Lullingstone Country Park Management Plan 2019-2024
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LULLINGSTONE COUNTRY PARK MANAGEMENT PLAN 2019-2024 Lullingstone Country Park Management Plan 2019-2024 Updated: January 2019 by Tim Bell- Head Ranger LULLINGSTONE COUNTRY PARK 1 LULLINGSTONE COUNTRY PARK MANAGEMENT PLAN 2019-2024 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................ 5 1.1 BACKGROUND INFORMATION ............................................................................................... 5 1.2 VISION FOR THE SITE ............................................................................................................ 7 1.3 CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT ............................................................................................ 7 1.4 HERITAGE MANAGEMENT ..................................................................................................... 8 1.5 VISITOR MANAGEMENT ......................................................................................................... 9 1.6 EDUCATION ........................................................................................................................... 9 1.7 SITE MAINTENANCE .............................................................................................................. 9 1.8 HEALTH AND SAFETY .......................................................................................................... 10 1.9 COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT ................................................................................................ 11 1.10 FINANCIAL OVERVIEW......................................................................................................... 11 2 BACKGROUND INFORMATION ............................................................................................ 13 2.1 LOCATION ............................................................................................................................ 13 2.1.1 Contact Details ......................................................................................... 13 2.1.2 Directions to Site ...................................................................................... 13 2.1.3 Map Coverage .......................................................................................... 13 2.1.4 Photographic Coverage .......................................................................... 13 2.2 MANAGEMENT OF THE SITE ................................................................................................ 14 2.3 VISITORS TO THE SITE ........................................................................................................ 15 2.4 WIDER POLICIES AND STRATEGIES AFFECTING THE SITE ............................................... 15 2.4.1 Introduction ............................................................................................... 15 2.4.2 Statutory Designations ............................................................................ 16 Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) ................................................... 16 2.4.3 Grants ......................................................................................................... 16 2.4.4 Green Flag and South and South-east in Bloom awards .................. 16 2.4.5 Biodiversity Action Plans ........................................................................ 17 2.4.6 Kent County Council Internal Policy ..................................................... 17 3 VISION FOR THE SITE ............................................................................................................ 18 3.1 GENERAL AIMS.................................................................................................................... 18 3.2 CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES .................................................................... 18 3.2.1 Woodland areas ....................................................................................... 18 3.2.2 Grassland areas ...................................................................................... 18 3.2.3 Conservation Management of the Golf Course .................................. 19 3.2.4 Rare and important species ................................................................... 19 3.3 VISITOR SERVICES OBJECTIVES ........................................................................................ 20 4 CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT ........................................................................................ 21 4.1 PHYSICAL ............................................................................................................................ 21 4.2 HABITATS AND VEGETATION COMMUNITIES ...................................................................... 21 4.2.1 Woodland and scrub ............................................................................... 21 4.2.2 Veteran Trees ............................................................................................. 23 4.2.3 Tree diseases- Phytophera and Chalara ...................................................... 23 4.3 FLORA .................................................................................................................................. 23 4.3.1 Vascular plants ........................................................................................ 23 4.3.2 Fungi .......................................................................................................... 24 4.3.3 Lichens ....................................................................................................... 24 4.3.4 Grassland .................................................................................................... 24 4.4 FAUNA .................................................................................................................................. 24 4.4.1 Mammals .................................................................................................. 24 LULLINGSTONE COUNTRY PARK 2 LULLINGSTONE COUNTRY PARK MANAGEMENT PLAN 2019-2024 4.4.2 Reptiles ..................................................................................................... 25 4.4.3 Birds ........................................................................................................... 25 4.4.4 Invertebrates ............................................................................................ 25 4.4.5 Lepidoptera ................................................................................................ 25 4.5 CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT HISTORY .......................................................................... 26 4.6 MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................... 26 4.7 CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT PRESCRIPTIONS AND OPERATIONS ............................... 26 4.8 FEATURES – OBJECTIVES AND ACTIONS ................................................................................... 27 4.8.1 Woodland ................................................................................................... 27 4.8.2 Grassland and Golf course ......................................................................... 33 4.8.3 Pond and river ............................................................................................ 35 5 HERITAGE MANAGEMENT .................................................................................................. 37 5.1 GENERAL INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 37 5.2 ARCHAEOLOGICAL DETAILS ............................................................................................... 38 5.2.1 Earthworks ................................................................................................. 38 5.2.2 Crop marks indicating buried remains .................................................. 38 5.2.3 Artefact scatters within the plough soils ............................................... 39 5.2.4 Medieval .................................................................................................... 39 th 5.2.5 18 Century .............................................................................................. 39 5.2.6 WW1 and WW2 ....................................................................................... 39 5.2.7 Other features .......................................................................................... 40 5.3 ARCHAEOLOGICAL FEATURES MANAGEMENT .................................................................... 40 6 VISITOR MANAGEMENT ....................................................................................................... 42 6.1 GENERAL ............................................................................................................................. 42 6.2 BUILDINGS ........................................................................................................................... 42 6.3 CAR PARK ........................................................................................................................... 43 6.4 SITE FURNITURE AND SIGNAGE ......................................................................................... 43 6.5 FOOTPATHS AND INTERNAL PATH NETWORK ................................................................... 43 6.6 MARKETING ......................................................................................................................... 43 6.7 VISITORS ............................................................................................................................