Here you are crossing the Lesser Teise onto Mill Farm, named after the water mill, demolished in c1915, that stood by the bend in Hunton Road, adjacent to the medieval Mill Farm House.
Pause to look up and down the stream at the steep banks. These are being overwhelmed by the attractive and insect-friendly, but invasive Himalayan Balsam which is forcing out smaller native plants and its shallow roots allow river bank erosion in high water. Nettles abound too, but animal life is thriving. Kingfishers nest in the banks and most years grey wagtails raise broods in nests that are safely hidden in the sluice machinery further upstream. Pied wagtails, grey herons, little egrets, green sandpipers and Mandarin ducks are frequently seen if you remain quiet. They feed on everything from plants to insects, frogs and fish – the latter including brown trout. Unfortunately, the native water vole has been driven out by American Mink. However, the eighteenth-century name of an adjacent field (effectively enclosed by streams) was Otter Cape Mead. With otters returning to Kent again – who knows, you might just be lucky enough to see one – they will help to reduce mink numbers.
The footpath links two bridges and takes you round the field known as Chalkmead. This field has wide grass margins, particularly along the river, where trees and scrub are being allowed to re-generate. This is particularly successful at the northern end where young oaks are now competing to be the king of the forest maybe a hundred years hence. This riparian strip of trees and bushes with an understory of grass helps to protect the river from run-off of silt, pesticides and fertilisers ultimately improving the river ecosystem. The more mature trees with their thick tangle of wild roses and Old Man’s Beard provide good nesting habitat for Turtle Doves; this iconic species has been recorded nesting here regularly, if infrequently over the years. The wide margins around the field that are left to grow wild throughout the summer, providing the varied vegetation, flowers and seeds necessary to support insects for pollination and food for other animals, especially birds, and the thick, largely unmanaged hedgerows and scrubby areas surrounding the fields from which, in the spring, the sound of singing nightingales may be heard, are ideal for butterflies and moths. At dusk, the path alongside the trees is a favourite hunting area for several species of bats – including the noctule, our largest species with a wingspan of 35cm. They will happily pass within a metre or two as they patrol up and down. The same applies to barn owls; they hunt the straggly vegetation for voles at dawn and dusk and will fly very close if you remain motionless.
As you walk the path, the thick scrubby boundary alongside the stream has much hazel growing in it and is home to rare dormice. You may see boxes installed for them to nest in. It is a criminal offence to interfere with nesting dormice so please keep away from the boxes. Please also keep your dog on a lead as a curious spaniel may well reveal the nest site of a small songbird resulting in it being raided and destroyed by a watchful magpie or crow.
