Poulton Wood Nature Reserve

Poulton Wood truly is the most captivating atmospheric and healing place. 28 acres of ancient semi-natural hornbeam coppice with oak standards. It is owned and operated by Canterbury Oast Trust, a charity dedicated to the residential care and training of adults with learning disabilities, and is run as a Life Skills conservation project. It is cared for with love and imagination and over the past 19 years has been brought back under traditional coppice management both for the timber it yields and the diversity of habitat which occurs as a consequence. It achieved local nature reserve status in march 2001 and is open to the public 7 days a week. We welcome everyone - reponsible dog walkers, ramblers, geocachers and birdwatchers. Although the site is not manned at the weekends there is access both through the main drive off Forge Hill and a track off Mill Road. We hold a superb annual woodland open day on the first Saturday of June where you will see the working horses in action plus many demonstrations of coppice crafts and related woodland activities. There is also a bluebell cream tea held around 1 May when you will be able to enjoy scrumptions cream teas and guided woodland walks. The spring flowers are beyond compare. Please do visit. All who do so will fall in love as this woodland truly does have a spirit of its own which will captivate you forever.