Lesnes Abbey and Fossil Beds The historic site of Lesnes Abbey is set in a beautiful area of parkland. The varying landscape ranges from formal gardens to woodlands which have spectacular spring displays of wild flowers. These include wild daffodils, bluebells and wood anemones which create a carpet of colour through the woods. Birds that can be spotted in the area include woodpeckers, kestrels, pheasants and tawny owls as well as the occasional grey heron in the woodland ponds. The abbey itself dates to 1178 and, though only ruins remain, it is still possible to get a sense of the building's grandeur. The visible history of the site goes back further still, however, with the presence of a fossil bed in the woods. Though today it is high on a hill, at one time it was submerged under the sea so the fossils are mainly marine, such as shells and sharks teeth, although the fossilised remains of a small pony-like mammal have also been uncovered here. Links
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Watch the video to see Mark Taylor of Bexley Council Parks talking about the fossil bed and the finds that have been made there. |