The Ashford A Wonderful Place How is the Green The Ashford Green Corridor ` for Wildlife Corridor managed? Green Corridor Faversham Nine out of ten people in the UK live in towns Ashford’s rivers are surprisingly natural considering The rivers, riverbanks, trees, orchards, wetland, a and cities, so green spaces in urban areas are very their urban surroundings. Kingfishers, grass snakes meadows, park areas, playing fields, ponds and M20 important as they provide a pleasant, relaxing and the banded demoiselle damselfly can all be hedges of the Green Corridor demand different Canterbury environment for people as well as habitat for seen. Singleton Lake is a habitat for wetland birds kinds of management; management which bal- Kennington wildlife. Ashford is lucky to have a range of green and Buxford Meadow is wet grassland with an ances wildlife conservation with maintaining good, A20 Orchard Bockhanger spaces, including public parks and recreation impressive range of plants, insects and other safe access and space for people to enjoy. Heights grounds, which link together to create a green species. Water voles are present in the Green corridor through the town. Corridor but they are secretive and generally hard Ashford Great Stour to spot! It is because of these habitats so close to A28 Warren Bybrook Bybrook where people live that the Green Corridor has been Godinton Cemetery designated as a Local Nature Reserve. Park Little Burton Conningbrook WHAT IS A LOCAL NATURE RESERVE? Lakes Local councils designate Local Nature Reserves. They are Walk 5 places of interest for their wildlife, offering opportunities for the enjoyment and study of nature through joining in with local events, education and practical management. Ashford Borough Council officially declared the Ashford Green Great Stour Meadow at Frog’s Island Walk 4 Corridor a Local Nature Reserve in December 2002. Queen Givaudan For example, meadows have been created through- A28 Town Mother’s out the Green Corridor, in Watercress Fields, Queen Centre Park Watercress Fields Mothers Park, Little Burton, South Willesborough and Aylesford Green. The most recent addition is at Since the middle of the 19th Century Ashford has Civic Centre South Park. Meadows are wild flower expanded but land close to the East and Great Civic Centre M20 rich grasslands allowed to grow long then cut once Stour Rivers has not been built on due to the risk Walk 3 Parks in late summer removing the cuttings to sustain the A292 of flooding and because the Borough Council meadows. Walk 1 International has protected it as green space. Some of these Great Walk 2 & Domestic Watercress spaces also act as flood storage to help prevent They are excellent habitats for wild flowers and Chart Buxford Singleton Stations Fields Victoria Willesborough flooding to homes and businesses. The resulting animals such as butterflies, birds and small Lake A28 Meadow Park Bowen’s undeveloped ‘fingers’ of land reach right into the mammals. However, plenty of areas are still mown Field Aylesford heart of Ashford collectively forming the Ashford South regularly to provide space for picnics, games and Tenterden Singleton ` Gas House Green Green Corridor. It connects areas, providing both other activities. So if you see large areas of Ashford East Stour Frog’s Fields people and wildlife with routes through the town The Great Stour un-mown grass, this is not neglect, but the Ashford Aylesford Stream near Singleton Island Walk 7 and to the countryside beyond. establishment of meadows! Community Woodland Boys Walk 6 South History Get involved Willesborough Hall Stanhope Ashford Green Corridor South Boys Whitewater Dyke Sevington From the manors of Community groups, schools and individuals all play a role in Local Nature Reserve Willesborough Hall the future of the Ashford Green Corridor. The Kentish Stour Buxford in the west to Other areas in the Green Dykes Moat Countryside Partnership has worked with a number of Boys Hall Moat in the Corridor organisations on projects that introduce new wildlife east, the Green Other greenspaces Corridor is rich in habitats such as orchards, ponds, meadows and hedges. We also support local initiatives that benefit wildlife or improve heritage. Stour Valley Walk Hunt gathering at Boys Hall c1900 an understanding and appreciation of green spaces through National Cycle Route 18 Bilham Dyke Close to the town educational and fun activities. Perhaps your A2042 centre is Victoria Park with its commemorative trees organisation might want to get involved? Other cycle routes WDGP* Park Farm and the Hubert Fountain. Pledges Mill, a former flour WOULD YOU LIKE TO VOLUNTEER? Ruckinge Dyke mill, stands at the confluence of the East and Great We run weekly practical conservation tasks for volunteers Road Kingsnorth Stour rivers and the aptly named Watercress Fields every Wednesday in and around Ashford – come rain or Railway Buffer Zones points to Ashford’s history as a market town dating shine. Work varies from season to season, from tree planting Highspeed 1 A2070 East Stour back many centuries. Several areas were farmed until to hedge laying, meadow mowing and river work. We have a Captain’s pick up point at the Stour Centre and supply all the tools. You Park relatively recently and many living links still remain. 0 1/2 1 mile Wood can keep fit, learn some practical skills and enjoy the Farm company of a great bunch of people. Approximate scale East GIVAUDAN – GREAT STOUR MEADOW * Willesborough Dykes Greenway Path - opens Summer 2014 Brenzett Please contact our office by phone or email if you would like Although not part of the Corridor, Givaudan’s wonderful ` to find out more: Great Stour Meadow is physically connected to it and [email protected] provides a green link to Conningbrook Lakes and the 0300 333 6490 countryside beyond. Formerly a farmers’ field, KSCP www.ashfordgreencorridor.org.uk have worked with Recreation and Access Green Transport & Cycling this proactive Useful contacts - access The Ashford Green Corridor is largely open to everyone Do you use your car for journeys that could be made The Ashford Green Corridor also acts as a gateway to company for 15 Ashford Access Group - 01233 639609 www.ashfordaccessgroup.org.uk to use where practical – see marked areas on the large on foot or by bicycle? If traffic, exhaust fumes and busy and from the countryside and places much further years to transform it Ashford Gateway Plus - 01233 331111 map. The network of paths is popular for strolling, dog streets put you off, why not walk or cycle through the away via Ashford’s domestic and international railway into a great wildlife rough www.ashford.gov.uk/parks-and-open-spaces th walking and for getting around town avoiding the busy Green Corridor. area where native W cle station! al k and cy en spaces roads. The majority of the paths are surfaced providing trees and hedges Useful contacts - cycling re ’s g good access to a range of sites for wheelchairs and A section of National Cycle Route 18, linking Canterbury For further information on cycle routes see contacts on encompass a wild Sustrans - www.sustrans.org.uk Ashford back page. mobility vehicles, but please note that most are shared to Royal Tunbridge Wells, runs through the town centre, flower meadow, Spokes - www.spokeseastkent.org.uk use cycle and footpaths (for more access information, along the Green Corridor from Kennington in the east to ponds and the river. Explore Kent - www.kent.gov.uk/explorekent see contacts on back page). Buxford Meadow in the west. The Willesborough Dykes The company are Published 2014 by Leaflet sponsored by Greenway Path, multi-user route, will soon join Park Farm keen for the area to Many areas in the Green Corridor are places for recreation in the south to the Green Corridor. A number of other be used for or simply for relaxation to get away from the stresses of Ashford districts have smaller cycle routes that connect educational urban living. There are open spaces for games, sports to the corridor. For example if you live in Kennington or purposes otherwise pitches and play areas at many sites. If you are an angler Bockhanger you could walk or cycle into town through it is permitted access you can go fishing at Singleton Lake (licence required). the delightful Queen Mother’s Park, while residents of only. South Ashford can go through the wide open space of National Cycle Route 18 Watercress Fields and Victoria Park on their way to town. at Queen Mother’s Park An early 20th century School visit - river postcard of Victoria Park area was open farmland. They have been cut in the traditional dipping at the ford way, where the whole crown is cut to a height of about two Walks 1,2 & 3 Walk 5 metres. The crown grows back many thin stems which would FORD have once provided a good supply of wood for locals. The VICTORIA WAY South Park Meadow, created in 2014 will provide more valu- Banded demoiselle at Little Burton Walk 5 able and beautiful wildlife habitat. Buxford meadow B Pledges Mill WATERCRESS E COMMUNITY At the top of the site is Pledges Mill. The history of milling here goes back almost 1000 years - The Domesday Book records a Great Stour Walk 3 ORCHARD C HUBERT FOOTBRIDGE mill on this very site in 1086. The existing building dates from D FOUNTAIN Jo Taylor Walk 3 1864 and is one of two large mills once owned by Lawrence Watercress Pledge. Now a night club, the weir of the mill was recently BROOKFIELD ROAD BUXFORD Fields KINNEY’S LANE Wetland area at altered by the Environment Agency to allow fish to travel Walk 1 MILL Walk 2 Little Burton upstream, returning the river back to a more natural state.