Nashenden Down

Created from an enormous arable field in 2009, this nature reserve is building an impressive species list as it matures into a vital part of the Medway smile living landscape.

Opening times: open at all times.
Best time to visit: May to October for the farmland birds such as skylarks and linnets and bees, dragonflies, and wildflowers.

  • Dog walking

  • No facilities

Size: 55 Hectares.

Parking Information: Parking is on the roadside in Nashenden Farm Lane before the hamlet of Nashenden. Please do not drive up the bridleway/private road through the hamlet.

Walking Trails: Visitors can enter the reserve by crossing the rail bridge. Marked paths lead from the North Downs Way onto the circular route. Please be aware there are no shortcuts. The whole circuit is approximately 3.5km and takes about two hours to stroll around. The permissive bridle route entrance is approximately 500m further south of the pedestrian entrance.

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Dogs: Dogs permitted on leads. Dog bins are situated on Nashenden Farm Lane. 

Grazing Animals: Sheep graze most of the year round, occasionally cattle but there is no public access to the fields where livestock graze.

There are medium mobility kissing gates, off the North Downs Way into shoulder of Mutton wood. Within the woods the paths are criss crossed with tree roots. At the exit from Shoulder of mutton into the southern edge of Nashenden Down a steep unsurfaced path leads to a horse stile. There are bridle gates at the eastern end with no horse stiles. The ground is unsurfaced, being compacted and establishing a grass layer. It is level in places, steep in others.

About the Reserve

Just a couple of minutes from the hustle and bustle of the Medway towns lie huge rolling fields of wildflowers. Sheep grazed meadows filled with Bird’s-foot trefoil and small scabious attract butterflies and bumblebees whilst the scrubby corners are filled with song birds including the occasional nightingale.

This is a place of contrasts. The wide open spaces, with far reaching views can feel exhilarating and windswept; then you turn the corner, descend the slope and find yourself in a sheltered sunny nook. You feel like you are miles away from anywhere in the stillness and the quiet until you turn the corner once more in time to see the high-speed train zipping past and hear the dull roar of the motorway once more.

Contact Us

If you need to get in touch regarding Nashenden Down, for any reason, please contact:

Rob Pennington
Contact number: 01622 662012
Contact email: Robert.Pennington@kentwildlife.org.uk

Environmental designation

  • Area of Outstanding Beauty (AONB)