About the reserve
This picturesque reserve renowned for its rare orchid varieties consists of seven hectares of ancient chalk grassland with scrub and fringing woodland on the east side of a dry valley.
It has attracted many feeding and breeding birds, including green and great-spotted woodpeckers amongst many others. The site is good for adder, common lizard and slow worm. It has a rich flora, including cowslip, primrose, violet, marjoram and salad burnet. It is also rich in orchids such as early-purple, common-spotted, pyramidal, green-veined, bee and monkey.
Volunteering
Volunteer work parties take place at Park Gate Down on Fridays undertaking habitat management. Be aware that essential management can sometimes be noisy and if you are concerned it may disturb your visit consider visiting on a different day. If you would like to get involved, please visit our volunteering page.
Contact Us
If you need to get in touch regarding Park Gate Down, for any reason, please contact:
Karen Weeks
Contact number: 01622 662012
Contact email: karen.weeks@kentwildlife.org.uk