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Sited within the parish of Paddock Wood, Foal Hurst Wood was neglected
and almost forgotten until Paddock Wood Town Council purchased it
for the people of the parish in 1997 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. As part of the millennium
celebrations Foal Hurst Wood was formally dedicated to the people
of Paddock Wood on 3 May 1999 and the following pledge made to the
people of Paddock Wood; “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”.
The wood is now designated as a Local Nature Reserve and comprises
29 acres of woodland and a further 11 acres of meadowland around
the northern border. 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 true 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.
In 2003 a wild-flower meadow was created in the small field at the
entrance to the wood. It is now mown as a hay meadow so that the
flowers and grasses can develop and spread. In June the meadow has
a good display of flowers and later in the summer, crickets and
grasshoppers can be heard chirping late into the evening, just as
the bats emerge to feed along the woodland edges.
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 at the bus stop next to the entrance.
Take a gentle stroll around the wood, stop and sit on one of the
many benches dotted along the footpaths. Breathe in the quiet atmosphere
and let nature calm your spirit. A few moments of gentle contemplation
reminds us that we are all part of the wonderful web of life, not
separate from it.
There are also 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,
why not help keep the wood special for future generations by assisting
members of the Foal Hurst Wood Volunteer Group on one of their Sunday
activity days. No special skills necessary, just a desire to save
the planet! Call the Town Council offices on 01892 837373 for more
information, we would love to meet you.
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