Lydden and Temple Ewell Downs
Nature reserve in Kent, England
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lydden and Temple Ewell Downs is a 63.2-hectare (156-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest north-west of Dover in Kent.[1][2] It is a Special Area of Conservation[3] and Nature Conservation Review site.[1] It is also part of the 78.5-hectare (194-acre) Lydden Temple Ewell National Nature Reserve[4][5] and the 90-hectare (220-acre) Lydden Temple Ewell nature reserve, which is managed by the Kent Wildlife Trust.[6] It is in the North Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.[7]
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
| |
 Location of Lydden and Temple Ewell Downs. | |
| Area of search | Kent |
|---|---|
| Grid reference | TR 275 453[1] |
| Interest | Biological |
| Area | 63.2 hectares (156 acres)[1] |
| Notification date | 1986[1] |
| Location map | Magic Map |
This site has some of the richest chalk downland in the county. The invertebrate community is outstanding, including butterflies such as marbled whites, adonis blue and the very rare silver-spotted skipper.[7] A colony of Periclepsis cinctana, the Dover twist moth, was found at Lydden Temple Ewell in June 2025, the species not having been seen in England since 1952.[8]
There is public access to the site.