Getting out and active during the winter months can be challenging, with shorter days and freezing temperatures. But this ancient woodland offers a little slice of greenery, even in the middle of January.
Joyden’s Wood is filled not only with wildlife but also stunning conifer trees during the winter months. That makes it the perfect spot for anyone wanting a little escape from the bleak and bare flora in qinter.
The woodland dates back as far as 1600 and is located on the border between Bexleyheath and Dartford. It is home to nine different ponds, each of which is a habitat for the three British newt species – the great crested newt, the smooth newt and the palmate newt.
There are plenty of walking routes in the woods
(Image: WikiCommons/David Anstiss)
Birds of prey are also spotted in the woodlands such as buzzards and kestrels. In the Spring, walkers will spot bluebells and celandines, while Winter brings conifer trees.
Traces of settlements over 2,000 years old have also been found in the woodland. A boundary feature called the Faesten Dic, built around 2,000 years ago, runs for over a kilometre through the forest.
Originally an eight-metre wide V-shaped ditch, this feature was originally designed to keep Romano-British Londoners out. Visitors can also spot small depressions in the ground which are filled in ‘deneholes’ – underground excavations for chalk used in agriculture.
There are also markers from the Second World War in the woodland. A line of bomb craters can still be seen, probably from a fighter plane jettisoning its bombs on its return from London attacks.
Walks
There are two main walks in the woods
(Image: WikiCommons/Ethan Doyle White)
There are two main walks in the woods. The red route, or Faesten Dic Trail, is two miles long, while the blue route, or Woodland Walk, is one-point-seven miles long.
Gatton’s Plantation also has one circular path. There is no car access there but it can be accessed by foot via Parsonage Lane from the south gate of Joyden’s Wood, next to Chalk Woods.
There are also plenty of other paths and tracks as you venture deeper into the woods.
How to get there
To reach Joyden’s Wood, take the Southeastern service towards Dartford from London Bridge. This journey should take around half-an-hour if you get off at Bexley.
From there, hikers will need to walk around 20 minutes to catch bus number B12 towards Erith. From the stop Squires Way, it should take 20 minutes by foot to reach the wood.
Got a story? Please get in touch at katherine.gray@reachplc.com
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