Duncan Down
| Duncan Down | |
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 Duncan Down
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| Duncan Down shown within Kent | |
| OS grid reference | TR107667 |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Whitstable |
| Police | Kent |
| Fire | Kent |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | |
Duncan Down is an open, public, area to the south west of Whitstable and is the largest village green in the United Kingdom. It is a 21 hectare (52 acre) area of grass and woodland incorporating two ponds and a brook. The area is maintained by the Friends of Duncan Down with assistance from Canterbury City Council and has received a grant from the Lottery Breathing Places programme. Originally intended for housing development in the inter-war years it is now protected by its village green status.
At the beginning of the twentieth century a plan was produced that would have involved the development of a large part of the downs for housing. Two very small sections of this plan were built but the remaining sections were never implemented. Until world war II the downs were grassland but during the war the government directed that they should undergo cultivation and flax and other crops were planted. After the war the area remained under cultivation, mainly for hay until problems of vandalism made continued use unprofitable. Throughout the 1980s Canterbury City Council provided minimal management of the area manly consisting of grass cutting and rubbish removal.
Since the 1960s four village greens have been registered. These, together, now comprise the area known by the name: Duncan Down. The first, VG124, an area of scrub and woodland to the northeast of the site was registered in 1969. The second area, originally cultivated farmland, which forms the major part of the site was registered in 1992. The third and fourth areas, VG240 and VG256, both woodland, were registered in 2007 and 2011 respectively.
The local council, Canterbury City Council is the main landowner. There are several plots of land under private ownership but the majority of the land has no registered owner.
Approximately one quarter of the area of the downs is set aside as grassland which provides food for insects, birds, and the significant rabbit population. Although this grassland would ideally be controlled by animal grazing, the lack of ruminants on the site means that an annual hay harvest is undertaken.
Grass types present include perennial rye, sheep's fescue, sweet vernal, and timothy.
Flowering plants within the grassland areas include: birdsfoot trefoil, buttercup, clover, flax, ox-eye daisy, and vetch. The clover is of particular importance as bacteria within the root system fix nitrogen in the soil which is then used by other plants. Poppies appear occasionally but are rare as the soil is not disturbed.
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Wikipedia