Monkton Nature Reserve is a 16-acre haven for nature in the crowded urban and agricultural landscape of Thanet.
Our site has a fascinating and storied history, having been a quarry for over 170 years and subsequently a municipal rubbish tip before the creation of the reserve and opening of the Field Study Centre in 1986.
The Frenken Room Museum has a range of rocks, fossils and minerals on display and part of the centre hosts a natural history section. This section has a number of specimens from the natural world, including myriad butterflies and beetles.
Next to this is the bird viewing area, where visitors are welcome to relax and watch some birds using the feeders. Our centre also boasts almost 8,000 second-hand books which are for sale, spanning almost every genre. Best of all are the reasonable prices! Since its creation, the site has blossomed with a wide range of wildlife. In fact, over 350 species of flowering plant have been recorded. We are particularly proud to host a range of orchids, particularly the nationally scarce Man Orchid (found here in abundance).
There are a number of exciting trails to explore, including a woodland and a quarry trail. Also be sure to look out for the fairy houses found at several places around the reserve. Lester’s Trail is another to follow. This trail is named after Lester Hovenden, a volunteer at the reserve for many years; it centres around six sculptures of his favourite prehistoric and contemporary creatures, which can be found in the lower part of the reserve.
Our reserve is also known for its dragonfly and damselfly ponds. While both ponds are home to the nationally endangered Great-Crested Newt, as well as grass snakes, damselfly pond is a mainstay of the educational programmes which are hosted at the reserve. The pond is mainly used for pond dipping and has undergone extensive renovation recently, which has seen the improvement of the boardwalk around the pond and made the pond a more accessible area. This renovation is just one of several which have been carried out recently, which has included much of our parking space being expanded and upgraded.
This summer saw a range of activities held here, from the Big Bug Hunt to the Wind Power- pollination and turbines workshop, and we offered a wide range of experiences for all to enjoy.
Looking to the future, the old Thanet Observatory building is going to be repurposed as a state-of-the-art Environmental Educational Centre, which will inform and inspire school children and the public about environmental and sustainability issues.
We pride ourselves on offering reasonably price membership. In fact, the best value membership is a family membership at £25 for up to six people living at the same address. The reserve is open at weekends and on Tuesdays and Thursdays (10am - 4pm, last entry to the reserve at 3pm) and on other days/times for school and group visits by arrangement.
For further information email:
contact@monkton-reserve.org