5. The Blean.

In the past this must have been a most interesting area, particularly along the Harbledown valley. The elevated London Clay tract rises sharply in the west from Roughton-under-Blean to Dunkirk, stretching to the coast at Herne. The area is still covered with extensive oak-hornbeam woodland, with some stooled chestnut, and Eest and West Blears Woods, Church Wood, Clay Hill, Clowes Wood and Thornden Wood are all very fine. Previously this was probably unbroken forest. Now dairy farms and some fruit plantations break up the woodland. In the west, towards Dargate, are some areas of Pebble Beds. In the east, around Tyler Hill, Broadoak and Sturry, the soils are more complex, with small, confused areas of clay, sands, gravels and brickearth. Arable land, pasture, orchards and woodland are well intermixed here. The same mixture of soils forms the small Harbledown valley, which, before it was claimed for farming, must have had good bogs and heaths amongst the woodland. Court, Hunstead, Bigbury, Howfield and Denstead Woods are still good and extensive. Oak-birch-stooled chestnut predominate, with some hornbeam and small areas of ash in the depressions. The Selling area is mainly fruit and hops, where the brickearth is more extensive. The clay woods are undulating, often on steep slopes. Oak makes excellent growth here, and trees are large. In mature woodland herbs are sparse because of the dense shade. The huge hills of the wood ants, Formica rufa, are a common feature of the woods. Mosses form the main ground layer in the woods, and common species are Dicranum scoparium (L), Hedw, Hypnum cupressiforme, L, Oxyrrhynchium praelongum (Hedw), Warnst, Mnium hornum, L, Dicranella heteromalla, (L), Schp, Thuidium tamariscinum, (Hedw), B S et G, Polytrichum attenuatum, Menz, Webera nutans, (Schreb), Hedw and Dicranum majus, Sm. Along open rides, in clearings and at the margins are found, in addition to some of the above, Ceratodon puripureus, (L), Brid, Catharinea undulate, (L), Web et Mohr and Polytrichum junirerinum, Willd. In a very few places the rides are wet enough to have small areas of sphagnum, and S. palustre, L and S. subsecundum, Nees, sensu lat are the species which grow. In the valleys are small streams, with deeply-cut, overhung banks, usually well-shaded and bedded on stones. The liverwort Scapania undulata, (L), Dum grows here, but I have recorded no aquatic mosses. The overhung banks also have abundant hepatics, mainly Pellia epiphylla, (L), Corda, but a few mosses grow, notably Mnium punctatem, L and Fissidens bryoides, (L.), Hedw. Above the vertical, water-scoured part, mosses are dominant and abundant. Mnium hornum, L, M. punctatum, L, M. undulatum, L, Oxyrrhynchium praelongum, (Hedw), Warnst, Eurhynchium striatum, (Schreb), Schp, Thuidium tamariscinum, (Hedw) B S et G, Isothecium viviparum, (Neck), Lindb and I. Myosuroides, (L), Brid are the most common species. Rhytidiadelphus loreus, (L) , Warnst and Plagiothecium undulatum, (L), B S et G ought to be looked for in such places but neither these have so far been recorded. Hookeria lucens, (L), Sm, should occur nearer the water, it was recorded from Bigberry by Holmes and was re-found by Rose. I have not found Leucobryum glaucum, (L), Schp at all common in the clay woods, but it may be less rare than I have seen. Stump mosses are abundant, the main species being Aulacomnium androgynum, (L), Schwaegr, Hypnum cupressiforme, L, Dicranum scoparium, (L), Hedw and Plagiothecium denticulatum, (L), B S et G. Epiphytes are not conspicuous on oaks, but Hypnum cupressiforme, L, var resupinatum, (Wils), B S et G , Isothecium myosuroides, (L), Brid and Dicranum scoparium, (L), Hedw may usually be found.

The woods on the sands have more stooled chestnut. Ground mosses are a little different from those of the clay woods. Dicranum scopoarium, (L), Hedw is far less common; Leucobryum glaucum, (L) Schp much more common. Mnium hornum, L completely covers extensive areas of banks, and Dicranella heteromalla, (L), Schp, Catherinea undulata, (L), Web et Mohr, Oxyrrhynchium praelongum, (Hedw), Warnst and Webera nutans, (Schreb), Hedw are frequent. Plagiothecium undulatum, (L), B S et G grows in some woods. Ceratodon purpureus, (L), Brid and Polytrichum juniperinum, Willd are common where there is sufficient light. Mosses of chestnut stools are Aulacomnium androgynuun, (L), Schwaegr, Georgia pellucida, (L), Rabenh, Plagiotheciella latebricola, (Wils), Fleisch, Plagiothecium denticulatum, (L), B S et G, Hypnum cupressiforme, L, Mnium hornum, L, Dicranella heteromalla, (L), Schp and Dicranum scoparium, (L), Hedw. Plagiotheciella latebricola, (Wils), Fleisch is equally frequent in suitable habitats here as in other parts of North Kent.

One boggy area still exists at the foot of the slope in Bigbury Wood, and probably others could be found. This may have been the area from which Holmes recorded Hookeria lucens, (L), Sm, but if so it seems to have disappeared. The habitat seems quite suitable for it. Springs seep out and flow away in small streams. In the sandy ground they fail to bed down on a definite bottom, so peaty morasses are formed. Pellioid hepatics are abundant, with a paludal form of Brachythecium rutabulum, (L), B S et G. Sphagnum subsecundum, Nees, sensu lat is the only Sphagnum present, with Polytrichum commune, L Plagiothecium denticulatum, (L), B S et G covers peaty hummocks above the general water level.

Small, semi-heathy areas occur in woodland near Chartham Hatch, mainly on Oldhaven Pebble Beds. Mosses are abundant, but only common species grow. Ceratodon purpureus, (L), Brid and Polytrichum juniperinum, Willd are abundant; P. piliferum, Schreb, Webera nutans, (Schreb), Hedw and Brachythecium albicans, (Neck), B S et G. are occasional. In panned areas water collects on the surface, giving rise to small Juncus beds. Calliergonella cuspidata, (L), Loesk is abundant on the ground between the Juncus clumps.

A steep slope on the west side of Dunkirk Hill was ploughed and cultivated for a time in the late 1940's, but has now gone back to rough heath. Festuca, Deschampsia and Juncus are the common herbs; Cytisus scoparius is now covering the area. Deep water-scored channels are eaten into the slope, eroding the soil which is spilled as a silt deposit wherever the gradient is less steep. It is in these areas that the Juncus clumps grow. Mosses are not conspicuous nor common in this area. Ceratodon purpureus, (L), Brid and Webera nutans, (Schreb), Hedw are the most frequent; Bryum bicolor, Dicks and Dicranella heteromalla, (L), Schp are occasional. Pleurocarps have not yet appeared. If the area is left it will be interesting to watch the regression. Pastures are common between the woodland. Brachythecium rutabulum, (L), B S et G and Oxyrrhynchium praelongum, (Hedw), Warnst are the species of the clay lands, but in light sandy meadows, as at Denstead, Brachythecium albicans, (Neck), B S et G and Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus, (L), Warnst are common in short, rabbit-grazed turf.

Arable land has the same mosses as have been described from other Eocene areas in Kent.

The Oldhaven beds are dug for gravel at Chartham Hatch. Disused pits become compacted, with small wet areas in winter. Here clumps of Juncus sp. with Calliergonella cuspidata, (L), Loesk are frequent. In drier parts of the pits' floors Polytrichum juniperinum, Willd, P. piliferum, Schreb and Ceratodon purpureus, (L), Brid are frequent to common, with Brachythecium rutabulum, (L), B S et G occasional. Polytrichum gracile, Dicks grows in some quantity on the sloping bank of one pit.

The coastal strip is not very interesting. Whitstable and Herne Bay are popular holiday resorts, and the low clay or gravel cliffs do not support many mosses.

The Stour valley forms the southern boundary of the area. The river flows sluggishly through permanent pasture, with occasional small alder copses. Gravel pits occur at Shalmsford Street and Chartham, but are mainly new and still used. I have not studied the river valley much, but the habitat types are not those that are normally very interesting to the bryologist. The extensive woods are the main feature of this district, and would probably prove richer than we know with more intensive study.

Page maintained by Susan Laflin in memory of her father Thomas Laflin
Last updated January 2005.