Thornden Woods

I was surprised at how busy the evening was with comings and goings where I was parked. It did eventually quieten down, though. The next morning, as I was having a cup of tea, I heard a holler of “Hello. Good morning.” I popped my head out the door. It was a man from the Kent Wildlife Trust. He then said, “There’s no parking overnight here.”

I thanked him for the information. I explained about the situation and said that I will be dealing with it after a cup of tea. He then said, “There are cameras here. If you don’t pay the parking charge, a fine will be sent to the registered address of the vehicle.”

I said that I was well aware of the cameras, etc. I was parked directly in line with one. It couldn’t fail to see me. I then told him that I would be going for a walk once I had replaced the plug.

He finally said, “Well, lorries need to get through. There’s not enough room for them.”

I told him that I knew about the work going on and that the ‘lorries’ had already been through the previous evening. I also added that one of the workmen had helped by gifting me the part I needed. He ran out of things to say.

Replacing the plug didn’t take long.

Between Thornden Woods and Wildwood there is an ongoing rewilding programme. Wild pigs, longhorn cattle, Exmoor ponies and bison are being introduced. Miles of extra footpaths and high fences enclosing the newly introduced wildlife are being constructed. A lot of the signs and information boards have already been installed, which has caused some frustration for visitors. They are turning up expecting to see all these wild animals only to find a less than half built enclosure. As far as I could ascertain, only three bison have so far been released. One of the cows was already pregnant and gave birth in September. The only chance of glimpsing them is at Wildwood, the other end of New Road.

I had a good walk through the woods. Again, broad leaf. Mostly Chestnut and Birch, particularly Silver Birch. There is Aspen aplenty, Elm, Holly and of course, Oak. There is also a large area of what I believe are Corsican Pine.

Tawny Funnel Caps

Heather

During my walk I met a family who were out searching for the elusive bison. We had quite a chat as we wandered the paths together.

I eventually got back to my caravan. I made a cup of tea and tacked down. There is next to no internet signal there and I wanted to get down to Perry Wood.