Dane Valley Woods

Home
United Kingdom
Margate
Dane Valley Woods

Dane Valley Woods aims to be a sustainable, community-owned wildspace in the heart of Margate

Dane Valley Woods is a community woodland in the heart of Margate. It is a greenspace that is run by volunteers for the benefit of both people and wildlife, and is being established on a former landfill. Few parts of Kent have as little trees as Thanet, making a new woodland particularly good news for the area. The 13 acre site lies next to the Dane Valley Allotments, and the aim is to involve as

many people as possible through practical task days which run on the last Sunday of every month from 10am until 1pm, wildlife talks and walks; as well as other events all taking place at the woodland.

01/09/2026

We had another fantastic turnout on Sunday, when 27 amazing volunteers assisted with recovery efforts for the woods, following the recent fire.

One team was based in a large area to clear it of burnt vegetation, in preparation for future planned wild flower meadows. Others worked in previous clearance areas, to dig out bramble roots, and carry out a litter pick.

A vision is emerging for improving the site biodiversity and resilience, which we will be sharing with the community soon. In the meantime, thank you to all our wonderful helpers, and everyone who has contributed to our fundraiser so far - the link is in the comments.

25/08/2026

The first session of Project Resilience and Recovery was a great success. Join us for Part Two this Sunday, meeting 10am at our HQ (location in comments)

18/08/2026

Project Recovery and Resilience started on Sunday, and we were blown away by the support that turned up - 21 volunteers in total!

The main tasks were to start implementing the plan by clearing away dead bramble and clematis, from what will eventually become a new fire break.

A litter pick was carried out and six bags of bottles, cans etc were recovered from the site of the fire.

Amazing progress was made and we continue our work on Sunday 30 August, meeting 10am at our HQ. We look forward to seeing as many volunteers as can make it, and don’t forget we have also set up a fundraising page for a new hedgerow (link in comments).

14/08/2026

Following the recent fire, the first phase of our Project Recovery & Resilience starts this Sunday (16 August).

We are seeking volunteers to assist with initially clearing parts of the affected area - more details are on the event page.

We are extremely grateful to the community for already helping us a third of the way towards our fundraising target 💚 Link in comments.

10/08/2026

RECOVERY AND RESILIENCE

Last Wednesday there was an extensive fire at Dane Valley Woods, affecting one acre of the 12 acre site. This resulted in a devastating loss of habitat and wildlife.

We would like to express our gratitude for the outpouring of good will and offers of assistance from the local community, and have been working on a plan that we are calling “Recovery and Resilience”.

For details of the plan, scroll through the slides on this post.

We are putting the call out for volunteers to help, starting with this Sunday* (16 August). Any assistance will make a huge difference, people power in action!

We have also set up a GoFundMe page if you would like to show your support and help make this plan a reality - the link is in the comments!

Help us to help the woods, either through volunteering some time, donating to our fundraiser, or sharing this post far and wide.

Thank you, from the Steering Group of Dane Valley Woods.

*this task will only be suitable for adult volunteers, due to the presence of ash

05/08/2026

We are sorry to report that there has been a fire at Dane Valley Woods this afternoon.

Thanks to the quick reporting of the fire by local residents, and the swift actions by Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS), the fire was contained and extinguished. They have now left site but will return to check for any hotspots.

We estimate that approximately one acre of our 12 acre site was affected. It was the SE section containing a large area of mainly bramble.

Thankfully no persons were harmed, although the widespread loss of habitat is devastating for the wildlife.

We will be assessing the damage over the next few days and will let the local community know how they can assist with restoration and recovery.

This is a stark reminder that in the current drought conditions, wildfires can spread very quickly, and everyone should be extra vigilant and keep fingers crossed for rain.

03/08/2026

The latest get together at Dane Valley Woods

02/08/2026

Tonight's sunset at Dane Valley Woods 💚

27/07/2026

Yesterday (Sunday) was our regular monthly morning of tasks. This month, our two main objectives were in response to the lack of rainfall in the last few weeks.

Firstly we focused on widening our grass paths. When the woods suffered a large fire four years ago, the fire brigade recommended that these paths can act as fire breaks, in the event of a wildfire.

Wider paths are also better for visitors to the woods, making them more accessible.

After a well deserved hydration break, we then ferried water in containers to the newest trees planted last winter. They have already been mulched and cleared of competing vegetation, so it is hoped these measures plus the watering will help them through this extended dry period.

A rain cloud did appear at one point but quickly scurried away.....

Thank you as always to our fantastic volunteers for giving up their spare time on a Sunday morning, to help widen paths and water the trees.

Address

Dane Valley Road
Margate
CT93RX

Website

https://danevalleywoods.org/, https://linktr.ee/danevalley

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Dane Valley Woods posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organisation

Send a message to Dane Valley Woods:

Want your organisation to be the top-listed Non Profit Organisation in Margate?