Covert Wood Walks & Route Maps

This short walk explores the heart of Covert Wood, one of the largest ancient woodlands in the Kent Downs.

Broadleaf trees such as oak and hornbeam line the paths, with patches of wildflowers adding colour in spring and the canopy turning to rich golds and russets in autumn.

The woodland has been shaped by centuries of use, with old boundaries and traces of past activity still visible among the trees.

Today it is a quiet refuge where wildlife thrives and a compact route that captures the timeless character of this historic landscape.

This longer route explores much more of the beautiful Covert Wood, a broad expanse of ancient woodland shaped by centuries of forestry and farming.

From the shaded woodland, the walk briefly opens out onto Jumping Downs, a sweep of chalk grassland with big skies and wide views.

Here, wildflowers and grasses thrive on the thin soils, attracting butterflies and other insects in the warmer months.

The contrast between woodland and downs makes this a varied outing that captures the Kent Downs at their most distinctive.