(S/E) Setting off from Bore Place car park and using the map and public footpath waymarkers to guide you, turn right and follow the farm track past the milking parlour, bearing round to the right and then straight ahead until you reach a large barn on the left where woodchip is stored. This is used to fuel the biomass boiler to heat Bore Place’s hot water and buildings. Turn left here and head up onto a narrow wooded path which leads over a stile, through a squeeze gap and into a field with the wind turbine. Walk diagonally across the field keeping the turbine on the left and aiming for the stile at the edge of the wood beyond. Cross the stile and follow the right-hand edge of the field, leaving it at the far end. Pass out under some tall oak trees where you will be greeted by a great view over Bough Beech Reservoir. Continue straight down the right-hand edge of the field, through a small metal gate, along a narrow sloping wooded path to the minor road at the bottom, after crossing another stile.
(1) Take great care when crossing the road to reach the pavement on the other side and turn right to follow the path as it leads to a causeway with views of North Lake to the right and the shoreline of the main reservoir on the left.
This is a good place to stop at all times of year to birdwatch, with over 150 species of birds being recorded here regularly. It’s a famous site for ospreys passing by on migration in spring and autumn, and is also popular with flocks of winter visiting ducks, like wigeons.
Continue on to the far end of the causeway, and just beyond it look for the entrance to the KWT Bough Beech Education Centre on your left.
(2) At this point, you can choose to extend your walk by turning left down the driveway towards the centre to connect with two short circular nature trails. At the northern end of the reservoir lies the Kent Wildlife Trust education centre and 50-acre nature reserve. Reserves like this form an important part of the Trust’s vision of a Living Landscape, where wild places are protected, restored and reconnected for the benefit of wildlife and people. The centre is a 19th century oast house. Here you can access bird hides and feeding stations, find out about wildlife on the reserve, and join two circular trails. The Winkhurst Farm Trail (0.9km) and Nature Trail (2.5km) start and finish at the centre and are signposted by Kent Wildlife Trust and public footpath waymarkers. Both paths take in more views of the reservoir, ancient hedgerows, and hay meadows managed for wildflowers.
To continue back to Bore Place, walk up the road with care for 175m looking for a gate in the hedge on the right signed by a footpath waymarker post.
(3) Cross into the field here and follow the right-hand edge of the field, cross over a small stream and continue up the slope on the other side, enjoying views of the wooded Greensand Ridge to the north and the reservoir to the south. Bear left on approaching the top of the field and look for a stile to cross on the right shortly after.
(4) Now turn right to head down the track, following it all the way back to Bore Place and the car park.(S/E)
