Size: 67.73 acres (27.41 ha)
Near: Cudham, Greater London
Visitors to Blackbush Shaw have the unique opportunity to walk in the footsteps of the world’s most famous naturalist, Charles Darwin. The woodland, which includes the adjacent Twenty Acre Shaw, is nestled away on the slopes of the Downe Valley, close to the Kentish village of Cudham.
Two significant legacies helped the Trust extend the site, taking over a new 22 acre (8.9 hectare) plot of chalk grassland which will act as a buffer to the woods where Darwin once collected evidence for his book The Origin of Species.
Together the woods provide an intricate mosaic of grassland, farmland, woodland, woodbanks and hedgerows, many remaining virtually unchanged since Darwin’s time. Within the 24 acres (9 hectares) covered by Blackbush Shaw are a mixture of habitats, with both ancient woodland and younger trees, as well as grassland that’s rich in colourful f lora, including the six different species of orchid that once inspired Darwin.
Glades open out throughout the wood and during spring these are awash with primroses and cowslips. The whole site has several excellent footpaths, while the steep sides of the valley are riddled with badger setts. In contrast, Twenty Acre Shaw is all mature woodland and another of those quintessentially English spots where bluebells herald the start of spring with a remarkable display of colour. The legacies have also helped to provide a range of pictorial interpretation boards, and the site’s importance is now acknowledged by the fact it has been put forward for World Heritage status.
Visit 'Our woods' to find out more on this wood.
