Hoad's Wood is an biological
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain, or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle ...
west of
Ashford in
Kent
Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...
.
Natural England
Natural England is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It is responsible for ensuring that England's natural environment, including its land, flora and fauna, ...
described the woodland thus: "This site is a good example of a pedunculate oak-hornbeam woodland on
Wealden Clay omprisingmainly hornbeam coppice-with-standards and oakhazel woodland with some sweet chestnut coppice. There is an outstanding assemblage of insects: moths and butterflies are particularly well documented. The wood also supports a diverse breeding bird community." Birds breeding in the wood include nightingale, woodcock, nuthatch, great-spotted woodpecker and several kinds of tits and warblers.
The site is private land with no public access.
In March 2021, the woodland was the site where the remains of Sarah Everard were found after
her abduction and murder.
In January 2024 Hoad's Wood received national attention when it was reported the woodland had become an illegal rubbish dump. Access to the site was blocked by the Environment Agency and a court order put in place to prevent illegal tipping.
References
{{SSSIs Kent
Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Kent
Forests and woodlands of Kent