6. The Old Wantsum Channel.

The low-lying land between the chalk of the North Downs and Thanet is largely covered with alluvium from the channel of the Wantsum which once separated Thanet from the mainland. The area as defined here has been artificially extended to include the Stour valley up to Canterbury, which is somewhat similar in character. The Thanet beds which lie along the foot of the chalk are not quite comparable, but are difficult to fit in elsewhere, and hardly extensive enough to separate.

Marsh pastures, intersected by dykes, are found at Chislet, Sarre, several places along the Stour, and Richborough. These are similar to those bordering the Thames further west. The sea-wall between Reculver and Birchington is also similar to that further west.

From Stodmarsh to Sandwich is a large area of well-farmed, intensive holdings, many small in acreage, but variable in this respect. Market gardening and fruit, with some corn, is the main husbandry method, and under these conditions fallow land mosses get little chance to grow. The Stour here is tidal, and where it flows through pastures, the banks are densely herb-covered and poor bryologically.

Just east of Canterbury are some fine woods on Thanet Sand. They are oak-chestnut-birch woods on somewhat undulating land, and have a good bryophyte flora for woods of this type. The species are similar to those of other Eocene roods on sand or loam. Leucobryum glaucum, (L), Schp is as fine here as anywhere in Kent. Further east the country is more open, and woods are absent. This is the area of the Kent Coalfield, with pits at Chislet, Wingharn, Tilmanstone, Snowdown and Betteshanger. The old spoil heaps are not large, and do not seem to support mosses.

The most interesting part of this area is the extensive sand dune expanse of Sandwich and Deal. Although much of the area is covered by golf courses, part of these is accessible, and there are some good areas outside them. The dunes themselves have Tortula ruraliformis, (Besch), Dix, Bryum pendulum, (Hornsch), Schp, B. capillare, L, B. caespiticium, L, B. inclinatum, (Sw), B S et G, Ceratodon purpureus, (L), Brid, Hygnum cupressiforme, L, Dicranum scoparium, (L), Hedw, Tortella flavovirens, (Bruch), Broth, Pleurochaete squarrosa, (Brid), Lindb, Rhynchostagium megapolitanum, (Bland), B S et G, Brachythecium albicans, (Neck), B S et G, Barbula convoluta, Hedw and B. unguiculata, (Huds), Hedw, B. hornschuchiana, Schultz vas found by E. H. Stevens, 1929. It seems that the wet slacks and lows were once more numerous and extensive than they are now, but a few good areas still remain, where Calliergonella cuspidata, (L), Loesk, Bryum ventricosum, Dicks, Campylium polygamum, (B S et G), Bryhn, C. elodes, (Spruce), Broth, Drepanocladus fluitans, (L), Warnst and D. aduncus, (Hedw), Moenkm are found. Climaceum dendroides, (L), Web et Mohr, recorded from here by Mitten and Holmes, has not been found since. The sand dune area is a very fine one, and well worth more study.

Another habitat type near here which would probably repay closer searching is the fens near Ham and Worth. These are very overgrown, and Calliergonella cuspidata, (L), Loesk and Cratoneurum filicinum, (L), Roth are the common species present, but there must be more of interest to be found.

As in other areas with shallow deposits over chalk, pits have opened, but the disused quarries are dry and rather uninteresting. Generally, the whole area needs more study to give as full an account of the mosses as is possible for some other Kent districts.

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