Yorkletts

The largest local age band is between the ages of 45-65 at 25.5% of people. Young people of ages 0-17 make up around 20.5% of people. More than half of the population is still in some form of work at 53.5%, while the second highest percentage are currently in retirement at 23.7%. The area is predominantly white at 91.5%. House ownership is relatively mixed. Outright ownership is at the largest at 36.6%. House under mortgage or loan is at around 29.4%. Private renting is the third highest at around 20.2%.

Compared to the national average, Yorkletts ranks below in crime. There is 56.2 crimes per 1’000 people, with Dargate road being a notable hotspot. Antisocial behaviour is the most commonly reported crime in the area.

In the Kent Habitat Survey 2012, Yorkletts sat upon improved grassland, with broadleaved yew on the south west. On the top right of the hamlet, where the major Thanet road cut, recorded a neutral grassland patch on the north east. The character of the land splits the hamlet in a north west Greater Thames Estuary and south east North Kent Plains divide. The land use is recorded in the Soft rock lowlands, defined by as stated, ‘The broad pattern of primary land use and associated tree cover at the farm type level as related to the inherent physical (slope, drainage, fertility) and economic constraints within a particular area’ The main geology is clay, London clay, and no rock drift. Due to closeness with Blean Woods, the outer area is a Biodiversity opportunity areas. Victory woods is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI.) The hamlet itself is in a local nature partnership zone. In the overall Yorkletts area, the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme would observe butterfly species Meadow Brown, Common Blue, GateKeeper, Small White, Large White and Speckled Wood most frequently.

Victory Woods

Victory Woods is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty consisting of 140 hectares of land. The area currently owned by The Woodland Trust.

Victory Woods was one of 27 woodlands established as part of Trafalgar Woods Project of 2005. Made in celebration of the bicentaury since the Battle Of Trafalgar, the area pays homage to the battle. A footprint the size and shape of HMS Victory size is marked out on posts and a path allows visitors to walk the distance of a cannonball shot from the ship. There are 4 main entrances into the area. All the entrances have unmodified surfaces and tend to get muddy during rainfall. Just off Dargate road, the first entrance is a kissing gate, with a surfaced path constructed for disabled visitors. The second entrance sits at the northern boundary, with an all access kissing gate for its visitors.

The third entrance has no parking. It lies south west of Victory Woods, just off Dargate road and by a pedestrian squeeze gap. The fourth entrance is south east, with an all access kissing gate. Parking is not permitted along the tracks leading to the gateway. Most the land sits on improved, arable grasslands with broadleaved woodlands. The site sits next to one of the largest areas of continuous woodlands. At the southern side of the woods, the steep slope. The area is a London clay, like the surroundings, and somewhat poorly drained.

Trees such as oak, ash, hornbeam, field maple and birch have been planted by the Woodland Trust. The area has common bird species such as wood pigeons, carrion crows, magpies and robins. Birds of prey such as Falcons and Skylarks benefit is this area, and may be spotted. In the spring of 2021, the Butterfly Conservation Trust found caterpillars of the thought to be extinct Heath Fritillary Butterfly. Annually, there is a Bioblitz, where The Woodland Trust work in collaboration with Bumblebee Conservation Trust to count the number of unique bee species. There has been 30-40 bee species documented, including rare species like the shrill carder bee. The most commonly spotted species is the Buff-tailed Bumblebee, Common Carder Bee and the rare Shrill Carder Bee. Victory Woods was once a large area of ancient woodlands. Survey maps from the 1870s to 1930s show the area was forested.

Beetween 1950 and 1970 most of it was felled to make agricultural land. Around 7 hectares remain of the original ancient woodlands. A cold war era bunker would be opened in the area in 1966 and later decommissioned with all its contents removed in 1976. In 2004, Victory Woods was purchased by The Woodland Trust for plans to connect the forest to the surrounding areas of Blean Woods and Ellenden Woods. Between 2005 and 2008, 80 Hectares of trees would be planted around the south borders. On April 2026, Hedgerows would be planted by volunteers at Elleden Farm. The hedgerows planted at a length of 150 meters and consist of native trees: oak, hawthorn and field maple as part of a project of £200,000 to restore degraded hedges and connecting the woods.