Hucking Estate (Woodland Trust)

Out and About – Hucking Estate, Hucking

Visited on 6th May 2021

by Stephen Palmer

Where is it?

Hucking Estate is located in the village of HUcking, just off the A249 between Maidstone and Sittingbourne.

There is a small car park in Church Road, ME17 1QT, though if this is full then parking is available at the nearby Hook and Hatchet Public House.

Map Reference: TQ 84785 58103

It’s history

Hucking Estate was acquired by the Woodland Trust in 1997, planting 180,000 trees. Further acquisitions were completed in 2010 and 2017, including species-rich grassland and ancient woodland.

The estate lies on the southern edge of the North Downs and the area has been occupied and farmed by the Romans, Jutes and Normans.

There are a number of archaeological features, including a former ironworking site, medieval wood banks and chalk pits.

What to see

The estate has marked walks, varying in length, through the a mix of ancient woodland, planted woodland and open grassland. When I visited at the beginning of May the bluebells were in abundance and were almost everywhere you looked.

The walks are reasonably flat, and suitable for most abilities.

There are walks that lead to open grassland with views out across the Downs, which in the sunshine are outstanding.

Wildlife and Habitats

Hucking Estate supports 10 threatened bird species. 21 species of butterfly have also been identified here. There are several bat species including Daubentons, Brown long eared and Natterers.

There is a wide variety of trees including oaks, maples, birch, hazel, hornbeam and whitebeam to name a few. The flowers are also plentiful, with the bluebells being exceptional.