Children and green places

Forest bathing, 'shinrin-yoku', was developed in Japan during the 1980's & has become a popular method of relaxation in a country where people live in an increasingly urban society. It simply involves being in the forest to connect with nature and has become a proven method of improving people's mental & physical health. Interestingly,  chemicals called phytoncides released by trees, have been found to boost the human body's immune system.

In Europe the value of a forest environment in the education & development of children was first recognised in a major way in Denmark during the 1950's when the concept of 'forest schools' was first developed. The idea quickly spread to Sweden where the concept was further developed as 'skogsmulle' ('school of the forest troll'). Thereafter, forest schools sprang up all over the world with the common ethos of nurturing & promoting feelings of empathy for others & nature; sustaining & improving both mental & physical health ; & building confidence & independence. 

A recent study in Finland pointed to major health benefits for children exposed to a natural forest environment. A small number of gravel yard type playgrounds in 2 Finnish towns were converted into mini forests by replacing the gravel with natural forest turf & planting native shrubs & mosses. The children in the study were allowed into the play areas for a given time each day & encouraged to play with the turf & plants. The children's immune systems were checked before the study & 28 days after exposure to the newly converted playgrounds. It was found that the diversity of microbes on the children's skins was 1/3rd higher than those still playing on the gravel yards & significantly increased in their guts.

Analysis of blood samples showed beneficial changes related to the functioning of the immune system.

These results could have major implications regarding the rising rate of so-called autoimmune diseases such as asthma, eczema & multiple sclerosis among children in the western world. Many authorities believe that children are being exposed to far fewer microbes than in the past & that this leads to the immune system being less challenged & therefore more prone to making mistakes. Previous studies have shown a statistical association between exposure to microbial diversity & the development of a well-functioning immune system.

Figure 1: In the snow with my grand-daughter, Frida 11 months old, in the garden

Figure 2: Three generations in our local park

Winter heliotrope

 

Winter heliotrope growing alongside a lane at Boughton Monchelsea today.  It is actually native to N.Africa & proceeded to colonise our countryside after it escaped from a private garden in the early 19thC. Although it's classed as an invasive species it does provide a valuable nectar source for early emerging insects.

R.Medway between Tovil & E.Farleigh this morning.

This stretch of the R. Medway between Tovil & E. Farleigh is surprisingly rural & picturesque considering that it is ~2 miles from the centre of Maidstone. Water levels are currently very high after recent heavy rainfall. The towpath is flooded & impassable in places.

Autumn colours around the lower Medway Valley nr. Rochester (11/11)

I began this walk from the B2097, Maidstone Road, Rochester & crossed the M2 motorway & HS1 railway via bridges on Stoney Lane to descend into the Nashenden Valley. It was not difficult to imagine what a beautiful idyllic place this must have been before it became the major transport artery that it is today. Both the M2 motorway & HS1 railway run alongside each other through the valley.

A Eurostar train en route for Europe about to enter the 2mile long Boxley tunnel beneath the North Downs.

After crossing the motorway & railway bridges my route went south past a small settlement of industrial units & houses near Upper Nashenden Farm & then followed a footpath along the western edge of Bridge Wood. This is an ancient woodland where beech, yew, hazel & field maple are the predominant species.

The path through Bridge Wood emerged onto the North Downs Way by the Robin Hood public house. I turned right here & followed the NDW past Wouldam Common where there are panoramic views over the Medway valley towards the North Downs, the Greensand Ridge, and the Weald.

From Wouldham Common the North Downs Way continues north past the Kent Wildlife Trust Nashenden Down nature reserve. This was established in 2009 & covers 55 hectares. It was previously arable farmland & the Wildlife Trust is managing it to promote diversity by planting hedgerows, creating ponds & using sheep for conservation grazing to encourage the growth of beneficial native wild flowers such as cowslip, wild marjoram & oxeye daisy. These in turn should attract butterflies & other beneficial insects.

Shoulder of Mutton Wood is owned by the Woodland Trust & forms part of the Nashenden Down nature reserve. It covers 2.2 hectares & has been here since at least AD1600. The predominant species is beech.

A Bronze Age burial mound dating from between 1500 & 1100 BC is located in Shoulder of Mutton Wood.

Good views of the viaducts carrying the M2 motorway & HS1 railway over the R.Medway near Rochester.

Notice near Nashenden Farm.

Just after Nashenden Farm I left the North Downs Way & took this bridleway back to Stoney Lane.

Wild clematis & wild privet growing alongside the bridleway.

The Saxon Shore Way, Dover to Deal (04/11)

 This section of the Saxon Shore Way is 10.2 miles long. It is very picturesque with magnificent coastal scenery & has much of interest along the way. The first half of the walk is over the cliffs between Dover & Kingsdown & is fairly hilly & rugged but after that the terrain is flat & offers easy walking along a very pleasant segregated foot/cycle path all of the way to Deal. The route is easy to navigate as it simply follows the coastline northwards & waymarking is very good virtually the whole way. The only area that may present difficulties is where the path threads its way through the settlement at St. Margaret-at-Cliffe.

Dover Castle

Dover Castle, ‘the Lock and Key of England’, dates from the twelfth century & is situated on a hill dominating the town & surrounding countryside. Owing to its strategic location at the narrowest crossing point to continental Europe, Dover has a long & interesting history. As ‘Portus Dubris’ it was an important Roman settlement & one of the Saxon Shore forts was built here to help protect the Kentish coast from Saxon & Frankish raiders. Traces of neither this nor the Roman harbour exist today. The only surviving structure from this period is the shell of a Roman pharos lighthouse. During the Middle Ages Dover was regarded as head of the Cinque Ports and the town & surrounding area are dotted with the remains of defensive fortifications built during previous eras.

Dover Harbour.

Dover is one of the busiest passenger ferry terminals in the world, the busiest cruise liner terminal in the UK & a major port for freight, especially fruit.

Impressive cliff scenery near Fan Bay.

These are the famous ‘White cliffs of Dover’.

Cross Channel ferries

The French coast is only 21 miles from Dover & is clearly visible. The narrowest point is a little further north at St. Margaret-at-Cliffe where it is only 18 miles to France.

South Foreland Lighthouse.

A Victorian lighthouse built in 1843 to warn shipping of the Goodwin Sands which lie just offshore. It was the first lighthouse to use an electric light & the location of the first international wireless transmission by Marconi in 1895. It ceased operations as a lighthouse in 1988 & is now owned by the National Trust.

St. Margaret-at-Cliffe

A large picturesque village set among the cliffs at South Foreland. At 18miles it is the closest point to France.

St. Margaret-at-Cliffe

Monument to the Dover Patrol, Leathercoat Point, St. Margaret-at-Cliffe.

Designed by Sir Aston Webb & erected in 1921 to commemorate the vital role played by the elite fleet of the Royal Navy known as the ‘Dover Patrol’ in protecting allied shipping in the English Channel during World War I.

Bockhill. A beautiful area of farmland on the cliff-top just north of St Margaret-at-Cliffe & now owned by the National Trust. It is a renowned location for observing the coastal migration of birds with over 240 different species having been recorded in the immediate vicinity. Many interesting & unusual species of moths, butterflies, dragonflies & other insects have also been found here.

The view looking north from Bockhill towards Kingsdown, Walmer & Deal.

Walmer Castle at dusk.

The official seat of the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. It is one of the 3 castles erected by Henry VIII in 1539 to protect the strategic naval anchorage known as the ‘Downs’ which lies just offshore here.

Deal Castle: another of the castles built by Henry VIII to protect the 'Downs'.

Autumn colour : gingko tree at Tovil today.

 

Saxon Shore Way, Upstreet to Herne Bay (25/10)

The path heads north across a ploughed field at the start of the walk near Upstreet.

This is a relatively easy 9 mile walk from Upstreet to Herne Bay over fairly level ground. It passes  through mainly arable farmland with a short stretch through orchards at Boyden Gate & a final leg along the coast between Reculver & Herne Bay. The route is easy to navigate as you simply head due north from Upstreet to Reculver  & then turn west & follow the coastline to Herne Bay. Way marking is good the whole way. The only area where things can be a little confusing is among the orchards at Boyden Gate but if you just follow the compass north you should have no problem. There are regular bus services between Canterbury & Upstreet at the beginning of the walk & Herne Bay & Canterbury at the end. The weather on the day I did this walk was very murky with persistent heavy rain & this accounts for the poor quality of the photographs. I will definitely do this walk again during better weather, probably next spring.

                                          

Shortly after the start of the walk the Sarre Penn stream is crossed via a small foot bridge.

This is a 13km tributary of the R. Stour which rises in Dunkirk, north of Canterbury  & then joins the R. Wantsum at Sarre before flowing into the Stour near Plucks Gutter. The lower reaches near Sarre are known locally as the Fishbourne Stream.

A misty view of Chislet Village in the rain. The SSW passes just to the east of the village through the hamlet of Chitty.

Area-wise Chislet is one of the largest parishes in north east Kent. It has several notable features including its chunky looking church of St. Mary the Virgin which was built by the Normans during the 12^th C. It was also home to the Chislet Colliery coal mine located ~2miles south west of the village at Hersden . This was in operation between 1918 & 1969 & produced a type of coal sought after by the steel industry. At its height it employed some 1550 miners. Interestingly the mining operations led to the creation of the nearby Stodmarsh National Nature Reserve when underground workings caused subsidence over a large area of the R. Stour valley. The subsequent formation  of shallow lagoons & what was to become the largest reed-bed in S.E.England created a valuable natural habitat for many rare species of birds, insects & aquatic plants. Stodmarsh was given SSSI status in 1951 & declared a National Nature Reserve in 1968.

The SSW passes the grade ll listed 18thC Invicta Cottage in the hamlet of Chitty, near Chislet village.

The path passes close by this Wesleyan chapel (1841) in the hamlet of Boyden Gate & then weaves its way through prolific apple orchards. I think the variety grown here is mainly the New Zealand apple, ‘Jazz’.

Water-logged apple orchards, Boyden Gate.

After leaving the apple orchards at Boyden Gate the SSW follows a quiet lane before crossing a bridge over the busy Thanet Way motorway to pass close-by Chislet Windmill. A smock mill was built here in 1744 & remained working until 1916 when it was badly damaged in a gale. During World War II, Barnes Wallis lived in the mill house & observed the tests of his famous ‘bouncing bomb’ at  Reculver from the top of the mill. Unfortunately it was destroyed by a fire in 2005 but a replica mill was built in its place in 2011.

Texel sheep grazing next to the path near Reculver. This is a popular breed with farmers because of the demand for its high quality very lean meat.

The Towers, Reculver.

Soon after the Roman invasion of Britain in AD43 a settlement based on a harbour was established here at the northern end of the 3 mile-wide Wantsum sea channel which, in those days, separated the Isle of Thanet from the Kentish mainland. Richborough ( Roman Rutupiae or Portus Ritupis), the principle port of the new Roman Britannia Province & built on the site where the Romans first came ashore, was located at the southern end of this channel. The Roman settlement at Reculver grew in size & during the early 3^rd century one of the earliest Saxon Shore Forts ( Regulbium) was built here to protect the area against Saxon & Frankish raiders. By the fifth century the fort had been abandoned & an Anglo Saxon monastery was founded on the site in 669. The church of St. Mary was built here as part of the monastery complex and during the tenth century this became the parish church of Reculver after the monastery ceased to exist. The famous twin towers were added as part of a remodelling of the church during the twelfth century. Coastal erosion became an increasing problem during subsequent years & in 1805 the medieval church was partly demolished & the stone used in the construction of a new church on higher ground at nearby Hillborough. The twin towers had become an important landmark & navigational aide for mariners so were left in place & subsequently bought, repaired & reinforced by Trinity House in 1809.

Looking back along the SSW towards Reculver from Herne Bay.

From Reculver the SSW follows a well defined path along the coastline to Herne Bay which is situated some 2 miles to the east. Herne Bay (pop. 40,000), a quiet & pleasant town renowned for its sunny climate is popular with retirees. It developed rapidly as a seaside resort during the nineteenth & early twentieth centuries after the arrival of the railway during the 1830’s made it easily accessible from London. The town’s mile long parade & ¾ mile long iron pier were great attractions, especially the latter which allowed paddle steamers carrying visitors  from London & the Medway Towns to dock here. The advent of foreign holidays during the latter half of the twentieth century has led to a marked decline but it remains an attractive seaside town to visit. Unfortunately the pier remains in a poor state of repair after severe damage incurred during storms & the pier head remains isolated out at sea. There have been several plans to repair & reinstate the structure but so far nothing has materialised.