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Welcome to Heaths Countryside Corridor!
Welcome to the HCC website. Have a look around!

Heaths Countryside Corridor is a local community project that relies on local interest and management. It was born out of a desire to provide places for local people to go and for wildlife to thrive and the group now owns three sites in the Lenham Heath and Charing Heath area. We hope that the local community enjoys visiting our three sites and being involved in the various activites and events we organise each year.

The objects of the Heaths Countryside Corridor are "to conserve and enhance, for the benefit of the public, the natural beauty and habitats of the Greensand belt area around Charing and Lenham and to educate the public in all matters relating to the natural and physical environment and its conservation and protection".

Get Involved!

If you'd like to find out more or help out with any of our activities including archeological digs, guided walks, wildlife events, crafts, site management, training courses, behind the scenes organisation and more, please contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

Latest News

 
Bull Heath, a Sand Pit, a Lichen Heath, a Sanctuary for Wildlife

Bull Heath, a site owned and managed by the Heaths Countryside Corridor (HCC) is a disused sand quarry. The remnant quarry has left a bowl in the landscape that has flourished as a sanctuary for wildlife.  The HCC proudly maintains the site and its rich diversity including lichen, pyramidal orchid and a wealth of specialist acid loving plants.

Sandmartins, the smallest member of the Hirundinidae family (swallows and martins) have been seen living in the sheer sand cliffs on the site. This summer migrant burrows into fresh cliff faces to lay their eggs. In conjunction with a clear cliff face, this species needs to eat a large number of insects to survive. The presence of a pond at Bull Heath increases the number and range of insects available to the birds and enables the species to breed successfully.

scrubby_pond_bull_heath_010A natural process called succession takes place in the quarry. Succession is the gradual formation of a climax community of plants. In this instance, woodland including alder and silver birch are establishing across the site. This process is impeding on the sites true value as an open lichen heath with low ground cover and open cliff faces for the sandmartin, solitary bees and other reptiles. Volunteers from the Kentish Stour Countryside Partnership (KSCP) have been working with the HCC to remove areas of woody growth in an effort to maintin the high biodiversity value of the site.

KSCP volunteers cleared the pond area of all alder and silver birch growth, creating a vast open space for sandmartins to hunt for insects on the wing.

Other work included scrub clearance and management of an open glade behind the pond. Removing the vigorous growth of trees and scrub encourages an attractive array of flowers including white campion, vipers bugloss and common stork’s-bill to establish.

Managing the site in this way, with conservation volunteers, mirrors the effect that browsing animals such as goats would have on the site. open_pond_bull_heath_026Maintaining low vegetation and thus increasing floral diversity creates a honey-pot of pollen and nectar sources for butterflies, moths and insects.

Bull Heath is an idyllic spot and well worth a visit. If you would like more information on the HCC sites and where to find them click here.

If you are interested in conservation and would like to accompany the KSCP on some conservation tasks in the Ashford are please contact the KSCP on 01233 813307 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

Heaths Countryside Corridore

Charity No: 1097080 Company No: 4504311

This project has been made possible by the enormous help of the Rail Link Countryside Initiative (David Standen), Mid-Kent Downs Project (Sally Evans, Mike Phillips), Kentish Stour Countryside Project (Debbie Adams) and Kent Wildlife Trust (Neil Coombes) to whom we are very grateful.

 


Mid Kent Downs Countryside Partnership KSCP KWT Kent Downs
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MBC Ashford Borough Council
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KCC

Our Supporters

We are particularly grateful to the following supporters of the Heaths Countryside Corridor. If you’d like a link to your company to appear here, become a Corporate Member of HCC!

AJ & NM Carr Ltd (Coach company)
Pivington Mill, Pluckley, Tel: 01233 840651

CL2 (Hairdresser)
Cranbrook, 01580 715456, enquiries@cl2.co.uk, www.cl2.co.uk

Grafty Green Gardening Club

JKW Alexander Ltd (local farm)
Sandway, 01622 858348, kennethalexander@btconnect.com

Lenham Ironmongers Ltd (Household Stores)
Lenham, 01622 858286

Sharen Cain (certified accountant)
Lenham Heath, 01622 851851, sharen.cain@btconnect.com

The White Horse (Traditional Brithish & Authentic Mexican Cuisine)
Sandway, 01622 859511,  www.the-white-horse.com

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