Wye Downs facts for kids
Wye Downs is a stretch of chalk downland and woodland located on the North Downs near the village of Wye in Kent. The site is a National Nature Reserve owned and managed by Natural England and comprises a chalk escarpment dissected by several coombes, which were formed by frost weathering in the period following the last ice age. The most spectacular coombe is known as the Devil's Kneading Trough. The field containing Wye Crown is also within the NNR and is owned by Imperial College London. Originally the Crown was carved in the chalk but is now made of painted stones enclosed in wire cages.
The Downs are part of Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Wye and Crundale Downs Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Wildlife
Over 21 species of orchids have been recorded at the reserve including one of the UK's rarest species, the late spider-orchid. Many uncommon species of animals are also found here, including the Duke of Burgundy butterfly and black-veined moth.
