A huge area of ancient Kent woodland has been put up for sale with a guide price of £1.5 million.

Agents say there is a unique opportunity to buy the 208-acre Upper Hardres Wood near Canterbury which is being offered for sale for the first time in 150 years.

The broadleaf woodland – the size of almost 160 football pitches – is part of the Street End Estate and lies within the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

“It is very rare that a block of woodland of this size comes available for sale in such a beautiful location,” says Nick Rooke of agents Finn’s.

“It has excellent potential for biodiversity and woodland conservation and the land has formed part of a modest syndicate shoot for a number of years which has helped to support a wide variety of songbirds and other flora and fauna.

“Fallow deer have been seen passing through the woodland on occasion and it has some beautiful areas of bluebells creating a great opportunity for an amenity buyer with an interest in conservation.”

It is being sold by private treaty through Finn’s with the sellers reserving the right to take the land to tender or auction.

After two years of ownership, commercially managed woodlands qualify for 100% relief from Inheritance Tax.

Timber sales are also free of all income tax and do not attract Capital Gains Tax.

Another plot of ancient woodland just a few miles away at Elham near Canterbury recently went on the market through agents John Clegg & Co with a price tag of £475,000.

The 64-acre Covert Wood is in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty but its sale has sparked fears by Kent Wildlife Trust that it could be later carved up into smaller plots, damaging its fragile biodiversity.

The Trust has now launched an appeal to buy the wood and has so far raised £140,363 of its £462,500 goal.

Its head of land management at the trust, Simon Bateman-Brown, fears it could be later sold off as smaller individual sections.

"If this happens, it would be impossible to manage for the benefit of nature," he says.

"Under the management of the trust, we can protect it indefinitely, running it as a nature reserve for wildlife.

"It is perfectly situated to help us connect the landscape for nature, something that our wildlife depleted country desperately needs.

"If the appeal is successful, we will examine the feasibility of using the area for species re-introductions, in particular the pine marten."