Description:

About 16 hectares, including ancient woodland on clay-with-flints on the more level parts, and secondary woodland and scrub with areas of chalk grassland on the south-facing slopes. Much of the downland has been lost, but there are still four open glades that are managed by winter mowing and by rabbit grazing.

The chalk grassland, though limited to four main areas surrounded by scrub and secondary woodland, is very diverse and includes species such as squinancywort, common rock-rose, small scabious, burnet-saxifrage, fairy flax, cowslip and yellow-wort.

Of particular interest is the presence of dropwort on Whiteleaf Down. This is the only known colony of this plant west of the Medway Gap.

A number of orchids are also present within the downland including man orchid, pyramidal orchid, common spotted-orchid, bee orchid and common twayblade. Adder's-tongue occurs in several locations on the lower slopes.

Butterflies include brown argus, common blue, dingy and grizzled skipper.

There is a sign, with a map of the paths, at the entrances to the reserve. There are no surfaced tracks at Kemsing; the site is on a hillside and therefore many of the paths are steep and some are uneven. See weblink for map and further info.