
David Shire lead a group of Hernhill locals on a fascinating misty-morning walk from The Red Lion, Dunkirk to Crooked Oak and through North Bishopden Wood. David and Beatrice Shire are volunteers for the Blean local heritage initiative and were able to reveal to us the natural and man-made landmarks within the ancient woodland.
Deep in the wood we found the impressive Crooked Oak and a moated site, thought to date from the 14th century – perhaps once a hunting lodge, or the King’s residence when visiting Canterbury. We walked along a boundary marked by a bank and tree pollards and learnt to recognise the evidence of traditional uses for the woodland resources.
Much of this evidence is, sadly, being lost as the uses for the woodland have changed in recent times, these ancient crafts are being forgotten and their evidence erased. The Blean Heritage & Community Group & the Blean Initiative aim to “encourage people to visit The Blean, to experience and enjoy its heritage and wildlife”. They have produced a series of leaflets with circular walks through the woods, which identify landmarks to be found along the way. These can be found, along with more information about The Blean on their website: http://www.theblean.co.uk/.
If you are interested in joining us on other history or nature walks, please contact Miriam@machin.f9.co.uk.

Donations were collected for Tree Aid, find out more about the charity here: http://www.treeaid.org.uk/

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