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#6 Folly Shaw

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Stage 1 - Grosvenor Rocks
Stage 2 - Marnock Lake
Stage 3 - The Swimming Pool
Stage 4 - The Hub
Stage 5 - The Wetlands
Stage 6 - Folly Shaw
Stage 7 - Roundabout Wood
Stage 8 - The Community Orchard
Stage 9 - The Oast House
Stage 10 - Our Lost History

Folly Shaw

In 2000 Folly Shaw and Roundabout Wood were designated as Hilbert Woods Local Nature Reserve and are managed by KHWP.

The bridge was completely rebuilt during the Heritage Lottery refurbishment, and it crosses the stream coming from the wetlands. You can clearly see the effect this iron-rich (chalybeate) water has on its surroundings - it's what Tunbridge Wells is famous for! Despite the colour, the population of freshwater shrimp shows that it is unpolluted. There is a carved beaver, next to the leaky dam, which slows the stream during heavy rain, to prevent flooding downstream.

During World War II land between Folly Shaw and Roundabout Wood was used as allotments as part of the Dig for Victory campaign. In 2007 this area was planted with trees to link the two woods together and is known as Appledore Wood. It's managed by KHWP as a woodland pasture.

The trail carries on to Roundabout Wood, but if you'd like to explore Folly Shaw wood, then turn right at the top of the slope.

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The Folly Shaw woodland is classed as ancient woodland, as it has existed since at least 1600. The woodlands in the park have been around since Tudor times, when they formed part of South Frith Hunting Chase, which included the Tonbridge area. Historic maps show the extent of the woodland and the gradual change to farmland as sections were sold.

Ancient woodland develops over a long timescale, so has unique and irreplaceable groups of plants and animals, which depend on the stable conditions. While it may not always be inspiring in appearance, ancient woodland is a unique and increasingly rare habitat, covering only around 2.5% of the UK's land area. Woods planted today will not become ancient woodland in 400 years' time, because their soils have been modified by agriculture or industry. We can't replace the complex biodiversity of ancient woods which has accumulated over hundreds of years.

Just For Kids

Can you spot the beaver? She blends into the background quite well.

Do you think this would be a good place for a beaver to live?

If you are following the 'brass-rubbing' trail you'll find two near here. There is a dragonfly by the bridge here and a cow on the path to Roundabout Wood.

Folly Shaw: Nature

The trees here are mostly oak in the drier areas and alder where it's wetter - springs are a particular feature of the woods in the park. Shrubs and small trees like sallow, hazel and elder take advantage of the sunlit edges of the woods and provide nectar sources for a range of insects. Along the banks of the chalybeate spring ramsoms or wild garlic grow extensively - look out for their white flowers in spring.

Thick layers of leaf litter form on the woodland floor, which is home to many invertebrates. These are food for mini-hunters like centipedes and spiders, which are in turn eaten by birds and small mammals.

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Among the trees are brambles and ivy, which provide habitat and nest sites for a wide variety of birds, small and large mammals, and insects. Brambles flower from May to September, which is great for insects, and the juicy black fruits are eaten by birds, mammals and many insects (as well as people!)

Ivy flowers from September until November, so the nectar and pollen are important for many insects before they hibernate. The berries have a high fat contact, so are a nutritious food for many bird species. It is unusual as it has two growth forms - a juvenile climbing form with five lobed leaves and an adult form, which has oval or heart-shaped leaves without lobes. Ivy is not a parasitic plant, as it has its own separate root system to absorb nutrients and water. It uses trees (as well as walls and fences) for support, so it can reach upwards to better sunlight levels.

There's also deadwood in the form of rotting tree trunks, stumps and branches - this can be called the lifeblood of any woodland. Decaying wood releases nutrients back into the soil, to be reused by living trees and plants. The rotting wood is decomposed by fungi, with masses of threadlike strands hidden underground until they produce their fruiting bodies, like toadstools. Invertebrates live within the dead wood, their tunnels invisible apart from small surface holes. They are food for insectivorous birds and other animals. Standing dead trees and living trees with dead branches provide homes and roosts for birds and small mammals. Flaking bark and crevices are used by bats, and birds make holes for nesting.

What Next: Roundabout Wood

Follow the path over the bridge, through Appledore Wood and into Roundabout on the boardwalk.