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Foal Hurst Wood within the parish of Paddock Wood was neglected and almost forgotten until Paddock Wood Town Council purchased it for the people of the parish in 1997. Soon a plan for this lovely piece of ancient woodland was developed and work began to turn it into a community nature reserve. The Foal Hurst Wood Volunteers Group was formed in early 1998 and they commenced caring and managing the woodland for the entire community to enjoy. Expertise was provided by the Kent High Weald Project and the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers, whilst a major provider of development funding was the Forestry Commission.

The wood is now designated as a Local Nature Reserve. Foal Hurst Wood comprises 29 acres of woodland and a further 11 acres of meadowland around the northern border. On 3 May 1999 it was formally dedicated to the people of Paddock Wood and formed part of the activities that mark the occasion of the Millennium. Within the wood there is a network of rides and footpaths that take the walker deep into the heart of this beautiful place. In the Spring there are primroses, early purple orchids and carpets of bluebells, Summer brings out the dog rose and honeysuckle, Autumn provides a colourful array of fungi whilst Winter reveals the stark beauty of the trees. Birds thrive in the quiet of the wood, woodpeckers drum on trees to feast the grubs living beneath the bark. Tiny wrens bob about in the undergrowth. A host of small birds flit about the tree canopy and in Spring and Summer the wood is full of birdsong. Altogether over forty species have so far been identified.

A recent project embarked upon was the creation of a wild-flower meadow in the small field at the entrance to the wood. This was seeded in the Autumn of 2003 and then mown on a monthly basis the following year. It is now mown as a hay meadow so that the flowers and grasses can develop and spread. This project will take several years before the full benefit will show but already the central area is a mass of flowers in the Summer.

You can discover Foal Hurst Wood for yourself. The entrance is on the left hand side approximately 300 metres from the junction of Maidstone Road and Badsell Road, adjacent to Badsell allotments. You can walk to the entrance from the Town Centre (via Ringden Avenue) in about 15 minutes or take any bus going to Five Oak Green and ask the bus driver to set you down by the entrance. There is a special bus stop there!

There are many tasks and projects that we need help with to maintain the woodland, eg hedging, coppicing, haymaking and monitoring and recording the wildlife. So after you have visited the wood, shy not become a member of the Foal Hurst Wood Volunteer Group? We would love to meet you and welcome you to one of our Sunday working groups. Just call the Town Council offices on 01892 837373 for more information.

“As custodian of Foal Hurst Wood, Paddock Wood Town Council pledges the continuance of this ancient woodland for the people to enjoy both physically and spiritually”.