Did you know there is a secret, hidden nature reserve in the heart of Wigmore? An oasis of woodland calm and home to a variety of animal and bird species that has existed little changed for hundreds of years yet isn't signposted from any direction.
Despite having lived in Rainham over 50 years, attending school in Wigmore and regularly visiting Wigmore Library as well as walking along Fairview Avenuue regularly I'd not realised until today that Levan Strice Woods actually existed as a council nature reserve and recreation area. I'd heard the name mentioned a few times but hadn't realised it was associated with a local place. I wonder how many other people in the area are also unaware of the natural site within our midst. I suppose it's easy to miss it because there are no signs from the main roads and it's only accessible via a track.
The site is actually between Fairview Avenue and Maidstone Road but isn't signposted or directly accessible from either of them. To reach it you either need to walk past Wigmore Library and follow the footpath signs through the gate that take you into the woods or alternatively from Maidstone Road follow the unmade track called Thanet Road and you will similarly reach a gate into the woods. The only indication that there is a nature reserve is a small noticeboard at the Fairview Road entrace to Wigmore library and even that isn't obvious as the sign reads "Levan Strice LNR". It's very unlikely that many people will know that LNR is the abbreviation for Local Nature Reserve and that walking past the library will locate it as there are no other signs visible.
Levan Strice woods have appeared on maps for over 200 years and are one of the remaining original woods that were left undeveloped after the Parkwood and Wigmore areas were developed from the 1910s onwards. Other ones such as Foxborough and East Hoath Woods are far more visible but also not designated as nature reserves.
Levan Strice Woods was obtained as council land by compulsory purchase of five parcels of woodland in 1977 by Gillingham Council. These plots were undeveloped areas from the building of Wigmore and totalled 7 acres of woodland.
The woods were badly hit by the hurricane winds in 1987. These were actually a blessing in disguise as they allowed the woodland to regenerate by opening it up with more light in contrast to the previous strategy of leaving the woods untouched.
