Folkestone Downs

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Folkestone To Etchinghill escarpment
Area of Search Kent
Grid Reference TR171394 to TR235376
Interest Biological and Geological
Area 269.5 hectares
Notification 1951
Location Map Natural England

The Folkestone Downs are an area of chalk downland near Folkestone, Kent. The downs form the eartern most stretch of the North Downs escarpment are protected within the Folkestone to Etchinghill Escarpment SSSI due to their geological and biological interest.

Contents

[edit] Topography

Folkestone Downs stretch for 5 kilometres from Folkestone Warren in the east to Peene Quarry in the west. The downs rise steeply above the town of Folkestone to heights in excess of 150 metres. The highest point is Dover Hill at 170 metres. The Channel Tunnel Terminal lies at the foot of the downs and the British portal is directly below the slopes of Castle Hill. The downland is classified as CG4 Brachypodium pinnatum and CG5 Bromus erectus - Brachypodium pinnatum calcareous grassland with smaller areas of CG2 Festuca ovina - Avenula pratensis grassland. There are also areas of scrubland and woodland.

[edit] Ecology

[edit] Flora

Folkestone Downs are one of the largest areas of unimproved chalk downland in Kent. The extensive flora includes many typical species of chalk grassland including Horseshoe Vetch (Hippocrepis comosa), Squinancywort (Asperula cynanchica) and Small Scabious as well as scarce species such as Bedstraw Broomrape (Orobanche caryophyllacea). Many species of orchid occur on the downs notably the nationally rare Late Spider Orchid (Ophrys fuciflora) as well as the nationally scarce Early Spider Orchid (Ophrys sphegodes) and Man Orchid (Aceras anthropophora). The nationally scarce Burnt Orchid (Neotinea ustulata) has also been recorded in the past. Folkestone Downs are also notable for its extensive lichen flora.

[edit] Fauna

The scrub and woodland provides breeding habitat for many species of bird. Folkestone Downs is particuarly notable for its insect fauna. Up to 32 species of butterfly have been redorded on the downs including the Adonis Blue (Lysandra bellargus), Chalkhill Blue (Polyommatus coridon) and Small Blue (Cupido minimus). Several rare species of moth have been recorded including the Straw Belle (Aspitates gilvaria) and the Annulet Moth (Gnophos obscuratus).

[edit] Ownership, management and access

Much of Folkestone Downs is owned by Eurotunnel and is managed in by the White Cliffs Countryside Project. Grazing was abandoned after the Second World War resulting in an invasion of coarse grasses and scrub. This resulted in a reduction of the grassland flora particularly after the outbreak of myxamatosis in the 1950s. Cattle grazing was restored in 1990. Much of the downland is designated as open access land following the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.

[edit] External links

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Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) in Kent, South East England

Alex Farm Pastures • Alkham, Lydden And Swingfield Woods • Allington Quarry • Aylesford Pit • Baker's Hole • Bourne Alder Carr • Brookland Wood • Charing Beech Hangers • Chattenden Woods • Chequer's Wood And Old Park • Cheyne Court • Church Woods, Blean • Cobham Woods • Combwell Wood • Cowden Meadow • Cowden Pound Pastures • Dalham Farm • Darenth Wood Dover To Kingsdown Cliffs • Down Bank • Dryhill • Dungeness • East Blean Woods • Ellenden Wood • Farningham Wood • Folkestone To Etchinghill Escarpment • Folkestone Warren • Gibbin's Brook • Great Crabbles Wood • Great Shuttlesfield Down • Greatness Brickworks • Halling To Trottiscliffe Escarpment • Ham Street Woods • Hart Hill • Hatch Park • High Rocks • Hoad's Wood • Holborough To Burham Marshes • Hollingbourne Downs • Hothfield Common • Houlder And Monarch Hill Pits, Upper Halling • Hubbard's Hill • Ileden And Oxenden Woods • Knole Park • Larkey Valley Wood • Lenham Quarry • Lullingstone Park • Lydden And Temple Ewell Downs • Lympne Escarpment • Lynsore Bottom • Magpie Bottom • Marden Meadows • Medway Estuary And Marshes • North Lade • Northward Hill • Oaken Wood • Oldbury And Seal Chart • One Tree Hill And Bitchet Common • Orlestone Forest • Otford To Shoreham Downs • Otterpool Quarry • Park Wood, Chilham • Park Gate Down • Parsonage Wood • Pembury Cutting And Pit • Peter's Pit • Polebrook Farm • Preston Marshes • Purple Hill • Queendown Warren • River Beult • Robins Wood • Romney Warren • Rusthall Common • Sandwich Bay To Hacklinge Marshes • Scord's Wood And Brockhoult Mount • Scotney Castle Seabrook Stream • Sevenoaks Gravel Pits • Sheppey Cliffs And Foreshore • Shorne And Ashenbank Woods • Sissinghurst Park Wood • South Thames Estuary And Marshes Southborough Pit • Spot Lane Quarry • Stodmarsh • Sturry Pit • Swanscombe Skull Site • Tankerton Slopes • Thanet Coast • The Swale • Tower Hill To Cockham Wood • Trottiscliffe Meadows • Walland Marsh • Wansunt Pit • Wateringbury • West Blean And Thornden Woods • Westerham Mines • Westerham Wood • Wouldham To Detling Escarpment • Wye And Crundale Downs • Yockletts Bank
List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest by Area of Search