Woodlands.co.uk

Ivy Meadow £119,000 Freehold

Description

“The one who plants trees, knowing that he may never sit in their shade, has at least started to understand the meaning of life.” Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941)

Many of us feel that desire to plant trees. To create something, from nothing, and watch the landscape transform and leave a legacy for future generations. There is something calming and deeply satisfying knowing that your hard work and investment now will reap rewards for many years to come. It could be to plant a new family woodland, or undertake a carbon offsetting project or a rewilding venture where nature alone takes the wheel.

Whichever it may be, there won’t be many better spots to do it than Ivy Meadow, tucked away in a quiet and peaceful corner in the heart of Kent’s High Weald, just outside the village of Benenden. Whilst the majority of this wedge-shaped parcel is open land, it also includes a belt of woodland along the northern edge and a substantial pond in the middle. This variance is of great value in terms of conservation and biodiversity.

The woodland shaw will soon naturally colonise the open land, given half the chance. This is the process of natural regeneration, where the wind, birds & animals disperse the seeds of the trees, allowing young saplings to germinate and take root on land once farmed year in year out. Although the land has been used agriculturally for the past 40 years or so, prior to that it was an extensive apple orchard. A new steward could return the land to this wooded state, which thousands of years ago would have been the natural order of things – for miles in all directions.

The land is accessed via a stoned track from the B2086 (Mounts Hill), ensuring year round vehicular access. The expanse of open land stretches out ahead of you from the entrance towards the east, with a line of stakes demarcating the southern boundary. About half way across the meadow lies the pond, banked on all sides by a belt of deciduous trees, namely Alder and Willow. The pond, as well as being an attractive feature, provides a vital habitat for a plethora of wildlife including insects, aquatic plants, amphibians, birds and other pondlife. At the top of the parcel, at the northern boundary, lies the woodland shaw which shields the meadow. A place to find shade, gather brush and listen to the birds call. The elder sibling of the new woodland to be.

Ivy Meadow would appeal to those with environmental and conservation interests who are looking to own a private parcel of land awash with potential for woodland creation. The existing woodland and large pond round of this special parcel of land.

In their eagerness to preserve this meadow, and as recognition of its value, the local council have given it an extra level of protection by including it within an Article 4 area, which means that it is protected from unsympathetic development. You can read more about that here.

The purchasers of the meadow will be asked to enter into a covenant

Features

- Quiet & private location

- Extesnive open land suitable for tree planting

- Woodland shaw along the northen edge

- Substantial pond

Access, tracks and footpaths

The land is accessed via a track along which a full right of way will be granted. The track runs the length of the western boundary enabling access across its full length. Ivy Meadow comes with freehold title and there are no public rights of way across it.

Local area and history

Benenden is one of the Wealden 'dens' that commemorate the Saxon practice of appending forest clearings in the sprawling Andredsweald (the Weald) to their coastal manors. These clearings, or dens, were where the manor pigs rooted for the acorns and other 'pannage' on which they were fattened and from which timber and brushwood was collected.

Following the Norman Conquest, the manor of Benenden was given by William the Conqueror to his half-brother, the Bishop of Bayeux. The village was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as one of only four villages in the Weald to have a Church. It is reffered to as Benendine, its etymology originating from the Old English 'Bynna' meaning 'wooded pasture'.

From around the 14th century, Benenden became a place of indsutrial significance, most notably for the Wealden Ironmasters who contributed to the prosperity of the village.

Wood maps

Meadow map

Boundaries

Boundary features are marked with blue paint

- Western boundary - edge of access track

- Southern boundary - line of stakes

- Northern boundary - Woodland ditch running along the top of the woodland shaw. This boundary is also fenced for the majority of its length

Find this wood

Location

  • OS Landranger: OS No. 188
  • Grid ref: TQ 793 340
  • Nearest post code: TN17 4ET
  • GPS coordinates: 51.0776, 0.559165

Location map

Directions

Ivy Meadow is accessed via a metalled road, and then track, which lead from from the B2086, Mounts Hill.

Click here for Bing Maps directions, enter your own postcode, (the location coordinates are already entered), and click on the "Directions" box. This will take you to the field gate at the entrance to the site. Please follow the maps & directions below from this point.

Coordinates for satnav are: 51° 04' 31.2" N, 0° 33' 33.7" E for the field gate.

Satnav: the postcode TN17 4ET is the nearest to the meadow, but please note that this will take you to Mounts Hill, and not the specific entrance.

Directions:

In terms of finding the meadow, when heading along the Cranbrook Road and then Mounts Hill (both the B2086) from the Cranbrook / Swattenden direction towards Benenden, you need to look out for a turning on your left hand side signposted for Mounts Farm. There is also a small post-box in the hedge on the other side of the turning to the sign. This turning is the last turning to the left off the B2086 before you reach the signs for Benenden Village, where the speed limit is reduced to 40mph. Head all the way to the end of this metalled road, which is around 0.5km. At this point, the road turns into a wooded track, continue along here and pass through the field gate. Travel a further 50m and turn right at the T-junction by the large poplar trees. Ivy Meadow is around 200m down this track on the right hand side.

How we support our buyers

Membership of the small woodland owners’ group

EITHER £300 for a woodland course of your choice

OR £300 contribution towards buying trees, tree shelters or stakes

One year's free membership of the royal forestry society

Please note this wood is owned by woodlands.co.uk.

Our regional managers are often out working in our woodlands, so if you email an offer and want to be sure it has been received, please phone our manager on their mobile phone. The first offer at the stated price which is accepted, whether by phone or email, has priority.

Please take care when viewing as the great outdoors can contain unexpected hazards and woodlands are no exception. You should exercise common sense and caution, such as wearing appropriate footwear and avoiding visiting during high winds.

These particulars are for guidance only and, though believed to be correct, do not form part of any contract. Woodland Investment Management Ltd hereby give notice under section 21 of the Estate Agents Act 1979 of their interest in the land being sold.

An idyllic meadow in the heart of Kent's High Weald. Occupying a particularly quiet and private location, the land also includes a woodland shaw and large pond.

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Managed by Anton Baskerville

Telephone: 07952 694 652

Email: [email protected]