Folkestone Warren SSSI


During the afternoon I visited Folkestone Warren. The Warren is an interesting country park that is managed by White Cliffs Project. The area is known as a good reptile site and KRAG have organised a few fieldtrips in the past. What really interests me is the fact that the Warren is one of the few Kentish sites that historically supported sand lizard.

On examining the Warren it is a little difficult to understand exactly where sand lizard would have laid their eggs, since the site is predominantly thick scrub over chalk.
Cliffs at Folkestone Warren

Chalk Cliffs at Folkestone Warren

However, the Warren has been formed by constant land-slips and what is interesting is the fact that there is sand above the chalk. This sand is exposed during landslides etc as can be seen in the photo below.

Landslide at Steady Hole showing exposed sand above cliffs

Exposed Sand Above Cliffs

Landslips are a regular occurrence and can cause havoc to the railway line below. Historically, the site was very popular with Victorian day-trippers who used to arrive by train. In those days the site was much more open than it is today...

The top of the cliffs offer good opportunities for reptiles and I have seen many viviparous lizards basking in the rough grassland areas. Could the old sand lizard records really be from the cliff tops? Apart from landslips, the only other way that sand is exposed is through the hard work of rabbits and moles!

Posted: Mon - September 6, 2004 at 03:10 pm        

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