Local Wildlife Site

Accessible Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation

West Kent Golf Course and Down House

Borough: Bromley

Grade: Metropolitan

Access: Access on public footpaths only

Area: 152.22 ha

Description

This large site comprises many different habitats and a great diversity of flora. The West Kent Golf Course and adjacent scout camp include one of London’s largest ancient woodlands, which is particularly diverse owing to the varied topography and mixture of soil types. This complex of chalk grassland, scrub and woodland includes one of the London Wildlife Trust’s most valued nature reserves. Down House (now the Darwin Museum) and its partially lawned grounds are of tremendous scientific importance through their association with Charles Darwin, who lived and worked here for forty years. There is an entrance fee to Down House, which is owned and managed by English Heritage.

Wildlife

The rich woodland plant life includes the orchids white helleborine and twayblade, and the nationally rare powdercap strangler fungus. Part of the ancient woodland has been replanted with beech and Scots pine. The chalk grassland boasts large numbers of pyramidal, bee and common spotted-orchids, while butterflies include the nationally declining small blue, grizzled skipper and dark green fritillary.The site also supports several protected reptiles.The lawns of Down House support a nationally important community of grassland fungi, including various waxcaps. The grassland around the former Buckston Browne Research Institute, which has abundant common knapweed (Centaurea nigra) and populations of pyramidal orchid. Its fine grasses and herbs support a range of butterflies, with palmate newts and slow worm also present.

Facilities

Information (on signs and at Down House); a public footpath runs through the reserve linking to an excellent network of pleasant longer walks through the North Downs.

View Interactive map

Chalk grassland at West Kent Golf Course © London Wildlife Trust

Chalk grassland at West Kent Golf Couse © Mike Waite

Feedback

Have a question or a comment for this site, or notice anything missing or out of date? Please contact us.

Find out more

More information on GiGL’s SINC dataset can be found here.

Additional information, including other site designations and species recorded onsite and nearby, can be provided in community and client data search reports. Request information here.