Blean Woods

We’re delighted to be open for visitors. See full facility details below. Please also #RespectProtectEnjoy the special wildlife here and each other – keeping to the paths and following signage on site. See our Covid-19 updates page for the latest safety information (link below). Thank you.

Address: RSPB Blean Woods, Rough Common Rd, Rough Common, Canterbury CT2 9DD

Grid ref: TR126592

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See our reserves Covid-19 updates page for which sites are open and other important details.

Looking to get away from it all? Blean Woods is a wonderful place for a quiet walk in a beautiful and ancient woodland. There are five trails to explore, the longest of which takes you on an eight-mile wander through mature oaks which hide lesser spotted woodpeckers and nightingales.

Plan your visit

The carpark at Blean Woods is open from 8am - 8pm all year round.

Free entrance to RSPB members: Yes

Adults: Free, but donations are very welcome.

Children: Free, but donations are very welcome.

Facilities

Car park
Pushchair friendly
Picnic area
Guided walks
Nature trails

Accessibility

How to get here

By train

From Canterbury East station, follow signs for city centre, crossing over the bridge over the main road and make your way to the bus station, just inside city wall, opposite Fenwick's store (see bus details, below). From Canterbury West station, turn right out of
the station and walk 180m to the main road (St. Dunstans Street). Cross over at pedestrian crossing on your left, then go to bus stop a few yards away on the left (see bus details, below).

By bus

Blean is a part of the Stagecoach triangle which is a bus route running between Whitstable, Canterbury and Herne Bay.

From Whitstable, take the 6 or 6 A from the high street. Ask to get off at Rough Common turning, and then walk 450m along Rough Common Road towards New Road where the reserve is signposted to your right.

From Canterbury, take the 4 or 4 A from the Bus Station, Canterbury East Station, St. Dunstan’s (Westgate Towers) or St Dunstan’s church near Canterbury West Station. Ask to get off at Rough Common turning, and then walk 450m along Rough Common Road towards New Road where the reserve is signposted to your right.

By road

The postcode for the access track to the car park is CT2 9DD.

From the A2 (Dover), take the A28 Canterbury turnoff and go right (signposted Canterbury, Margate, Wincheap), at the following roundabout take the first left signposted London, Whistable, A2). At the next roundabout turn left onto Rheims Way (A2050). Turn right onto Rough Common, drive through Rough Common village, 100m further on, look out for Brown tourist sign for reserve at the bus stop on the left. Turn left onto access track, continue to the car park.

From A2, (London), take Harbledown turnoff (A2050), then take a left, signposted Rough Common and Blean. Then follow as before.

From Canterbury city centre, take A290 Whitstable road then turn left at mini-roundabout, signposted Rough Common. Turn right at the bus stop, where there is a sign for reserve.

Sat nav POI file: If you have a satellite navigation system that can accept POI files, please see our POI page for a download link and instructions.

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Contact Blean Woods

RSPB Blean Woods, Rough Common Rd, Rough Common, Canterbury CT2 9DD
blean.woods@rspb.org.uk
01227 464898

What will you see?

Our star species

Lesser spotted woodpecker

Britain's rarest breeding woodpecker species is easiest to see and hear at Blean Woods in early spring.

Nightingale

Nightingales breed in the hedgerows and scrub. Listen for their incredibly rich, musical song in late April and May.

Nightjar

Linger until dusk to encounter this amazing bird between May and July.

Sparrowhawk

From winter onwards, look for sparrowhawks displaying high above the trees on sunny days.

Woodcock

The display flight of the male woodcock is known as 'roding'. You can see and hear this easily at dusk on warm spring nights.

Drumming woodpeckers, singing nightingales, willow warblers, chiffchaffs, garden warblers, blackcaps, treecreepers, nuthatches, blue, great, coal and marsh tits, wrens, robins, song and mistle thrushes, blackbirds, 'roding' woodcocks, 'churring' nightjars.

Look out for the rare heath fritillary butterfly along rides and in young coppice areas from mid-June to mid-July. Common spotted orchids present in some glades and ride edges.

A wide range of fungi can be hunted for on the ground, on dead wood, branches and twigs, and even growing out of live trees. Easily the most conspicuous and abundant in some years is the fly agaric.

This is a very quiet time on the reserve, but you may encounter a mixed-species flock of tits, perhaps joined by a treecreeper or nuthatch. Numbers of resident blackbirds and goldcrests may be augmented by wintering birds from Scandinavia including siskins, brambling and redpoll.

About Blean Woods

Habitat

RSPB Blean Woods is a designated National Nature Reserve and covers 509 hectares (1,257 acres) of woods and heath. As you explore the numerous paths and trails you will see a mosaic of landscapes including traditional coppice woodland, high forest, glades and heath. This creates a great mixture of habitats for a whole array of wildlife including woodpeckers, nightingale, dormice and butterflies, including the extremely rare heath fritillary.

Conservation

Some areas of the woods are managed by the traditional cycle of cutting and rejuvenation of trees known as coppicing. This creates the dense thickets preferred by many nesting birds, especially nightingale whilst the warmth of the newly cut areas attract our fantastic array of butterflies.

The large oaks and beech trees which dominate some areas of woodland are perfect for both the great spotted woodpecker and the much rarer lesser spotted woodpecker. We leave these unmanaged to allow standing trees to rot and decay, creating shelter and feeding grounds for birds, bats and invertebrates.

Along some of the paths in August you will notice the bright purple of the heather and coconut scented gorse. These heath areas were once non-native conifer plantations but are now the breeding and feeding grounds for nightjars hunting moths at dusk. Blean Woods is ideal for a family walk in all seasons, with different length trails to suit all ages and abilities. Look out for the sign-posted trails from the car park.

Partners

RSPB Blean Woods is managed through a partnership including:

RSPB Blean Woods is a fantastic home for nature, helped by the tremendous support of many individuals, groups and organisations. In addition to RSPB members and supporters, local community members and a tireless team of volunteers, we would particularly like to thank the following organisations for their financial support:

Forestry Commission via English Woodland Grant Scheme (EU and Defra funding)
Natural England through Defra
Viridor-Credits through the Landfill Community Fund

Site information

Blean Woods is an important place for wildlife and designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

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Activities and events

Activities for children and families

For more information on events and to book tickets, please visit events.rspb.org.uk/bleanwoods

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