Made up of Twenty Acre Shaw and Downe Bank, as well as important habitats on the eastern slope of the Cudham Valley (including Hazel Wood and Longfield Shaw), part of the area is a Site of Special Scientific Interest.The dry valley at Downe Bank (the original location of Charles Darwin’s “Orchis Bank”) is managed by the Kent Wildlife Trust as a nature reserve. The southern half of Downe Bank is open to the public, and the northern half can be visited by appointment with the Trust. Twenty Acre Shaw is managed as a nature reserve by the Woodland Trust. A number of public footpaths cross the remainder of the site.
Local Wildlife Site
Accessible Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation
Downe Bank and Cudham Valley North
Borough: Bromley
Grade: Metropolitan
Access: Free public access (part of site)
Area: 81.93 ha
Description
Wildlife
Diverse ancient woods on the steep chalk slopes on both sides of the valley support numerous regional and locally uncommon plants. These include spurge laurel, toothwort and the nationally scarce stinking hellebore. Chalk grassland in clearings on the western side of the valley, and within a more extensive area on the eastern side, supports a typically rich flora including a variety of orchids, yellow-wort, squinancywort and fairy flax. Several old species-rich hedgerows cross the valley, connecting the habitat complexes on either side. As many as 31 species of birds have been recorded on the reserve as well as many species of butterfly. This is one of very few sites in London known to support the declining and specially-protected common dormouse.Facilities
Information (on signs).
Bee orchid © Mike Waite
Monitoring dormice at Downe Bank © Mike Waite
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