Crossing the old Kingsferry Bridge to the Isle of Sheppey, you begin to feel Elmley’s distance not in miles but in mood. Though never far from Kent’s industrial past or present, the mainland quickly slips away, to be replaced by a quiet panorama of grassland and sky.
Elmley is the only family-owned and run national nature reserve in the country and is one of the closest to London, 40 miles away. It is also the only national nature reserve in the UK where you can stay overnight — you can then explore its 3,300 acres at your own pace, lingering at dawn and dusk when the wildlife is most active.
The two-mile drive from the entrance to the farmhouse at the centre of the reserve is like a gentle self-guided safari. Hares warm themselves in the sun, lapwings wheel overhead, buzzards and marsh harriers ride the thermals. Yellow wagtails, summer visitors that are bright as lemons, flit along the track. Herds of grazing cattle quietly maintain the delicate habitat.
Elmley is the only family-owned and run national nature reserve in the country
2023 REBECCA DOUGLAS
