Tourist profile


County’s breath-taking birthday present


As the Garden of England comes under increasing


pressure from housing development, Dawn Kingsford basks in the beauty of the county’s protected areas...


K


ent is celebrating a landmark double birthday when it comes to some of the best loved locations in the county. It is 50 years since the Kent Downs were


declared an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and it’s also the 40th birthday of our much-loved North Downs Way. It was the distinctive character and natural


beauty of the Kent Downs that convinced the government in 1968 to safeguard it in the nation’s interest.


Te rolling south-facing chalk hills, deep


valleys and panoramic views that characterise the Kentish countryside are, indeed, a haven for native flora and fauna and species such as the Chalk Hill Blue buterfly. Te Kent Downs are one of the most wooded landscapes in Britain - many of them ancient and undisturbed for generations – providing a home for rare plants and threatened species. Nevertheless, the area welcomes the public and has many places to enjoy, including Te


North Downs Way - a designated National Trail running along the chalk ridge of the Kent Downs on the ancient pilgrimage route to Canterbury Cathedral. To mark these anniversaries, free events and


family activities, as well as guided walks have been organised to celebrate not just the views, but the freedom these protected areas afford walkers and wildlife. Tis protection, in recent years, has become increasingly important at a time of huge development in Kent.


22 Mid Kent Living


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