Celebrating Boxley Warren
By Mike Phillips
Boxley Warren, looking north from Penenden Heath
Boxley Warren stands proudly on the scarp slope of the Kent Downs, overlooking both Maidstone and The Weald. The site saw some of the first human settlement in the area, the introduction of farming and changes wrought by the Industrial Revolution, but despite being highly visible from the county town and the M20, most people know very little about it, or its diverse history. ‘Celebrating Boxley Warren’ is a project that is attempting to address this.
Boxley Warren is an 83-hectare Local Nature Reserve just to the east of Bluebell Hill and to the north of Boxley village. It is an internationally significant place, a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) because of the chalk grassland species and also a European designated Special Area of Conservation (SAC) because of the lowland beech and yew woodland. It is also home to the White Horse Stone, one of the Medway Megaliths and a Scheduled Ancient Monument.
Boxley Parish Council and the Mid Kent Downs Countryside Partnership have successfully applied to the Heritage Lottery Fund to run a project over the next three years, to celebrate the present Boxley Warren and explore its history.
The project aims to:
- Commission an enhanced heritage survey of Boxley Warren
- Create a ‘Friends of’ group to help steer the future of the site
- Get people involved in investigating the history of Boxley Warren
- Improve the biodiversity of the site by creating new habitats and managing the existing wildlife areas more appropriately
- Run practical tasks so people can get involved in habitat management
- Run a series of walks highlighting the plants and animals of Boxley Warren as well as the heritage of the site
‘Celebrating Boxley Warren’ has joined forces with Kent County Council’s Heritage Team to create some exciting opportunities to get involved and find out more about the rich history of the area. The heritage survey, which is close to completion, will reveal more about the plethora of hollow ways and ancient routes that criss-cross the Downs, as well as the relic settlements and evidence of chalk pits and dene holes. There will, however, be much more to find out about, including crop marks and lynchets that may indicate evidence of early farming, as well as the role that the military have played in shaping this remarkable landscape.
Anyone who is interested in the heritage of Boxley will be asked to take part in
part in both practical work on site and research work using historical records. Activities with the North Downs Young Archaeologists Club will see them choosing their area of work and deciding themselves the best way to undertake their research.
Events and opportunities to take part in research projects will be taking place over the next couple of years, all free of charge. If you’d like to find out more about ‘Celebrating Boxley Warren’, contact Mike Phillips on 01303 815170 or mike.phillips@kentdowns.org.uk. You can also find us on Facebook - search for ‘Friends of Boxley Warren’.