Southdown Wood ✦ Ancient woodland 1 ha
Plan your visit
🦉 Wildlife🦅 Birds🍂 Seasonal
Free entry Dogs welcome 1 ha
Places › England › South East › Gravesham Getting here
51.38883, 0.34800
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 🌿 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 🌿 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, Robin +58 more · last seen 2026; Birds — Woodpigeon, Blackbird, Robin +58 more · last seen 2026
Free
🍂 Seasonal nature
Strong match
Ancient woodland — bluebells, fungi and autumn colour; Plants — Wood Bristle-moss · last seen 2024
Free
🦋 Insect spotting
Strong match
Insects — Common Carder Bee, Stag Beetle, Bumblebee +31 more · last seen 2025; Insects — Common Carder Bee, Stag Beetle, Bumblebee +31 more · last seen 2025
Free
Deciduous woodland — fungi, berries and wild garlic
Varies
Ancient woodland — historic landscape
Free
Trails nearby Within roughly 5 km 8 signed routes nearby
Signed route nearby
Oftord to Canterbury Cathedral Walking route ▾
follows North Downs Way from Otford to Broughton Lees
Named route Regional walking route
Show on map Main Trail, Cobham Mausoleum & Woods Walking route 1.8 km ▾
Named route Length 1.8 km Duration 00:45 Point-to-point Local walking route
Show on map North Downs Way (Eastern) Walking route ▾
Named route National walking route
Show on map 1066 Harold's Way Walking route ▾
Named route Regional walking route
Show on map Purple Circular Walk Walking route ▾
39 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 177 (Proposed) Cycling route ▾
Named route Ref 177 National Cycle Network
Show on map NCN National Route 177 Cycling route ▾
Named route Ref 177 National Cycle Network
Show on map Main Route Cycling route 234 m ▾
Named route Ref 1 Length 234 m National Cycle Network Traffic-free Surface asphalt
Show on map Main Route Cycling route 762 m ▾
Named route Ref 1 Length 762 m National Cycle Network Traffic-free Surface asphalt
Show on map Main Route Cycling route 399 m ▾
Named route Ref 177 Length 399 m National Cycle Network Traffic-free 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 Looking across Cobham Valleys
‹ ›
Weather for this location Next 14 days Nearby places Useful places within 5 km
All Historic
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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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Wildlife to spot
7,001 records · National Biodiversity Network
▾
Wildlife to spot 7,001 records · National Biodiversity Network 🐦 Birds 49 species
winter spring autumn
2026 ▾
Woodpigeon · Blackbird · Robin · Carrion Crow · Magpie +44
Woodpigeon Columba palumbus2025 Blackbird Turdus merula2025 Robin Erithacus rubecula2025 Carrion Crow Corvus corone2025 Magpie Pica pica2025 Great Tit Parus major2025 Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus2025 Wren Troglodytes troglodytes2025 Jackdaw Coloeus monedula2025 Dunnock Prunella modularis2025 Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis2025 Starling Sturnus vulgaris2025 Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs2025 Nuthatch Sitta europaea2025 Song Thrush Turdus philomelos2025 Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major2025 Coal Tit Periparus ater2025 Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus2025 Rook Corvus frugilegus2025 Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita2025 Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla2025 Rock Dove Columba livia2025 House Sparrow Passer domesticus2025 Redwing Turdus iliacus Pheasant Phasianus colchicus2025 Jay Garrulus glandarius2025 Skylark Alauda arvensis2025 Goldcrest Regulus regulus2025 Greenfinch Chloris chloris2025 Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella2024 Common Gull Larus canus2025 Kestrel Falco tinnunculus2025 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea2025 Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus2025 Herring Gull Larus argentatus2025 Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea2025 Raven Corvus corax2025 Linnet Linaria cannabina2025 Green Woodpecker Picus viridis2025 Treecreeper Certhia familiaris2025 Lesser Whitethroat Curruca curruca2025 Garden Warbler Sylvia borin2025 Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus2025 Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus2025 Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto2025 Corn Bunting Emberiza calandra2024 Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula2024 Swift Apus apus2024 Red-legged Partridge Alectoris rufa2024 🦌 Mammals 5 species
summer autumn winter
2025 ▾
Grey Squirrel · Brown Rat · Rabbit · Wood Mouse · Hazel Dormouse
Grey Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis Brown Rat Rattus norvegicus Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus Wood Mouse Apodemus sylvaticus Hazel Dormouse Muscardinus avellanarius Common Lizard
Common Lizard Zootoca vivipara 🐝 Insects 12 species
spring summer
2025 ▾
Stag Beetle · Red-legged Shieldbug · Southern Oak Bush-cricket · Violet Carpenter Bee · Oak Bush-cricket +7
Stag Beetle Lucanus cervus Red-legged Shieldbug Pentatoma rufipes Southern Oak Bush-cricket Meconema meridionale Violet Carpenter Bee Xylocopa violacea2024 Oak Bush-cricket Meconema thalassinum Summer Chafer Amphimallon solstitiale Wood Bristle-moss
Wood Bristle-moss Lewinskya affinis Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas
Wildlife to spot 7,001 records · National Biodiversity Network 🐦 Birds 49 species
winter spring autumn
2026 ▾
Woodpigeon · Blackbird · Robin · Carrion Crow · Magpie +44
Woodpigeon Columba palumbus2025 Blackbird Turdus merula2025 Robin Erithacus rubecula2025 Carrion Crow Corvus corone2025 Magpie Pica pica2025 Great Tit Parus major2025 Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus2025 Wren Troglodytes troglodytes2025 Jackdaw Coloeus monedula2025 Dunnock Prunella modularis2025 Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis2025 Starling Sturnus vulgaris2025 Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs2025 Nuthatch Sitta europaea2025 Song Thrush Turdus philomelos2025 Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major2025 Coal Tit Periparus ater2025 Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus2025 Rook Corvus frugilegus2025 Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita2025 Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla2025 Rock Dove Columba livia2025 House Sparrow Passer domesticus2025 Redwing Turdus iliacus Pheasant Phasianus colchicus2025 Jay Garrulus glandarius2025 Skylark Alauda arvensis2025 Goldcrest Regulus regulus2025 Greenfinch Chloris chloris2025 Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella2024 Common Gull Larus canus2025 Kestrel Falco tinnunculus2025 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea2025 Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus2025 Herring Gull Larus argentatus2025 Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea2025 Raven Corvus corax2025 Linnet Linaria cannabina2025 Green Woodpecker Picus viridis2025 Treecreeper Certhia familiaris2025 Lesser Whitethroat Curruca curruca2025 Garden Warbler Sylvia borin2025 Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus2025 Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus2025 Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto2025 Corn Bunting Emberiza calandra2024 Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula2024 Swift Apus apus2024 Red-legged Partridge Alectoris rufa2024 🦌 Mammals 5 species
summer autumn winter
2025 ▾
Grey Squirrel · Brown Rat · Rabbit · Wood Mouse · Hazel Dormouse
Grey Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis Brown Rat Rattus norvegicus Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus Wood Mouse Apodemus sylvaticus Hazel Dormouse Muscardinus avellanarius Common Lizard
Common Lizard Zootoca vivipara 🐝 Insects 12 species
spring summer
2025 ▾
Stag Beetle · Red-legged Shieldbug · Southern Oak Bush-cricket · Violet Carpenter Bee · Oak Bush-cricket +7
Stag Beetle Lucanus cervus Red-legged Shieldbug Pentatoma rufipes Southern Oak Bush-cricket Meconema meridionale Violet Carpenter Bee Xylocopa violacea2024 Oak Bush-cricket Meconema thalassinum Summer Chafer Amphimallon solstitiale Wood Bristle-moss
Wood Bristle-moss Lewinskya affinis Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas
Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus
Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula
Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula
Speckled Bush-cricket Leptophyes punctatissima2024
Speckled Bush-cricket Leptophyes punctatissima2024
Glow-worm Lampyris noctiluca2024
Glow-worm Lampyris noctiluca2024
Lesser Stag Beetle Dorcus parallelipipedus2024
Lesser Stag Beetle Dorcus parallelipipedus2024
Limnephilus auricula Limnephilus auricula2024
Limnephilus auricula Limnephilus auricula2024 