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Covering thousands
of acres, the Blean is one of the largest ancient woodland complexes
in south-east England. Lying to the north and west of Canterbury,
the Blean
woodlands are every bit as rich in heritage as that famous cathedral
city, and Clarity are helping clients the Blean Initiative and
the Kentish Stour Countryside Partnership to tell their story.
Hear the name
Dunkirk and you probably think of one of the key events in WWII.
But here in the Blean is another Dunkirk, a small Kentish village
with its own bloody history. Deep in the woods nearby is the site
of a forgotten battle - the Battle of Bossenden, the last armed
uprising on English soil. In 1838, led by a self-proclaimed messiah
called Sir William Courtenay, disaffected local labourers took
on soldiers among the trees. They lost, and Courtenay's body was
put on display in the local pub as a warning to others.
Elsewhere in
this unique forest, visitors can cycle along the Saltway, the
road once used for transporting precious salt from the marshes
near Whitstable to Canterbury. They can walk the Radfalls - ancient
trackways for droving livestock - and see the many old pollards
and banks that mark boundaries as old as the Canterbury Tales.
Clarity have
won a tender to produce a series of 20 interpretive panels that
will be installed throughout the Blean Woods. They will raise
awareness of the rich heritage and wildlife of the forest and
encourage local people and visitors to explore the woodland sites,
many of which are nature reserves, some protected by national
and international law. One of the aims of the Blean Initiative
is to promote woodland products and It is hoped that we can use
Blean oak for some of our structures.
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