Polo Wood is an ancient woodland featuring chestnut coppice with oak standards. There are a few other broadleaf species including birch and mountain ash. A private walk track has been created from the ride stop entrance, through the coppice, to where a bench has been installed. Positioned in the heart of the wood this is an extremely private place to enjoy the peace and quiet.

The purchasers of the woodland will be asked to enter into a covenant to ensure the quiet and peaceful enjoyment of adjoining woodlands and meadows.

Trees

The majority of the sweet chestnut was last cut in 2017. The ‘work programme’ in the Management Plan proposes that the sweet chestnut should be coppiced again in approximately 18-20 years (in order to stagger the growth with the neighbouring compartment). Alternatively, an owner could encourage a more varied and diverse wood to develop by ‘singling’ the chestnut and planting mixed native broadleaves. You can read more about this in our blog. A smaller area in the north east of Polo Wood contains mature chestnut. The new owners will be able to harvest this chestnut, either as a whole, or more slowly as and when they wish, to create durable fence posts, or to provide a bountiful supply of firewood. Of course, it will conveniently regrow.

Polo Wood has been designated as Ancient Semi Natural Woodland (ASNW) by Natural England. This land has been wooded since at least 1600AD.

Wildlife

Crossbills, sparrow hawks, buzzards and kestrels, green and great spotted woodpeckers and lesser redpoll have been recorded in the area.

Features

We are fortunate to have two useful studies, which were undertaken by professionals. The Management Plan has been written by a qualified and experienced forestry professional to indicate a way in which Abbey Woods (of which Polo Wood is a part) as a whole might be managed, but only you can know what you want to achieve and what your resources are. The Management Plan is not mandatory, but it is full of good advice, and a lot of background information which will certainly be interesting and useful. We also have a report from Julian Evans, author of “Getting Started in a Wood of Your Own”. The report covers the wider area of Abbey Woods and again, advice is not compulsory. Please bear in mind that not everything in either of them applies to the particular area of Abbey Woods which is Polo Wood.

Polo Wood is also part of a larger Local Wildlife Site - you can find out more about this here.

Access, tracks and footpaths

Access to Polo Wood is via the double metal gates off the country road. A stoned track leads to the ride stop entrance to the wood. Here owners are able to drive in and park a car within Polo Wood. There is a generous timber storage area which is shared with the other owners just inside the main entrance gates.

Woodlands have granted permission for local walkers to use the established track to the south and north of Polo Wood noted as a ‘permissive path’ on the map.

Activities

Polo Wood provides the opportunity for a new owner to manage a coppice wood, learn and practice bushcrafts, as well as enjoying the privacy it offers for family camping.

Local area and history

Maidstone is approximately 5 miles from Polo Wood and the Grade I Listed Leeds Castle is less than 2 1/5 miles nearby. Polo Wood has been named after Marco Polo – a Venetian merchant, explorer and writer.

Location

OS Landranger: OS No 188
Grid ref: TQ 821 514
Nearest post code: ME17 3GZ