Darland Banks

Sweeping panoramic views are not what you expect to find in the heart of the Medway towns but this site has long defied convention. This is Kent Wildlife Trust's most diverse reserve which is home to the largest population of Man Orchids in the country. Some of our rarest and most threatened species thrive on this restored chalk grassland just a stone's throw from one of Kent's biggest conurbations - Straw belle moth, Small blue butterfly, Yellowhammer and Roman snail to name but a few. Human history has played its part in creating the diversity. Large blocks of concrete from an anti-aircraft gun emplacement provides shelter for reptiles, backfilled World War Two practise trenches are filled with Man Orchids, Red star thistle established here when it was used by people with horse drawn wagons and each year a different vegetable pops up in the most recently cleared areas. The site is 45 ha in size, with steep paths that are uneven in places. There is grazing cattle on the site all year round. West Bank has limited car parking available at the junction of Darland Avenue and Kingsway. Main Bank has limited parking on the road side at Hoath Close.