Parking and access: from the cross roads in Sole
Street, follow Pennypot Lane, towards Thruxted, into the wood. The car
park and access for Bonsai bank are signed on the right. The reserve is
0.5 miles along the forest track (GR 105510). The main Denge Wood car park
is 0.25 miles further along Pennypot Lane, on the right (GR 097504).
Like the other large woodlands featured in this booklet,
Denge and Eggringe Woods encompass a range of quite different woodland
types. On the plateaux between the valleys, sweet chestnut coppice and
plantations of conifers dominate. These are managed
for timber production. Old beech woodland can be found in the area known
as Down Wood, and elsewhere on valley slopes with chalky soils. Down Wood
also has the richest flora, including dog's mercury and various orchids.
Another part of the wood is a nature reserve managed by
the Kent Wildlife Trust, known as Bonsai Bank due to the unsuccessful crop
of rather stunted conifers growing there. The reserve boasts many wild
flowers, characteristic of its chalky soils, and a good variety of
butterflies, including the scarce and grandly named Duke of Burgundy
fritillary.
It is the rich variety of different woodland habitats
that makes Denge and Eggringe such a good site for wildlife of all kinds,
including dormice, badgers, toads, slow worms, nightingales and other
warblers.
For site leaflet and other information about Bonsai
Bank: Kent Wildlife Trust 01622 662012
For information about Denge and Eggringe Wood: Forest
Enterprise 01580 211044
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