About the Woodland Trust

The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity. It has 300,000 members and supporters.

The Trust has three key aims:

i) to enable the creation of more native woods and places rich in trees,

ii) to protect native woods, trees and their wildlife for the future,

iii) to inspire everyone to enjoy and value woods and trees

Established in 1972, the Woodland Trust now has more than 1,000 sites in its care covering approximately 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres). Access to its sites is free.

Further information can be found at www.woodlandtrust.org.uk

About the Hucking Estate

Acquired by the Woodland Trust in 1997 Hucking Estate borders the North Downs Way, affording stunning views from the edge of the North Downs south towards Maidstone and beyond across the Kentish Weald.

Previously a combination of semi natural ancient woodland and arable land, the re-creation of grassland and wildflower meadows will offer tremendous conservation benefits to a large number of flora and fauna.

Since 1908 over 2,500 metres of hedgerows have been destroyed and even since 1961 25 hectares of woodland was lost from the Hucking Estate. Using regionally collected seed, hedgerows have been planted along some of the original field boundaries creating a network of small fields and compartments. Many native hedgerow species have been planted, including field maple, hawthorn, blackthorn and hazel.

The existing ancient woodland is primarily chestnut, ash and hornbeam coppice with oak standards. Around the edge of this ancient woodland 120,000 trees were planted during 1999 and 2000 to buffer or protect the established woodland and to connect together the small fragmented woodland blocks of the Estate. This huge undertaking began in October 1998, using seed selected from the local region. Species planted included oak, ash, beech, small leaved lime, hornbeam, wild cherry, whitebeam, dogwood, elder, yew and guelder rose.

To find the site from Junction 8 of the M20: Follow the signs to Hollingbourne; proceed through the village on the B2163, up the hill towards White Post Hamlet. Turn left and follow the road to Hucking village. For parking use the small car park provided on the left-hand side of the road just prior to reaching Hucking village. Please park here or you can use the pub's car park, rather than in front of a gate which leads into a field or a track.