Ranscombe Farm from the North Downs Way (geograph 2662846)

Ranscombe Farm, in

Cuxton Cuxton is a village in the unitary authority of Medway in South East England. It lies on the left bank of the River Medway in the North Downs. It is served by the A228, and Cuxton railway station on the Medway Valley Line between Strood and Maid ...

in North Kent, is a

Plantlife Plantlife is the international conservation membership charity working to secure a world rich in wild plants and fungi. It is the only UK membership charity dedicated to conserving wild plants and fungi in their natural habitats and helping peo ...

Nature Reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

and working

farm A farm (also called an agricultural holding) is an area of land that is devoted primarily to agricultural processes with the primary objective of producing food and other crops; it is the basic facility in food production. The name is used ...

. Part of the site is included in the Cobham Woods Site of Special Scientific Interest, and the whole farm is within the

Kent Downs The Kent Downs is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in Kent, England. They are the eastern half of the North Downs and stretch from the London/Surrey borders to the White Cliffs of Dover, including a small section of the London Borough ...

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB; , AHNE) is an area of countryside in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, that has been designated for conservation due to its significant landscape value. Areas are designated in recognition of ...

. Ranscombe Farm Reserve works in partnership with five other sites in the local area. They are

Shorne Wood Country Park Shorne Wood Country Park is located between Strood and Gravesend, Kent, Gravesend, in the English county of Kent. It was once part of a large estate, later passed to the county council to be used as a country park. History This park was once ...

, Jeskyns, Cobham Park, Ashenbank Wood and the Cobham Leisure Plots. It has been a source for flower collectors for centuries. Nationally rare species, Hairy Mallow and

Meadow Clary ''Salvia pratensis'', the meadow clary or meadow sage, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae, native to Europe, western Asia and northern Africa. The Latin specific epithet ''pratensis'' means "of meadows", referring to its ...

, were both collected from Ranscombe Farm, in 1699 and 1792 respectively. Other rarities include Ground Pine and Broad-leaved Cudweed and at least six species of orchid including Fly, Lady ('Fair Maidens of Kent') and

Man Orchid ''Orchis anthropophora'' (formerly ''Aceras anthropophorum''), the man orchid, is a European species of orchid whose flowers resemble a human figure. The head is formed by the petals and sepals, and the suspended torso and limbs by the lobes of ...

. Plantlife Website May 2007The Independent, 7 Sept 2006, The Wild bunch by Peter Marren, reprinte

/ref> The chalk grassland hosts a rich suite of plants including Astragalus glycyphyllos, Wild Liquorice and

Horseshoe Vetch ''Hippocrepis comosa'', the horseshoe vetch, is a species of perennial flowering plant belonging to the genus ''Hippocrepis'' in the family Fabaceae. Description The overall appearance depends on its habitat: sometimes it forms upright clumps ...

. The arable flora includes

Corncockle ''Agrostemma'' is a genus of annual plants in the family Caryophyllaceae, containing the species known as corncockles. Its best-known member is ''A. githago'', the common corncockle, which is a native of Europe. The species is a weed of cereals ...

, Blue Pimpernel,

Night-flowering Catchfly ''Silene noctiflora'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae known by the common names night-flowering catchfly, nightflowering silene and clammy cockle. It is native to Eurasia, but it is known on other continents as an in ...

, Narrow-fruited Cornsalad ''(

Valerianella dentata ''Valerianella dentata'' is a species of flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('cont ...

)'

and Fumaria densiflora, Dense-flowered Fumitory.

What to see and when

*April: Bluebell,

Early purple orchid ''Orchis mascula'', the early-purple orchid, early spring orchis, is a species of flowering plant in the orchid family, Orchidaceae. Description ''Orchis mascula'' is a perennial herbaceous plant with stems up to high, green at the base and ...

*May:

Lady Orchid ''Orchis purpurea'', the lady orchid, is a herbaceous plant belonging to the genus ''Orchis'' of the family Orchidaceae. Description ''Orchis purpurea'' reaches on average of height. The leaves are broad and oblong-lanceolate, forming a ros ...

, Fly Orchid,

*June:

, Hairy Mallow, Ground Pine, common milkwort *July:

Clustered Bellflower ''Campanula glomerata'', known by the common names clustered bellflower or Dane's blood, is a species of flowering plant in the genus '' Campanula'', belonging to the family Campanulaceae. It is the county flower of Rutland, England. Etymology ...

, Four species of poppy ( Common, Rough, Prickly and Long-headed)

Location

TQ 718 675 :Railway Station:

:By Bus. Nu-Venture 151 to Cuxton. :By Bus. Arriva, 140 to Strood - Marlowe Park ells Rdthen Elgin Gardens then the underpass located behind Elgin Gardens. :By Bus. Arriva, 141 to Strood - Earl Estate then Albatross Avenue then the underpass located at the car park. :By Road. M2 to Junction 2, Carpark entrance on A228 200m on the right after exit roundabout. Ranscombe Farm straddles the

North Downs Way The North Downs Way National Trail is a long-distance path in southern England, opened in 1978. It runs from Farnham to Dover, past Guildford, Dorking, Merstham, Otford and Rochester, along the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Be ...

, long-distance footpath.

References

External links

Plantlife Nature Reserves, Ranscombe Farm.
Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Kent Nature reserves in Kent Medway {{England-SSSI-stub