Dusk Wildlife Walk at Western Heights

Event Date: 10/10/2025 17:30 - 19:00

Dusk is a fantastic time to spot wildlife as we see the shift of daytime species settling in for the night whilst nocturnal wildlife begins to wake.

Join Lauren from WCCP for a guided walk around the Western Heights as we hope to see birds coming in to roost, bats emerging and hopefully lots more!

Open to all ages but please note accessibility of the route outlined below.

This is a free event! This event has been made possible with support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players, supporting English Heritage’s Reaching Greater Height Project & Dover District Council’s Historic England funded ‘Western Heights Heritage and Regeneration Project’.

Meeting point: St Martin’s Battery Car Park, South Military Road, Dover, CT17 9DW. What3Words:///majoring.carver.tabloid

Parking: If driving, please park at St Martin's Battery Car Park, other car parks on site will have gates locked at 7pm. Please park at St Martin's where we will be locking the car park after our event. 

Dogs: Dogs allowed on lead

Toilets: Please note there are no toilets on site.

Accessibility: We regret to announce that this event is not wheelchair or pushchair accessible.
The route the trail will take includes:

• Steps, including a long flight!
• Narrow path which is uneven under foot.
• Non-tarmacked paths
• Narrow low tunnel to navigate through.

We endeavour to make our events as accessible as possible, but due to the nature of some of our sites, this is not always possible. We deeply apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Weather and clothing: This event will take place outside, and so there are a few things to consider.

• Please wear sensible footwear. Please no flipflops, sandals, crocs or other open toed shoes.
• Please wear appropriate clothing for the evening's weather.
• Ensure you bring adequate layers if the weather is chilly.
• Consider waterproofs for the everchanging British weather.
• Please consider bringing a spare change of clothes, as they may get a little dirty and/or wet. We recommend long sleeves and trousers to reduce the risk of insect bites.

The ranger will periodically check the weather in the lead up to the event and will make a decision 18 hours prior to the event. In the case of cancellation you will be notified by the event leader via the email provided at the time of booking.

Extra information: Some bat detectors and children’s binoculars will be available to borrow for the evening but if you have your own and wish to bring them please do. Please bring a torch.

Event Location - Western Heights

Western Heights Local Nature Reserve is a large area of cattle grazed chalk grassland, which provides a sanctuary for wildlife. The reserve is also of historic interest owing to two large Napoleonic fortresses: The Citadel and Drop Redoubt, which the reserve surrounds and parts of which are sunken into the hilltops of the Western Heights.

The reserve stretches over a ridge from the eastern end of Aycliffe to the western end of Dover town centre and is split into several fields: Maxton Field and Clarendon Field to the north; St David’s Field, St George’s Field and Ropewalk Field to the south; and Drop Redoubt Field and St Martin’s Battery Field to the east.

The North Downs Way, Saxon Shore Way and England Coast Path pass through the reserve and the site is easily accessible on foot from Dover town centre. Drop Redoubt Field is only a five-minute walk from Dover Priory train station. St Martin’s Battery Field provides stunning views of Dover Castle, the White Cliffs of Dover and the French coast. We manage the reserve on behalf of Dover District Council.