{"id":"69394e357202e9abd62bd0a5","title":"Four Elms And Bough Beech Reservoir","path":"walks/routes/recommended/four-elms-and-bough-beech-reservoir","contentMarkdown":"# Kent Ramblers: Walk 36\n\n![](https://www.kentramblers.org.uk/KentWalks/public/images/banner_036.jpg)\n\n## Points of Interest\n\n### St Paul's Church\n\nBuilt in the 1880s and designed by Edwin Thomas Hall \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t(who designed Liberty's in Regent Street), St Paul's may \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tbe the oldest concrete church in England. The fine \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tinterior contains work by William Lethaby and others in \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tthe Arts and Crafts movement.\n\n### Furnace House\n\nThis Grade II listed timber framed house was built in \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tthe late 16th or early 17th century and the roof later \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tremodelled to create a greater overhang. The name \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tsuggests that the house was built by the owner or \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tmanager of a furnace during the heyday of the Wealden \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tiron industry and is indeed very close to two furnaces \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tbelieved to have been operating around 1589, probably by \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThomas Browne whose family was very prominent in the \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tindustry.\n\n### Marlpit Wood\n\nThere are many references to marl pits on maps of Kent. \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tMarl is a rock layer consisting of a mixture of clay and \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tchalk. It has been excavated since Roman times as a \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tfertiliser ' the name is derived from a Latin word for \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tfertiliser. A marl layer is often found in association \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\twith ironstone ' hence Furnace House Farm not far from \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tthe wood.\n\n### Bough Beech\n\nFor many years the area you pass through alongside \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tthe reservoir was managed as a nature reserve by Kent \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tWildlife Trust with a visitor centre at the oast house.\n\n![](https://www.kentramblers.org.uk/KentWalks/public/images/P036a.jpg)\n\nSadly the visitor centre was closed at the end of \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t2017 and at the time of writing the Trust appears to \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\thave withdrawn completely from the site which is owned by Sutton \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tand East Surrey Water. There is parking on the lane \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\twhere it divides the reservoir and it is rare not to see \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tbirdwatchers here with their binoculars and zoom lenses. \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThe reservoir itself is filled in winter by pumping \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\twater from the River Eden for purification and use by \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tSES Water during the drier summer months.\n\n### White "Stiles"\n\nYou will see a series of white structures that look a \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tlittle like stiles but no path goes over them. These \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tfollow the route of a pipeline and are presumably to \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tenable the route to be followed from the air.\n\n### Public Transport\n\nUnfortunately there are no bus or rail services \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tconvenient for this walk.\n\nAutomatically migrated from https://www.kentramblers.org.uk/KentWalks/public/walk_036.htm on 2025-12-11 09:19","contentHtml":"

Kent Ramblers: Walk 36

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Points of Interest

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St Paul's Church

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Built in the 1880s and designed by Edwin Thomas Hall \n\t\t\t\t\t\t(who designed Liberty's in Regent Street), St Paul's may \n\t\t\t\t\t\tbe the oldest concrete church in England. The fine \n\t\t\t\t\t\tinterior contains work by William Lethaby and others in \n\t\t\t\t\t\tthe Arts and Crafts movement.

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Furnace House

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This Grade II listed timber framed house was built in \n\t\t\t\t\t\tthe late 16th or early 17th century and the roof later \n\t\t\t\t\t\tremodelled to create a greater overhang. The name \n\t\t\t\t\t\tsuggests that the house was built by the owner or \n\t\t\t\t\t\tmanager of a furnace during the heyday of the Wealden \n\t\t\t\t\t\tiron industry and is indeed very close to two furnaces \n\t\t\t\t\t\tbelieved to have been operating around 1589, probably by \n\t\t\t\t\t\tThomas Browne whose family was very prominent in the \n\t\t\t\t\t\tindustry.

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Marlpit Wood

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There are many references to marl pits on maps of Kent.
\t\t\t\t\t\tMarl is a rock layer consisting of a mixture of clay and \n\t\t\t\t\t\tchalk. It has been excavated since Roman times as a \n\t\t\t\t\t\tfertiliser ' the name is derived from a Latin word for \n\t\t\t\t\t\tfertiliser. A marl layer is often found in association \n\t\t\t\t\t\twith ironstone ' hence Furnace House Farm not far from \n\t\t\t\t\t\tthe wood.

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Bough Beech

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For many years the area you pass through alongside \n\t\t\t\t\t\tthe reservoir was managed as a nature reserve by Kent \n\t\t\t\t\t\tWildlife Trust with a visitor centre at the oast house.

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Sadly the visitor centre was closed at the end of \n\t\t\t\t\t\t2017 and at the time of writing the Trust appears to \n\t\t\t\t\t\thave withdrawn completely from the site which is owned by Sutton \n\t\t\t\t\t\tand East Surrey Water. There is parking on the lane \n\t\t\t\t\t\twhere it divides the reservoir and it is rare not to see \n\t\t\t\t\t\tbirdwatchers here with their binoculars and zoom lenses. \n\t\t\t\t\t\tThe reservoir itself is filled in winter by pumping \n\t\t\t\t\t\twater from the River Eden for purification and use by \n\t\t\t\t\t\tSES Water during the drier summer months.

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White "Stiles"

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You will see a series of white structures that look a \n\t\t\t\t\t\tlittle like stiles but no path goes over them. These \n\t\t\t\t\t\tfollow the route of a pipeline and are presumably to \n\t\t\t\t\t\tenable the route to be followed from the air.

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Public Transport

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Unfortunately there are no bus or rail services \n\t\t\t\t\t\tconvenient for this walk.

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Automatically migrated from https://www.kentramblers.org.uk/KentWalks/public/walk_036.htm on 2025-12-11 09:19

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