctatissima
Dark Bush-cricket Pholidoptera griseoaptera
Dark Bush-cricket Pholidoptera griseoaptera
Brown Argus Aricia agestis2019
Brown Argus Aricia agestis2019
Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus2019
Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus2019
Comma Polygonia c-album2019
Comma Polygonia c-album2019
Peacock Aglais io2019
Peacock Aglais io2019
Stripe-winged Grasshopper Stenobothrus lineatus
Stripe-winged Grasshopper Stenobothrus lineatus
Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum2022
Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum2022
Common Green Grasshopper Omocestus viridulus2022
Common Green Grasshopper Omocestus viridulus2022
Lesser Stag Beetle Dorcus parallelipipedus2021
Lesser Stag Beetle Dorcus parallelipipedus2021
7-spot Ladybird Coccinella septempunctata2021
7-spot Ladybird Coccinella septempunctata2021
Early Bumblebee Bombus pratorum2021
Early Bumblebee Bombus pratorum2021
Hornet Vespa crabro2020
Hornet Vespa crabro2020
Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas2019
Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas2019
Small Heath Coenonympha pamphilus2019
Small Heath Coenonympha pamphilus2019
Small Tortoiseshell Aglais urticae2019
Small Tortoiseshell Aglais urticae2019
Straw Belle Aspitates gilvaria2019
Straw Belle Aspitates gilvaria2019
Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni2019
Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni2019
Marbled White Melanargia galathea2019
Marbled White Melanargia galathea2019 