The path runs through starry blankets of wood anemones and the trees are full of birdsong. I can pick out the insistent cheeping of chiffchaffs and the distant yaffling of a green woodpecker. Three minutes after stepping off the bus outside the Tyler’s Kiln pub, I’m already striding through Blean, 11 square miles of mostly ancient woodland just north of Canterbury. It’s one of south-east England’s largest areas of woodland and I’m currently following part of the 25-mile Big Blean Walk, whose waymark has a picture of a brown and orange heath fritillary. The Blean is one of the best places to see these rare butterflies, and the Tyler’s Kiln is at the heart of this complex of woods and nature reserves.
