{"id":"69394e1a7202e9abd62bd09c","title":"Keston Ponds And Padmall Wood","path":"walks/routes/recommended/keston-ponds-and-padmall-wood","contentMarkdown":"## Kent Ramblers: Walk 18 — Keston Ponds and Padmall Wood\n\n![](https://www.kentramblers.org.uk/KentWalks/public/images/banner_018.jpg)\n\n## Points of Interest\n\n### Keston Ponds\n\n![](https://www.kentramblers.org.uk/KentWalks/public/images/P018b.jpg)\n\nThe three obvious ponds were built as reservoirs to \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tsupply water to nearby Holwood House, once the residence \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tof William Pitt, later a seismological research \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tinstitution and recently converted into up-market \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tapartments.\n\n### Caesar�s Well\n\n![](https://www.kentramblers.org.uk/KentWalks/public/images/P018c.gif)\n\nA natural spring, the source of the Ravensbourne \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tRiver. So-named because of a myth that Caesar once \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tcamped nearby and was short of water for his men. \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tHe spotted a raven frequently visiting the site and \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tcorrectly deduced that there must be a source of water \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tthere. Hence the names of both the spring and the \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\triver ('bourne' being a variation of 'burn' meaning \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t'stream').\n\n### Keston Bog\n\n![](https://www.kentramblers.org.uk/KentWalks/public/images/P018a.gif)\n\nThe point on the map marked with a red-circled L is \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tKeston Bog. This wetland environment is rare in \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tLondon and is a site of special scientific interest \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t(SSSI). It was here that Charles Darwin studied \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tthe sundew and discovered that it captures and digests \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tinsects to obtain the nitrogen that is so scarce in \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\twetland soils.\n\n### Padmall Wood\n\nThe wood is largely sweet chestnut and birch coppice. \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tWood is harvested by cutting the trees back to ground \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tlevel every 15 to 20 years. The trees then \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tregenerate from the stumps and the cycle can be repeated \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tmany times.\n\nAutomatically migrated from https://www.kentramblers.org.uk/KentWalks/public/walk_018.htm on 2025-12-11 09:19","contentHtml":"

Kent Ramblers: Walk 18 — Keston Ponds and Padmall Wood

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Points of Interest

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Keston Ponds

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The three obvious ponds were built as reservoirs to \n\t\t\t\t\t\tsupply water to nearby Holwood House, once the residence \n\t\t\t\t\t\tof William Pitt, later a seismological research \n\t\t\t\t\t\tinstitution and recently converted into up-market \n\t\t\t\t\t\tapartments.

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Caesar�s Well

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A natural spring, the source of the Ravensbourne \n\t\t\t\t\t\tRiver. So-named because of a myth that Caesar once \n\t\t\t\t\t\tcamped nearby and was short of water for his men.
\t\t\t\t\t\tHe spotted a raven frequently visiting the site and \n\t\t\t\t\t\tcorrectly deduced that there must be a source of water \n\t\t\t\t\t\tthere. Hence the names of both the spring and the \n\t\t\t\t\t\triver ('bourne' being a variation of 'burn' meaning \n\t\t\t\t\t\t'stream').

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Keston Bog

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The point on the map marked with a red-circled L is \n\t\t\t\t\t\tKeston Bog. This wetland environment is rare in \n\t\t\t\t\t\tLondon and is a site of special scientific interest \n\t\t\t\t\t\t(SSSI). It was here that Charles Darwin studied \n\t\t\t\t\t\tthe sundew and discovered that it captures and digests \n\t\t\t\t\t\tinsects to obtain the nitrogen that is so scarce in \n\t\t\t\t\t\twetland soils.

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Padmall Wood

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The wood is largely sweet chestnut and birch coppice.
\t\t\t\t\t\tWood is harvested by cutting the trees back to ground \n\t\t\t\t\t\tlevel every 15 to 20 years. The trees then \n\t\t\t\t\t\tregenerate from the stumps and the cycle can be repeated \n\t\t\t\t\t\tmany times.

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Automatically migrated from https://www.kentramblers.org.uk/KentWalks/public/walk_018.htm on 2025-12-11 09:19

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