MANAGEMENT PLAN 2015-2020 KENT COUNTY COUNCIL Shorne Woods Country Park Management Plan 2015-2020 Updated: November 2018 by Tim Bell- Head Ranger 851561 – SHORNE WOODS COUNTRY PARK 1 MANAGEMENT PLAN 2015-2020 KENT COUNTY COUNCIL 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .............................................................................. 5 1.1 BACKGROUND INFORMATION ............................................................. 5 1.2 VISION FOR THE SITE ........................................................................ 6 1.3 CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT .......................................................... 6 1.4 HERITAGE MANAGEMENT .................................................................. 9 1.5 VISITOR MANAGEMENT ....................................................................11 1.6 EDUCATION .....................................................................................12 1.7 SITE MAINTENANCE .........................................................................12 1.8 HEALTH AND SAFETY .......................................................................13 1.9 COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT ...............................................................15 1.10 FINANCIAL OVERVIEW ......................................................................17 2 BACKGROUND INFORMATION .............................................................. 19 2.1 LOCATION AND SITE DESCRIPTION ....................................................19 2.1.1 Contact Details ...........................................................................19 2.1.2 Directions to Site ........................................................................19 2.1.3 Map Coverage ............................................................................20 2.1.4 Photographic Coverage ..............................................................21 MANAGEMENT OF THE SITE ..........................................................................22 2.2 VISITORS TO THE SITE ......................................................................23 2.2.1 Site infrastructure .......................................................................23 2.3 WIDER POLICIES AND STRATEGIES AFFECTING THE SITE ...................23 2.3.1 Introduction ................................................................................23 2.3.2 Statutory Designations ...............................................................23 2.3.3 Non-statutory Designations or significant details ........................23 2.3.4 Single Farm Payment .................................................................24 2.3.5 English Woodland Grant Scheme ...............................................24 2.3.6 Heritage Lottery Fund .................................................................24 2.3.7 Green Flag and South and South-east in Bloom awards ............25 2.3.8 Biodiversity Action Plans ............................................................25 2.3.9 Archaeology ...............................................................................26 2.3.10 Kent County Council Internal Policy ............................................26 3 VISION FOR THE SITE .............................................................................. 27 3.1 GENERAL AIMS ................................................................................27 3.2 CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES .....................................27 3.3 VISITOR SERVICES OBJECTIVES .......................................................28 4 CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT .......................................................... 30 4.1 PHYSICAL ........................................................................................30 4.2 HABITATS AND VEGETATION COMMUNITIES .......................................30 4.2.1 Introduction ................................................................................30 4.2.2 Shorne Woods Country Park ......................................................31 4.3 FLORA ............................................................................................39 4.3.1 Vascular plants ...........................................................................39 4.3.2 Bryophytes and lichen, mosses and liverworts ...........................41 4.3.3 Fungi ..........................................................................................41 4.3.4 Veteran Trees.............................................................................42 4.4 FAUNA ............................................................................................43 4.4.1 Mammals ....................................................................................43 4.4.2 Herpetofauna .............................................................................45 4.4.3 Birds ...........................................................................................46 4.4.4 Fish ............................................................................................47 4.4.5 Invertebrates ..............................................................................47 4.5 PAST LAND-USE ..............................................................................49 851561 – SHORNE WOODS COUNTRY PARK 2 MANAGEMENT PLAN 2015-2020 KENT COUNTY COUNCIL 4.6 LANDSCAPE ....................................................................................50 4.7 CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT HISTORY ...........................................50 4.8 MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES ..............................................................51 4.9 CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT PRESCRIPTIONS AND OPERATIONS ....51 4.9.1 HLF summary of works and future management requirements ...52 4.10 FEATURES .......................................................................................62 5 HERITAGE MANAGEMENT .................................................................... 73 5.1 GENERAL INTRODUCTION .................................................................73 5.2 ARCHAEOLOGICAL DETAILS .............................................................73 5.3 COMMUNITY ARCHAEOLOGY ............................................................74 5.4 MANAGEMENT ACTIONS FOR HERITAGE FEATURES ...........................75 5.4.1 Randall Manor ............................................................................75 5.4.2 The windmill and prospect mound on Randall Heath ..................75 5.4.3 The Carriage Drive/Rhododendron Walk ....................................76 5.4.4 World War II RAF Billet Camp and Army Camps ........................76 5.4.5 Clay Works .................................................................................76 5.4.6 The Holloway/Medieval Boundary ..............................................77 5.4.7 Mesolithic flint scatters ...............................................................77 6 VISITOR MANAGEMENT ........................................................................ 79 6.1 GENERAL ........................................................................................79 6.2 BUILDINGS ......................................................................................79 6.3 CAR PARK .......................................................................................81 6.4 SITE FURNITURE AND SIGNAGE ........................................................82 6.5 FOOTPATHS AND INTERNAL PATH NETWORK .....................................82 6.6 MARKETING .....................................................................................83 6.7 VISITORS .........................................................................................84 7 HEALTH AND SAFETY ............................................................................. 86 7.1 HEALTH, SAFETY AND SECURITY ......................................................86 7.1.1 General ......................................................................................86 7.1.2 Standard practices .....................................................................87 7.1.3 Risk Assessments and Staff Training .........................................88 7.1.4 Fire Plan .....................................................................................88 7.1.5 Tree Inspections .........................................................................88 8 SITE MAINTENANCE ................................................................................. 89 8.1 MAINTENANCE OF EQUIPMENT AND LANDSCAPE ...............................89 8.1.1 The Daily Checks .......................................................................89 8.1.2 Weekly Checks ...........................................................................89 8.1.3 Monthly Checks ..........................................................................89 8.1.4 Annual Checks ...........................................................................90 8.1.5 Other Checks (Depending on Season) .......................................90 8.1.6 Other Checks .............................................................................90 8.2 BUILDINGS MAINTENANCE ................................................................91 8.3 BRAND GUIDELINES .........................................................................91 8.4 SITE EQUIPMENT AND FURNITURE .....................................................91 9 EDUCATION ................................................................................................ 92 9.1 GENERAL ........................................................................................92 10 COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT .................................................................