The Ashford Green Corridor web site map shows the various parts of Ashford that make up the corridor.
Aylesford Green Aylesford Green is an attractive area for informal recreation. The site has a variety of habitats including a wide margin of long vegetation by the
Aylesford Stream that forms an important habitat for invertebrates. A small wooded area dominated by ash and alder borders
Boys Hall Road.
Wood mice have been recorded in this area and
long-tailed tits are often seen perching in
ash trees, particularly in winter. Pollarded willows by the Aylesford Stream provide an attractive area adjacent to
Bentley Road. The site is linked to South
Willesborough by a pedestrian bridge over
High Speed 1 onto
Newtown Road.
Banded demoiselle and
common blue damselfly have been recorded at the site.
Bowen's Field '''Bowen's Field''' is an informal recreation area, adjacent to the
Great Stour. It is thought that this site was one of the last areas to be farmed in Ashford, it belonged to a local livestock trader called Mr Sidney Herbert Bowen, died 1971 and he is commemorated on a plaque at the entrance to the site from
Victoria Park. This area was also adjacent to the town’s lido (outdoor swimming pool) which was built in 1867 and was at the time the largest in Britain. The site is now a flood storage area consisting of damp grassland, with a large pond where
banded demoiselle,
blue-tailed damselfly,
azure damselfly,
smooth newt, and
common frog have been recorded.
Boys Hall The site has good views of the
North Downs in one direction and the town of Ashford in the other as well as Boys Hall, the house that gives the site its name. The site is characterised by
oak and
hazel as well as other mature tree species. A variety of dragonflies and damselflies have been seen at the site including
emperor dragonfly,
ruddy darter and
blue-tailed damselfly. There is a pedestrian bridge over
High Speed 1, linking this site with
Boys Hall Moat. Adjacent to the bridge is an area of
reedbed. On the
Church Road side of Boys Hall, the site is more formal with mature trees such as
turkey oak, providing a pleasant buffer zone between housing and the Southern Orbital road.
Boys Hall Moat A
Scheduled Ancient Monument dating from the 13th century. The area consists of a
moated island that would have been the site of a dwelling in the past. Mature trees are present on the island that form roost sites for common bird species. The topography of the ground is complex, suggesting extensive earthworks have taken place in the past. The site essentially has an open character although there are areas of scrub.
Buxford Meadow Buxford Meadow is adjacent to the Great Stour and a millstream for Buxford Mill flows through it. The site consists of a
wet meadow with
white willow,
crack willow and
goat willow. In the middle of the meadow there is a pond whose margins consist predominantly of reedmace, the pond supports a diverse array of wildlife including
common frogs,
toads and
smooth newts. Twelve species of dragonfly have been recorded at the site (25% of all UK species) and 54 moth species including the nationally notable
Webb's wainscot, whose caterpillars develop in reedmace. The site is also ideal for small mammals -
field vole and
pygmy shrew have been recorded in the grassland and
woodmouse and
bank vole in the woodland. There is an area of wet woodland incorporating
ash,
alder,
English oak and grey willow trees. The wet glades support large areas of
water mint. The
Stour Valley Walk passes through the wood leading to
Great Chart and beyond.
Bybrook Cemetery Contains many mature trees and a plantation of memorial trees called 'Cherry Garden Wood'.
Church Road Playing Field Church Road playing field is a very self-contained site on the borders of
Willesborough and
Sevington. It is a peaceful park with a play area.
Civic Centre North Park The confluence of the
East Stour and
Great Stour is at Pledge’s
Mill which stands at the northern end of the park. It is thought that there has been a mill on this part of the river from 1086 (a mill was recorded on this site at the time of the
Domesday Book). The main features of the park are the pollarded willows, an important habitat for a range of
invertebrate species.
Civic Centre South Park The
Local Nature Reserve includes the riverside area at Civic Centre Park South. Although this is a busy thoroughfare and close to the
skate park, a survey has shown that Water Voles are present in this part of the East Stour. The bridge over the river is a good viewpoint where
moorhens and
grey wagtails can be spotted.
Gashouse Fields This area, positioned between South
Willesborough and Newtown, includes some good riverside habitats and an area of woodland called 'The Spinney', with public access.
Godinton On the outskirts of Ashford, this historic parkland can be enjoyed by following the
Greensand Way or the Stour Valley Walk.
Godinton House also has its own trail around its fabulous grounds. The parkland contains a huge variety of unspoilt habitats all supporting a diversity of wildlife. It is because of this that
Godinton Park has been designated an
SNCI. The old parkland trees and pockets of woodland throughout the grounds provide good habitat for nesting birds such as the
lesser spotted woodpecker. The river is home to the
white clawed crayfish and
kingfishers are known to fly along this stretch of water.
Great Chart Great Chart is a village on the western outskirts of Ashford. Great Chart north is a small parcel of land adjacent to the Ashford Rifle Club and the East Stour.
Great Chart Wood This is a new 23,000 square metre woodland, planted and managed by the
Woodland Trust. The land at
Great Chart was purchased in 2000 as one of the Woodland Trust's "Woods on your Doorstep project", to create a new community woodland close to Ashford. The wood was planted using native species, to provide a valuable area for public recreation and wildlife. The land was given to The Woodland Trust by
Ashford Borough Council and the woodland was planted in November 2000 with help from local people. Species of trees and shrubs planted included
oak,
ash,
rowan and
hornbeam. Prior to planting, an
archaeological survey revealed a number of earthworks of historical interest, which have been left as found and incorporated into the ride network as unplanted land .
Little Burton There is access here alongside the river and into an open space next to the
Little Burton housing estate. River habitats are good and there are many mature trees, including the species of willow used for making cricket bats, which is sometimes called the
cricket bat willow. Woodland has been planted near the estate, and a large pond created. There is also an interesting wetland area near the railway. Access is good, via a network of paths. As recently as 1992, this land was farmed - there was a large
orchard where the houses now stand.
Newtown Green Newtown Green consists of open areas of green space for informal recreation and organised sports. Mature trees form the perimeter of the site and the
Aylesford Stream runs along the edge.
Ruddy darter,
banded demoiselle,
blue-tailed damselfly and
common blue damselfly have been recorded at the site.
Queen Mother's Park It is a useful link for both pedestrians and cyclists from Bybrook and
Kennington to the town centre and also beyond to the rest of the
Green Corridor. The banks of the Great Stour here have wide margins of riverside vegetation and in places blocks of mature native trees. There is a small woodland garden at the northern end, where
European green woodpeckers can be heard. In the past this land was probably sheep pasture - an 1876
Ordnance Survey map shows sheepfolds on the site. A darker side to the site’s history is illustrated at its entrance off the
Hythe Road where a plaque commemorates the
martyrs of the 16th century that were persecuted for their religious beliefs.
South Willesborough Dykes On the west bank of the East Stour river is an area of sheep fields drained by dykes, the area is designated as the
South Willesborough Dykes Site of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI).
Sevington The community of
Sevington was cut off from its church by the building of the Southern Orbital road. Despite this, the church and Court Lodge Farm present quite a rural scene, and the fields nearby make for pleasant walking on public footpaths, with some wildlife interest in the form of ditches and hedgerows. Heading east, the charming village of
Mersham is only a mile away.
Singleton Lake Singleton Lake is a man–made fishing lake, it has areas of
willow and
alder around its perimeter as well as small areas of
reedbed. At night
Daubenton's bat can be seen flying over the water. There are 2 sculptures by
Antony Gormley (creator of the
Angel of the North sculpture) and a stretch of boardwalk. Singleton Lake supports a variety of common bird species, as well as birds that are unlikely to be seen elsewhere in the Green Corridor including
great crested grebe and
reed warbler. Two damselfly species have been recorded at the site,
common blue damselfly and
blue-tailed damselfly. Singleton Lake has parking, picnic areas and good links to the rest of the Green Corridor and wider countryside in the
Great Chart area.
Swanton There is a good network of footpaths in this area, allowing you to explore an interesting area with many ditches, wet fields and some damp pasture. At Swanton Court, the
mediaeval moat can be seen from public footpaths. Swanton Mill used to be open to the public, but unfortunately has now closed. It can still be viewed from footpaths passing close-by. The bird life of this area reflects the abundance of water and includes
teal and
heron.
Victoria Park Victoria Park is a formal park with mature ornamental trees, and a small area of woodland. Some of the trees were planted in the early part of the 20th century to commemorate local townspeople and members of the royal family. A local art dealer donated the large fountain in one corner of the park to the town of Ashford. It was originally designed for the Great Exhibition and resided on the
Olantigh Estate at
Wye. There is a small pond at the bottom of the park surrounded by a rocky garden.
The Warren The woodlands, with their
coppice and old oaks, screen the site from man-made intrusions, making it a green haven for the community.
The Warren is also important for wildlife. The acid grasslands are unimproved, and contain plants such as
sheep's sorrel and
bird's foot. They are mown to maintain their value and keep
birch scrub at bay. The ponds are home to
amphibians, aquatic insects and the uncommon
water violet. A wide variety of birds also inhabit the site.
Watercress Fields & Leacon Road Watercress Fields has formal football pitches and a play area as well as areas for informal recreation. It is an important site linking areas in the south of Ashford to the town centre and other parts of the Green Corridor. The river has a natural profile with many meanders, and wide margins of vegetation that support riverside species such as
cuckoo flower and
alder (some of the alders have succumbed to a disease – however dead wood is a good habitat for
invertebrates). The river itself supports Water Voles, having sufficient food resources and bankside cover. The rest of the park has an open character that is interspersed with woodland gardens and areas of long grass that are important habitats for bird species and invertebrates. In the past it is thought that
watercress may have been grown on the site. Further along the river at
Leacon Road there are some riverside sculptures of aquatic wildlife and an old fording point that once linked this area with
Beaver Lane. Willesborough Lees The
Willesborough Lees is an area of
wetland,
pasture, rough
grassland,
scrub and
woodland, covering nearly near
Willesborough, and is a rich area for wildlife. Scarce plants that can be found include white
sedge, recorded at only two other sites in
Kent. The area is also good for
mosses and
liverworts. Grassland here is also of interest, but in places is becoming invaded with scrub. Uncommon shrubs include
alder buckthorn and eared
willow. ==References==