Heathlands Leaflet

www.highweald.org www.highweald.org www.highweald.org

what makes them so special. so them makes what

i as staffing allows, as well as toilets and parking. and toilets as well as allows, staffing as ashdownforest.org ashdownforest.org i eastsussex.gov.uk eastsussex.gov.uk i rspb.org.uk Sandra Fernandez, map and other illustrations by Valerie Alford. Valerie by illustrations other and map Fernandez, Sandra compost and besom brooms besom and compost

Cover photo by Neil Hulme, Butterfly Conservation, poster illustrations by illustrations poster Conservation, Butterfly Hulme, Neil by photo Cover firewood, charcoal, bracken charcoal, firewood, ponds. It has a small countryside centre which is open is which centre countryside small a has It ponds. Visitor centre 1km east of Wych Cross. Wych of east 1km centre Visitor . Church, North Chailey North Church,

Lane off the A26. the off Lane ‰

Visit a heathland and see and heathland a Visit

– products Heathland A woodland and heathland centred around two large two around centred heathland and woodland A is the fictional home of ‘Winnie the Pooh’. the ‘Winnie of home fictional the is on the south side A272 beside St Mary’s St beside A272 side south the on Broadwater Forest Forest Broadwater

2. Buchan Country Park Country Buchan 2. remaining lowland heath in England. The Forest The England. in heath lowland remaining 10km from Haywards Heath. Main car park car Main Heath. Haywards from 10km Wells, accessed from accessed Wells, ‰

South East England. It accounts for up to 5% of 5% to up for accounts It England. East South Common. unbridge T of west south

its precious wildlife. wildlife. precious its

i forestryengland.uk and most important open area of heathland in heathland of area open important most and Scaynes Hill and North Chailey via the via Chailey North and Hill Scaynes Car park about 5kms about park Car ‰

W: www.highweald.org W: Road, 1km north of Mannings Heath. Mannings of north 1km Road, This former Royal Hunting Forest is the largest the is Forest Hunting Royal former This route of about 13km, linking the villages of villages the linking 13km, about of route a lead. a

cultural landscape and and landscape cultural

E: [email protected] E: 4. Ashdown Forest Forest Ashdown 4. Car park near Roosthole pond, Hammerpond pond, Roosthole near park Car explored using the Link Walk, a waymarked a Walk, Link the using explored kept on on kept ‰

T: 01424 723011 723011 01424 T: plantations and heathland. and plantations Mainly heathland with open access. Can be Can access. open with heathland Mainly and a surfaced all-ability route. Dogs must be must Dogs route. all-ability surfaced a and

globally endangered endangered globally

High Weald AONB Partnership AONB Weald High 6. Chailey Common Local Nature Reserve Nature Local Common Chailey 6. i A mixture of broadleaf woodand,coniferous broadleaf of mixture A crawley.gov.uk and ancient woodland. Way-marked trails trails Way-marked woodland. ancient and

1. St Leonards Forest Leonards St 1. Further information Further adjoining car parks. car adjoining woodland being restored to a mix of heathland of mix a to restored being woodland

A guide to a a to guide A

km south of Crawley town centre with centre town Crawley of south km ⁄ 2 i sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk RSPB nature reserve with a large, varied large, a with reserve nature RSPB

‰ 2

i i More information More

A woodland intersected with heathy rides. heathy with intersected woodland A 11. Broadwater Warren Broadwater 11. Hartfield.

Location Location

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3. Tilgate Forest and Park and Forest Tilgate 3. Car park on the B2026 about 5km south of south 5km about B2026 the on park Car ‰

information on useful contacts and grant sources. grant and contacts useful on information

Key to symbols: to Key

kept on leads at certain times of the year. the of times certain at leads on kept i hastings.gov.uk understorey, the High Weald AONB team can provide can team AONB Weald High the understorey,

welcome visitors. welcome i westsussex.gov.uk managed by Sussex Wildlife Trust. Dogs must be must Dogs Trust. Wildlife Sussex by managed

V isitor centre located on the Fairlight Road. Fairlight the on located centre isitor If you own or manage a heath, or a woodland with a heathy a with woodland a or heath, a manage or own you If

open access. The following heathland sites heathland following The access. open Crawley Road (A264). Road Crawley A heathland nature reserve on Ashdown Forest Ashdown on reserve nature heathland A 4km north east of Hastings town centre. town Hastings of east north 4km ‰

Seek advice on heathland management and restoration and management heathland on advice Seek

l Most, but not all, heathland sites have sites heathland all, not but Most, 5. Old Lodge Local Nature Reserve. Nature Local Lodge Old 5. 3km south west of Crawley. signposted from the from signposted Crawley. of west south 3km Heathland within the coastal country park. country coastal the within Heathland ‰

(Firehills and Warren Glen) Warren and (Firehills

brooms.

Valerie Alford, ESCCLandscapeGroup

The Ashdown Forest ‘maiden’ ‘maiden’ Forest Ashdown The

10. Hastings Country Park Park Country Hastings 10.

honey, bracken compost, charcoal, and besom (witches’) besom and charcoal, compost, bracken honey,

Inspired by the Poly-Olbion poem – poem Poly-Olbion the by Inspired

Buy heathland products heathland Buy such as locally-produced heather locally-produced as such

square miles at the heart of South East England. East South of heart the at miles square

www.highweald.org

its protection and management. It covers 563 covers It management. and protection its

www.surreywildlifetrust.org/sbic

i Search ‘Pembury Heathland Walk’ on Walk’ Heathland ‘Pembury Search

Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in 1983 to aid to 1983 in (AONB) Beauty Natural Outstanding

Surrey Biodiversity Information Centre Information Biodiversity Surrey

Walks’. The High Weald was designated as an Area of Area an as designated was Weald High The

of Pembury, around the lane called ‘Pembury called lane the around Pembury, of www.kmbrc.org.uk

km to the north-west the to km ⁄ footpaths the via areas farmsteads and ancient routeways. ancient and farmsteads

Kent & Medway Biological Records Centre Records Biological Medway & Kent 1

shaped fields, abundant woods and hedges, historic hedges, and woods abundant fields, shaped Can be explored with adjoining heathland adjoining with explored be Can

‰

www.sxbrc.org.uk

medieval landscape of rolling hills, small irregular- small hills, rolling of landscape medieval plantation and farmland. farmland. and plantation

Sussex Biodiversity Record Centre Record Biodiversity Sussex Heaths are a distinctive feature of the High Weald; a Weald; High the of feature distinctive a are Heaths

An area of heathland restored from conifer from restored heathland of area An

9. Pembury Heath Pembury 9. Record Centre: Record

10 i-record (www.brc.ac.uk/irecord) or your local Biodiversity local your or (www.brc.ac.uk/irecord) i-record

i khwp.org.uk khwp.org.uk Report heathland wildlife sightings wildlife heathland Report via: via: l

the small car park. car small the

www.highweald.org/volunteering

track marked ‘Nature Conservation Area’ to Area’ Conservation ‘Nature marked track

or see: or

past the 30 sign on Chestnut Road, turn down a down turn Road, Chestnut on sign 30 the past

and heather cutting. The charities above run such groups such run above charities The cutting. heather and

ane. Around 100 metres 100 Around ane. L Chestnut at Road

undertakes practical tasks on heaths like scrub clearance scrub like heaths on tasks practical undertakes

From Matfield, turn off the B2160 Maidstone B2160 the off turn Matfield, From ‰

Volunteer with a local conservation group conservation local a with Volunteer that

l small areas of restored heath grazed by sheep. by grazed heath restored of areas small

medieval heaths medieval

Mainly woodland with a circular walk route and route walk circular a with woodland Mainly www.surreywildlifetrust.org Celebration of the area’s the of Celebration

8. Cinderhill Wood Wood Cinderhill 8.

www.sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk 5 4 &

3 i woodlandtrust.org.uk woodlandtrust.org.uk www.kentwildlifetrust.org.uk

and Surrey and

which runs between the A267 and the A26. A26. the and A267 the between runs which

7 www.rspb.org.uk/volunteer

Situated to the south of Broadwater Down Broadwater of south the to Situated ‰

www.ashdownforest.org to remnant heathland areas. areas. heathland remnant to

of Kent, Sussex Sussex Kent, of

network of paths which lead which paths of network the RSPB and the Wildlife Trusts: Trusts: Wildlife the and RSPB the

woodland crisscrossed by a by crisscrossed woodland

nature reserves, such as the Ashdown Forest Conservators, Forest Ashdown the as such reserves, nature

8 9

Mixed conifer and broadleaf and conifer Mixed

in the Weald the in

for the protection of heathlands and manage heathland manage and heathlands of protection the for

7. Hargate Forest Hargate 7.

Support environmental organisations environmental Support which campaign which

What you can do to help heathland help to do can you What Precious heaths on your doorstep your on heaths Precious Heathlands Heathlands

Why are heaths special? Heathland history Disappearing heaths How is heathland being helped in the Weald?

Lowland heath is: Heaths are an ancient habitat that have Heathlands were once valuable to local communities in the Many of the area’s largest heaths are now managed by existed in the Weald since the last ice age, Weald. Commoners (people with a right to use heaths) grazed local authorities or charitable bodies such as the l an ancient habitat over 10,000 years ago. Naturally-occurring animals for food and collected timber and gorse for fuel, birch Conservators of Ashdown Forest, the RSPB, the l only found globally in Northern and Western glades were found with woodland, for broom making, and bracken for bedding. Woodland Trust and the Wildlife Trusts. Other Europe particularly on the sandy, drier and acidic However by the end of the late 20th century, perceptions were smaller heaths and ‘wooded heaths’ are in private soils where trees grow less well. Grassland changing. In James Edward’s ‘Companion from London to ownership. l now rare and threatened and a priority for and heathland plants thrived in these nature conservation Brighthelmstone (Brighton)’ he describes the area of St. Supported by grant schemes and donations, heaths more open areas, grazed by herds of wild Leonards and beyond as ‘an immense tract of gravelly barren land are being managed and restored by: herbivores – auroch (wild cattle), bison, l not just heather but a mosaic of different (heathland) extending eastwards from Horsham through this and several ● Removing large areas of encroaching scrub, bracken deer, wild horses and boar. other forests, almost to Tunbridge Wells’. The well camouflaged nightjar habitats that are home to some very special Design Angel Jenkins, Claire Bracken collection on Scrub being cleared and rhododendron, which compete with the nests on the ground wildlife. Wild animals grazing natural glades in woodlands. From the Late Stone Age onwards, Ashdown Forest The 21st century saw the economic value of heaths begin to to rejuvenate heathland habitat heathland plants. Courtesy of Peter Kirby humans began to settle, clearing woodland fall. As a result, many were lost to forestry plantations, ● Felling and thinning conifer trees planted on to create open areas for farming. Light- intensive agriculture and road and housing developments. former heaths to allow heathland plants to loving grassland and heathland plants and What is heathland? On heathlands you can find wildlife Since 1800 we’ve lost 84% of our heathland nationally. In the return. animals from the glades soon spread into such as: Weald we have lost most of the four medieval heathlands or ● Creating sunny glades and rides in • A ‘mosaic’ of habitats; open the cleared areas. On the less fertile soils ‘forests’ that once extended from Horsham in the west to heath, scrub, wet heath, bog and woodlands and conifer plantations to make l Thousands of different types of insect such heathland plants dominated. Tunbridge Wells in the east: What is scrub? bare sand. as bees, spiders and butterflies, including the more open space for heathland wildlife. rare silver-studded blue butterfly. ● 50% of the medieval forest of Ashdown (Ash-downe); Scrub is vegetation dominated ● Re-introducing grazing, a traditional use • A place dominated by plants Grazing by domestic animals and use of ● 95% of the medieval forests of St Leonard's (Saint Leonards) by small bushes such as gorse of heathlands. such as gorse, heathland grasses l Over two-thirds of our 39 native dragonflies, 8 of which the heath’s resources kept the areas free and Worth, near Horsham and Crawley in West Sussex; and and young trees, like birch and and heathers: only live on heaths. from trees. Many of the heaths were used willow. It is a valuable home common heather (or ling), for hunting deer. Boundary banks were ● 90% of the medieval forest of Broadwater (Water-downe) for wildlife and an important l All our native reptiles and amphibians. Only a fraction of the cross-leaved heath and built around the heaths to create deer and Frith in the Tunbridge Wells area of Kent. part of the heathland habitat l bell heather. Endangered birds such as breeding nightjar, woodlark, ‘parks’ or ‘forests’. The banks were topped heathland which once

Valerie Alford, ESCC Landscape Group Alford, Valerie mosaic. Scrub needs to be Dartford warbler, overwintering hen harrier and the great The UK now holds about a fifth of the world’s remaining with a wooden fence or ‘pale’ to keep the existed in the UK and managed so that ‘open’ heath, Grazing animals save heathlands • An area with sandy, free-draining grey shrike. A patchwork landscape of woods, fields and heaths. lowland heath and the Weald is home to 7% of this rare deer from escaping. which is home to rare plants and nutrient-poor acidic soils. the Weald remains. habitat, some 4,000 hectares. Grazing is helping to restore Wealden heaths by l Uncommon plants such as sundew, marsh gentian and bog and animals, also thrives. keeping scrub under control so heathland plants can In the Weald, heaths are found asphodel. By the end of the medieval period above the Ashdown and extensive areas of woodland had been Open heathland is rarer thrive. Grazing also creates areas of bare ground and Tunbridge Wells Sands. cleared to produce timber to fuel the than rain forest. Ongoing Threats to heathlands vegetation of different heights which encourages rare Wealden iron industry, creating a action is needed to The importance of heathland to wildlife is now recognised, but plants and animals. Cutting or mowing, although valuable, does not produce such a varied vegetation Wealden heaths are an important cultural landscape. patchwork landscape of woods, small fields conserve and enhance it is still under threat from: and open heath. structure. They are: our heaths. ● A decline in traditional management techniques, such as l Some of the few places in the busy South East with an open grazing and bracken cutting – meaning scrub and bracken landscape and a unique ‘wilderness’ feel. quickly overwhelm open heathland. l Wonderful places to relax and enjoy healthy activities, Nature readily adapted to the gradual ● Forestry plantations with dense, even-aged trees, narrow rides and no permanent open areas – so heathland species particularly walking. creation of more open areas by Further reading can’t get enough light and fail to thrive. l Rich in cultural heritage such as: Roman roads; barrows humans. A distinctive, wildlife-rich, Weald-specific heathland management guidance: and hillforts; man-made rabbit burrows (pillow mounds); ● Fragmentation – isolated heathland patches are difficult to www.highweald.org/land-managers-pack heathland habitat evolved on the area’s iron bloomeries; military firing ranges and trenches. manage and may be too small to support healthy Sundew and sphagnum are Ashdown Forest is well known as A.A. Milne’s inspiration The importance of the area’s heaths or ‘forests’ was poorest soils. populations of heathland wildlife species. Natural England and Buglife – search for ‘lowland heath’ recognised in the ‘Poly-Olbion’ – an epic poem praising publications.naturalengland.org.uk found in wet heathland areas for the home of ‘Winnie the Pooh’. ● Air and water pollution which can change the acidity and the landscape of the English counties published in 1612. www.buglife.org.uk The poem’s author, Michael Drayton, likens the area’s nutrient levels of the soil and encourage the spread of non- Grazing is helping medieval forests to wood nymphs, or maidens. heathland plants. heathland plants thrive

www.highweald.org www.highweald.org www.highweald.org www.highweald.org