Beacon Wood Country Park
Beacon Wood Country Park | |
---|---|
Coordinates | 51°25′24″N 0°17′20″E / 51.4232°N 0.2889°E |
Area | 70 acres |
Created | 1991 |
Operated by | Kent County Council, |
Status | Open 7 days a week, dawn until dusk |
Website | www |
Beacon Wood Country Park is a public woodland in
History
The park has had a mixed history. For over 400 years, it was a rounded hill and ancient woodland. The trees have been used to supply timber for various uses. Including building, fencing and within ship construction. Especially the oak trees.[1]
A
In 1885, John J. Allchin leased a section of the site, for the yearly rent of £4-10
In 1900, some 27 small, predominantly Kent-based, cement manufacturers and their subsidiaries merged to form the Associated Portland Cement Manufacturers (1900) Ltd., or APCM for short, but also known locally as "The Combine". In 1928 the famous
In the 1930s Beacon Wood was taken over for its Clay Reserves, by APCM Ltd. From 1935 to 1964, four million tonnes of clay were excavated, mixed to a slurry and pumped along a 3 km pipeline, from the Bean Clay Pit, to Johnsons Cement Works (between
. Although clay extraction ceased in 1964, the land remained in APCM ownership, without public access.[2]In 1991 Blue Circle Industries leased the 70 acres (280,000 m2) disused Clay Pit for 15 years to Kent County Council, who created the Beacon Wood Country Park and an Advisory Group was set up by Groundwork UK (Kent Thames-side) who managed the creation and operation of the park.[4]
Beacon Wood Country Park was created by
Groundwork Trust then set up a volunteer group maintaining the woodlands.[6]
In 2001, Blue Circle Industries was taken over and the land passed to the Lafarge Group. Lafarge Cement UK, like its predecessor Blue Circle Industries, was the largest cement manufacturer in the United Kingdom, producing cement products under the old Blue Circle brand.
On 1 April 2001, Kent County Council and Dartford Borough Council took over park management from Groundwork Kent Thames-side. KCC/DBC did not continue the meetings of the Beacon Wood Advisory Group.[7]
In 2004, Kent Thameside Green Grid Design Strategy and Guidelines was produced by Kent County Council. It proposed to extend both Beacon Wood and Darenth Country Park to create a ‘joined’ Darenth and Beacon Country Park.[8]
In October 2005, a feasibility study and proposed action plan, for the creation of an Dartford Ancient Woodlands Country Park (DAWCP), was published. The report was funded by the ODPM and carried out by Gillespies.
Lafarge granted Kent County Council a 10-year extension to the lease in 2006, making the lease end date 2016.
In April 2012, the country park was closed due to budget cuts within Kent County Council. There has also been a change in the lease agreement between Lafarge and the council, so the site has been returned to the ownership of LaFarge, who are looking for other owners. Nearby Bean residents were worried that this may also include property developers. [10][11] However, land owners Lafarge Cement UK, entered into a five-year management partnership with Groundwork UK and Bean Parish Council.
The Friends of Beacon Woods Country Park was set up in September 2012 to promote community involvement in managing the park and to encourage local residents to use the park as well as highlight the importance of environmental education and awareness.[2][12]
References
- ^ "Beacon Hill Society". Bhsm.org.uk. Archived from the original on 23 December 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
- ^ a b c d "Beacon Wood History". Users.waitrose.com. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
- ^ "Kentish Delights Warbler Site » Sporting powder tin". Archived from the original on 18 April 2011. Retrieved 23 June 2011.
- ^ Trzyna, Ted (2001). "The Groundwork approach to neighborhood renewal". The California Institute of Public Affairs. Archived from the original on 12 March 2012. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- ^ "Bean Country Park". Users.waitrose.com. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 October 2011. Retrieved 23 June 2011.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "PROJECT BIDS FOR ODPM SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES MONEY" (PDF). Committeedmz.dartford.gov.uk. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 March 2012. Retrieved 23 June 2011.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Gillespies. "Home - Gillespies". Gillespies.
- ^ "Development fears as woodlands in Bean closes to public - News". Gravesend Reporter. 24 March 2011. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ "PRESS STATEMENT ISSUED AUGUST 2011" (PDF). Users.waitrose.com. September 2011. Retrieved 5 May 2013.
External links
Media related to Beacon Wood Country Park at Wikimedia Commons