View from Victory Wood

Image: © Marathon Taken: 25 Jun 2022

Victory Wood was former farmland that was transformed into a mosaic of habitats between 2005 and 2008 to mark the 200th anniversary of Britain’s victory at the Battle of Trafalgar. Various features relating to the battle have been created, such as sculptures and groves representing each ship in the British fleet. There is also a substantial area of grassland as seen here with views looking towards The Swale and the Isle of Sheppey. See https://www.visit-swale.co.uk/attractions/victory-wood-52915/ for more information. Victory Wood is owned by the Woodland Trust who bought it in 2004. Victory Wood was awarded 'Champion status' for a rare bee which has set up home here. The Shrill carder bee, named after its high-pitched buzz, is one of the UK's rarest bumblebees with just five population remaining across England and Wales. The bee was discovered here in 2008 and so the Woodland Trust teamed up with Bumblebee Conservation Trust and recruited volunteers to help boost the species. They have provided forage and nesting sites for the bee, which needs plentiful flower-rich mosaics of habitat for food, nests and hibernation. Surveys have shown that the population has risen significantly, with as many as 121 individuals recorded on one day.

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