A short drive (or train ride) from London will take you to Bough Beech in the heart of the Kent countryside.  If you ever fancy filling your lungs with truly fresh air, treating your ears to bird and bat song over a hum of crickets on the breeze this is the place to be.

I visited a few months ago to see the marshland awash with frog and toad spawn and on my most recent visit I had to tread carefully as the spawn had hatched and seemed to clamber over every blade of grass I came across, gangly legs and all.

Managed by Kent Wildlife Trust entry to the reservoir is free though it’s worth going along to an event – I tried moth trapping and I’ll admit I had to use ever ounce of restraint in me not to snag the best seat at the front, given the amount of children in attendance.  Some events are chargeable but most request you give what you can and the atmosphere is really lovely.

The space is relatively compact, making it a top spot for families who want to let their wee ones run about without worrying about them losing their way.  What the reserve lacks in size it more than makes up for in biodiversity and you’re pretty much guaranteed to see some form of wildlife whether it’s a type of hawk moth, a shrew or even an Eurasian eagle owl!

If you’re handy to the area and fancy an escape to the countryside check out Kent Wildlife Trust’s upcoming events here.  If you’re a little farther afield I’d love to know where you like to go to get close to nature.  Tell me in the comments below.

Until next time,

L X