Marden Meadow

An excellent example of an unimproved hay meadow. Designated as Kent's Coronation Meadow.

Price: Parking – £2.50 for the day, weekdays and weekends.

Opening times: All year round
Best time to visit: April to July for green-winged orchids and wildflowers
RingGo: 32510 | Phone: 02030 460010

  • Parking

Size: 6 hectares.

Bicycle parking: None.

Grazing animals: Sheep and cattle will occasionally be on site.

Walking trails: Paths are relatively flat but can become wet in poor conditions. Please stay on the paths.

Dogs: No dogs permitted.

There are medium mobility kissing gates. The surface is grass, level, smooth. There is some flooding in winter.

About the reserve

This idyllic reserve serves to remind visitors of just how much of this classic English landscape has been lost. It boasts one of the best remaining examples of unimproved hay meadows in Kent. Green-winged orchids are abundant in May and later in the year many daisies, vetches and wild grass are common, along with rarer species such as dyers greenweed and sneezewort.

The landscape of small fields surrounded by hedges with multiple ponds, provides excellent habitat for a range of birds including yellow hammers, swallows, reed warblers and skylarks.

The site is a key donor meadow site and has been part of the Coronation Meadows project, providing local provenance meadow seed to meadow restoration projects in the area. Find out more about the Coronation Meadows project here.

Environmental designation

  • Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)