www.highweald.org www.highweald.org www.highweald.org
Botanic Gardens Kew. Gardens Botanic (AONB) in 1983 to aid its protection and management and protection its aid to 1983 in (AONB) and protect the rock: www.sandstonevolunteers.org.uk rock: the protect and remove rhododendron remove
Wakehurst Place, Royal Place, Wakehurst The High Weald was designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Natural Outstanding of Area an designated was Weald High The
Volunteers using a winch to winch a using Volunteers
in climbing and carry out practical work to clear overgrowth clear to work practical out carry and climbing in mosses and liverworts are at risk from climate change. climate from risk at are liverworts and mosses Hay-scented Fern Hay-scented
sandrock along rock walk. rock along sandrock
and East Susse East and x sandstone crags. They encourage good practice good encourage They crags. sandstone x Like many other species, the High Weald’s unique ferns, unique Weald’s High the species, other many Like
Frontcover: Yew roots over roots Yew Frontcover: rare wildlife rare
interested in conserving the rock and environment of the Kent the of environment and rock the conserving in interested
MSS671 No19 MSS671
area. The Sandstone Volunteers Group – climbers and others and climbers – Group Volunteers Sandstone The ●
Library Grimms Images Grimms Library
its internationally its
• the relatively high rainfall and number of rainy days in the in days rainy of number and rainfall high relatively the • permission of the British the of permission
cutting back trees and brambles: www.sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk brambles: and trees back cutting
View of Penn Rocks by Rocks Penn of View
summer
unique feature and feature unique Nature Reserve and or and Reserve Nature ganises practical volunteering tasks like tasks volunteering practical ganises
Reprinted March 2020. March Reprinted
• extensive woodland which provides dappled shade in shade dappled provides which woodland extensive •
Sussex Wildlife Trust – a charity that manages Eridge Rocks Eridge manages that charity a – Trust Wildlife Sussex ●
Partnership. Partnership.
• its water-absorbing qualities water-absorbing its •
A guide to a a to guide A
© High Weald AONB Weald High ©
As well as visiting the rocks responsibly, you can join and support: support: and join can you responsibly, rocks the visiting as well As moist through: through: moist
– search for ‘landform story’ ‘landform for search –
plants exists in the High Weald because the sandrock is kept is sandrock the because Weald High the in exists plants
W: www.highweald.org www.highweald.org W:
This extraordinary community of oceanic, moisture-loving oceanic, of community extraordinary This
E: [email protected] [email protected] E:
What you can do can you What a tiny moss tiny a
Partnership T: 01424 723011 01424 T: Partnership Orthodontium gracile Orthodontium :
High Weald AONB Weald High
with its dark green, glossy strap-shaped fronds. strap-shaped glossy green, dark its with
Further information information Further From: www.thebmc.co.uk From:
, liverwort, beautiful the is rarity great Another Pallavicinia lyellii Pallavicinia
• Always walk down; don’t abseil don’t down; walk Always • High Weald Weald High Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Natural Outstanding of Area
very quickly. very
woodland.
powers to protect these sites. these protect to powers
vegetation of any kind any of vegetation
the crust is damaged or worn, the underlying softer stone erodes stone softer underlying the worn, or damaged is crust the
, now only found in a few areas of rocky of areas few a in found only now , moss Orthodontium gracile Orthodontium
Natural England which has which England Natural
• Do not ‘improve’ holds or remove or holds ‘improve’ not Do •
rocks, particularly the sandstone’s hard, but thin, outer crust. If crust. outer thin, but hard, sandstone’s the particularly rocks, Climbing is monitored by monitored is Climbing The sandrocks are the British stronghold of the tiny silky-leaved tiny the of stronghold British the are sandrocks The
• Always use soft boots soft use Always •
climbing, fires and vandalism can damage the plants and the and plants the damage can vandalism and fires climbing,
Trust: www.bowles.rocks Trust: Wells. . snail, minute the Leiostyla anglica Leiostyla
Co-operation from visitors is also important. Trampling, important. also is visitors from Co-operation
to prevent it cutting into the edge the into cutting it prevent to
agreement with Sussex Wildlife Sussex with agreement
as a ticketed attraction, for example High Rocks near Tunbridge near Rocks High example for attraction, ticketed a as stream-sides, hosts another speciality normally from the West, the from normally speciality another hosts stream-sides,
not come into contact with the rock, the with contact into come not
members, through an through members,
going management. going
public on some days through the National Gardens Scheme, or Scheme, Gardens National the through days some on public The damp marshy ground in the valley bottoms, and along the along and bottoms, valley the in ground marshy damp The moving part of the top rope does rope top the of part moving
parts of Eridge Rocks for BMC for Rocks Eridge of parts
be difficult to remove without damaging the rocks and needs on- needs and rocks the damaging without remove to difficult be
Many outcrops are in private ownership but may be open to the to open be may but ownership private in are outcrops Many • Use slings to ensure that the that ensure to slings Use •
Stone Farm Rocks, as well as on as well as Rocks, Farm Stone . . like mosses and , and Dicranum scottianum Dicranum trilobata Bazzania gracilis
natural herbicide it exudes from its roots. Rhododendron can can Rhododendron roots. its from exudes it herbicide natural
Rocks, Harrison’s Rocks and Rocks Harrison’s Rocks,
(without any rope at all) at rope any (without in Hastings Country Park. Check access at: www.hastings.gov.uk www.hastings.gov.uk at: access Check Park. Country Hastings in Most of the oceanic species are leafy liverworts like like liverworts leafy are species oceanic the of Most Scapania
and year-round shade, it can kill surrounding plants through the through plants surrounding kill can it shade, year-round and
Climbing is allowed at Bowles at allowed is Climbing
• Always use top ropes or climb solo climb or ropes top use Always •
In the east, near Hastings, are Ecclesbourne and Fairlight Glens Fairlight and Ecclesbourne are Hastings, near east, the In
evergreen shrub grows quickly and, as well as creating dense creating as well as and, quickly grows shrub evergreen sides than the rock surfaces. surfaces. rock the than sides
ocks. It advises: It ocks. after the r the after
www.kew.org/wakehurst Rhododendron is a particular problem. This non-native invasive non-native This problem. particular a is Rhododendron distribution. It more often grows on the steep banks of the valley the of banks steep the on grows often more It distribution.
of Practice helps climbers look climbers helps Practice of visiting climbers visiting
the Rock Walk: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/nymans Walk: Rock the crisped fronds like curly parsley, has a similar oceanic similar a has parsley, curly like fronds crisped
The Southern Sandstone Code Sandstone Southern The Such work is often done with the help of volunteers. of help the with done often is work Such
provides essential guidance to guidance essential provides
Wakehurst (managed by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew) on Kew) Gardens, Botanic Royal the by (managed Wakehurst ), with large with ), ( Fern Hay-scented beautiful The Dryopteris aemula Dryopteris
sandstone, the BMC (right) BMC the sandstone, • clearing rhododendron. clearing •
access lane; Nymans on the circular woodland trail; and at and trail; woodland circular the on Nymans lane; access
To help preserve the fragile the preserve help To • keeping bramble under control and control under bramble keeping • sandstone outcrops in Luxembourg. in outcrops sandstone
Trust properties of: Standen House and Garden alongside the alongside Garden and House Standen of: properties Trust
generally prefer dappled shade dappled prefer generally • trimming back overhanging branches branches overhanging back trimming • Britain, the Atlantic coast of Europe as far as the Azores and soft and Azores the as far as Europe of coast Atlantic the Britain,
In the western High Weald there are outcrops at the National the at outcrops are there Weald High western the In Mosses, liverworts and ferns and liverworts Mosses,
• coppicing trees at the foot of the rocks the of foot the at trees coppicing • the Weald it is confined to the rocky woodlands of western of woodlands rocky the to confined is it Weald the
www.sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk Management measures therefore include: therefore measures Management original locality, it still survives in about 12 other places. Outside places. other 12 about in survives still it locality, original
Council (BMC): www.thebmc.co.uk (BMC): Council Tunbridge Wells by a Dr. Dare in 1686. Although no longer in its in longer no Although 1686. in Dare Dr. a by Wells Tunbridge
enough light to grow, so they tend to die back and can disappear. can and back die to tend they so grow, to light enough
Harrison’s Rocks, managed by the British Mountaineering British the by managed Rocks, Harrison’s This little fern was first discovered on the High Rocks at Rocks High the on discovered first was fern little This
dense shade, often created by evergreens, they cannot get cannot they evergreens, by created often shade, dense
Tunbridge Filmy-fern Tunbridge
Eridge Rocks Nature Reserve near Tunbridge Wells, and Wells, Tunbridge near Reserve Nature Rocks Eridge
e 8cm long and looking more lik more looking and long 8cm e a moss than a fern. fern. a than moss a e xposed the plants can dry out too much, even in winter. In winter. in even much, too out dry can plants the xposed
The largest sandstone cliffs are found at Sussex Wildlife Trust’s Wildlife Sussex at found are cliffs sandstone largest The
), with thin delicate fronds up to up fronds delicate thin with ), ( fern shade that mosses, liverworts, lichens and ferns thrive in. If fully If in. thrive ferns and lichens liverworts, mosses, that shade Hymenophyllum tunbrigense Hymenophyllum
Wellington Rocks and Toad Rock: www.twcommons.org www.twcommons.org Rock: Toad and Rocks Wellington Most famous of these oceanic species is the tiny Tunbridge Filmy- Tunbridge tiny the is species oceanic these of famous Most Sandrock habitat needs to be managed to maintain the dappled the maintain to managed be to needs habitat Sandrock
and Surrey and
outcrops on Tunbridge Wells and Rusthall Commons, including Commons, Rusthall and Wells Tunbridge on outcrops
East. important sandrock exposures. sandrock important
In the central High Weald you can visit several sandrock several visit can you Weald High central the In
the mild oceanic climate of western Britain than the South the than Britain western of climate oceanic mild the Geological Conservation Review for their nationally their for Review Conservation Geological
of Kent, Sussex Sussex Kent, of
sandrock. Many of these species are more characteristic of characteristic more are species these of Many sandrock. communities. Seventeen sites have also been listed in the in listed been also have sites Seventeen communities. streams (gills). (gills). streams
ferns, mosses, liverworts and lichens on the surface of the of surface the on lichens and liverworts mosses, ferns, Interest for their ferns, mosses, liverwort and lichen and liverwort mosses, ferns, their for Interest particularly on the edge of ancient sunken lanes and steep-sided and lanes sunken ancient of edge the on particularly
a minute snail minute a
in the Weald the in (gills) of the High Weald favour the luxuriant growth of growth luxuriant the favour Weald High the of (gills) Weald have been notified as Sites of Special Scientific Special of Sites as notified been have Weald
their rare plants. Sandrock is visible around the High Weald, High the around visible is Sandrock plants. rare their
Leiostyla anglica: Leiostyla
The mild, shaded conditions of the steep-sided streams steep-sided the of conditions shaded mild, The Many of the significant sandrock outcrops in the High the in outcrops sandrock significant the of Many Autumn or winter is often the best time to see the rocks and rocks the see to time best the often is winter or Autumn
Sandrock
Visiting the sandrock cliffs sandrock the Visiting Looking after sandrock after Looking wildlife special Sandrock’s
Sandrock in the Weald The formation of sandstone The origin of the sandstone cliffs The changing landscape
Sandrock outcrops are a distinctive local feature found Wealden sandstone formed 130 to 140 million years ago during Facts & Figures No-one knows exactly when the Wealden cliffs originated, After the Ice Age, dense forest spread across Britain. Between scattered across the High Weald – the hilly core of the the Early Cretaceous period. At this time rivers flowed across a but it was during the very last stages of the formation of about 8,500 and 5,000 years ago, in the Atlantic Period, the • There are over 75 Weald. Occasionally visible at the edge of roads and lanes, vast plain close to the Tethys Sea depositing beds of sand, as today’s hills and valleys. climate was warmer and wetter than today. Many of the rare Va l e r i e A l f o r d Va l e r i e A l f o r d significant sites of natural they are more often found hidden away in remote valleys. well as clay. Dinosaurs, including large herbivorous iguanodons, ferns, mosses, liverworts and lichens that grow on the Wealden sandrock outcrops recorded Some geologists think that the cliffs were created by intense would have wandered across the plain. sandstone cliffs probably first reached them around this time. The rocks are important geological features and home to some in the Weald. frost action during the last Ice Age. Present day processes of nationally rare ferns, mosses, liverworts and lichens. Many of weathering and erosion are thought to be slowly destroying the Later, as the climate became drier, these species retreated to • Since 1688 a total of 264 these plants are a living legacy from the climate that most of cliffs. the north and west of Britain. Relict communities were left on ‘lower plants’ have been Britain experienced around 4,000 BC, before the first farmers the Wealden cliffs, especially in the deep, steep-sided valleys Later in found growing on the 15 Other geologists believe that the cliffs originated during one of started to clear forest to make way for agriculture. with a humid microclimate. the Cretaceous period, the plain major sandrock outcrops in the many milder periods of the Ice Age when the climate was Mesolithic hunters sheltering Archaeological evidence suggests Mesolithic hunter-gatherers, disappeared beneath the advancing the Weald, including 165 as warm as it is today. They think the cliffs may still be From the Neolithic period onwards, humans began to settle, under a sandstone cliff. who once roamed the Wealden forests, were the first humans to Tethys Sea. More sand and clay beds were mosses and liverworts and forming, rather than being fossil features. gradually clearing the forests to create open areas for farming. make use of the rocks. The discovery of thousands of tiny flint deposited, and then a great layer of chalk. 90 lichens. By the end of the medieval period, woodland clearance was tools, as well as fragments of charcoal, suggest they camped After a succession of sea retreat, invasion and The forest was cleared for extensive; timber was in high demand, particularly for charcoal • Surveys in the last 50 beneath the shelter of the sandstone cliffs. land uplifts, South East England eventually agriculture and converted to to fuel the Wealden iron industry. years suggest 18 lichens and Sandrock was later valued as building stone. Many of the High arched up into a broad dome, centred on the coppiced woodland 21 mosses and liverworts Use of the High Weald’s abundant resources had created a Weald’s well known attractions are built of Wealden sandstone High Weald in England, and extending The changing face of the cliffs Sandra Fernandez have disappeared. landscape of small, irregular shaped fields and open heaths – Battle Abbey, Bodiam Castle, Wakehurst Place and across to France. within a woodland setting. Batemans, Kipling’s house at Burwash. • There are only four areas of soft sandstone in lowland The sand grains that form the cliffs are only weakly cemented Drawings show that in the eighteenth century many of the In Victorian times the rocks in and around Royal Tunbridge Clay, Sand & Gravel Chalk Gault Clay Lower Greensand Weald Clay and Sand Europe: the Weald; sandstone outcrops had only light or patchy tree cover. But Wells were popular visitor attractions and tea rooms could be Erosion has stripped away together, but the rock develops a hardened skin or rind, which the Fôret de Fontainbleu from the late Victorian period onwards, the cliffs became found nestling in the cliffs. Many of the rocks were named after the chalk from the High Thames Basin North Greensand Central South helps to protect it from the weather. The rind is enriched with River Thames Downs Ridge Weald Downs in France; increasingly hidden by the growth of trees and shrubs, things they resemble – Toad Rock, Loaf Rock, Pulpit Rock and Weald, and many of the beds organic matter, and with silica and iron salts which are Overlying rocks removed by erosion the Petite Suisse in Lion Rock. Wellington Rocks were named after the nearby beneath, exposing the Early following folding and uplift deposited when water from inside the especially rhododendrons. Some of the rare plants on the cliffs Luxembourg; and the hotel. Bell Rock was so called because of the metallic ringing Cretaceous beds. The chalk rock evaporates at the surface. became extinct, possibly as a result of too much shade. Elbe Sandstone on the ‘The famous Toad Rock is to noise it made when struck. has survived around the Czech/German border. On some cliffs the rind has Tunbridge Wells what the edges of the dome, forming leaning tower is to Pisa’ It was in the 1920s that the value of the rocks for climbing was weathered and cracked, discovered. As the only climbable rock in the South East, the the North and South Downs giving the rock the E.V. Lucas 1904 on the English side of the Sandra Fernandez accessible cliffs are some of the most heavily used in the Older underlying rocks appearance of crocodile Channel country. North KENT/SURREY EAST SUSSEX South hide or tortoiseshell. In the 18th century the cliffs Equally strange are the had light tree cover massed hollows known as Many of the Early Cretaceous beds of sand became compacted honeycomb weathering. when they were buried beneath the later deposits, forming soft The joints within the sandstone. Two of the sandstone beds (or layers) are resistant sandstone have become so wide Today sandrock cliffs and boulders continue to be valued Polygonal Cracking enough to form inland cliffs, up to 15 metres high. on steep valley sides – perhaps by local residents and visitors as important geological In places, these cliffs extend for distances of half a kilometre or caused by successive freezing and thawing features, with special and rare wildlife communities. more along the sides of river valleys. The older of the two cliff- during the Ice Age – that narrow passageways have sometimes forming sandstones is named the Top Ashdown Sandstone and been formed. Many of the cliffs are undercut at the base, Right: 18th-century drawing Modest homes, as well as grand the younger, the Ardingly Sandstone. The majority of the cliffs probably because the dampness at the bottom of the cliffs by Grimm: buildings, were built from sandstone are formed of Ardingly Sandstone. speeds up the rock’s decay. View of Penns Rocks
www.highweald.org www.highweald.org www.highweald.org www.highweald.org
www.highweald.org www.highweald.org www.highweald.org
Botanic Gardens Kew. Gardens Botanic (AONB) in 1983 to aid its protection and management and protection its aid to 1983 in (AONB) and protect the rock: www.sandstonevolunteers.org.uk rock: the protect and remove rhododendron remove
Wakehurst Place, Royal Place, Wakehurst The High Weald was designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Natural Outstanding of Area an designated was Weald High The
Volunteers using a winch to winch a using Volunteers
in climbing and carry out practical work to clear overgrowth clear to work practical out carry and climbing in mosses and liverworts are at risk from climate change. climate from risk at are liverworts and mosses Hay-scented Fern Hay-scented
sandrock along rock walk. rock along sandrock
and East Sussex sandstone crags. They encourage good practice good encourage They crags. sandstone Sussex East and Like many other species, the High Weald’s unique ferns, unique Weald’s High the species, other many Like
Frontcover: Yew roots over roots Yew Frontcover: rare wildlife rare
interested in conserving the rock and environment of the Kent the of environment and rock the conserving in interested
MSS671 No19 MSS671
area. The Sandstone Volunteers Group – climbers and others and climbers – Group Volunteers Sandstone The ●
Library Grimms Images Grimms Library
its internationally its
• the relatively high rainfall and number of rainy days in the in days rainy of number and rainfall high relatively the • permission of the British the of permission
cutting back trees and brambles: www.sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk brambles: and trees back cutting
View of Penn Rocks by Rocks Penn of View
summer
unique feature and feature unique Nature Reserve and organises practical volunteering tasks like tasks volunteering practical organises and Reserve Nature
Reprinted March 2020. March Reprinted
• extensive woodland which provides dappled shade in shade dappled provides which woodland extensive •
Sussex Wildlife Trust – a charity that manages Eridge Rocks Eridge manages that charity a – Trust Wildlife Sussex ●
Partnership. Partnership.
• its water-absorbing qualities water-absorbing its •
A guide to a a to guide A
© High Weald AONB Weald High ©
As well as visiting the rocks responsibly, you can join and support: support: and join can you responsibly, rocks the visiting as well As moist through: through: moist
– search for ‘landform story’ ‘landform for search –
plants exists in the High Weald because the sandrock is kept is sandrock the because Weald High the in exists plants
W: www.highweald.org www.highweald.org W:
This extraordinary community of oceanic, moisture-loving oceanic, of community extraordinary This
E: [email protected] [email protected] E:
What you can do can you What a tiny moss tiny a
Partnership T: 01424 723011 01424 T: Partnership Orthodontium gracile Orthodontium :
High Weald AONB Weald High
with its dark green, glossy strap-shaped fronds. strap-shaped glossy green, dark its with
Further information information Further From: www.thebmc.co.uk From:
, liverwort, beautiful the is rarity great Another Pallavicinia lyellii Pallavicinia
• Always walk down; don’t abseil don’t down; walk Always • High Weald Weald High Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Natural Outstanding of Area
very quickly. very
woodland.
powers to protect these sites. these protect to powers
vegetation of any kind any of vegetation
the crust is damaged or worn, the underlying softer stone erodes stone softer underlying the worn, or damaged is crust the
, now only found in a few areas of rocky of areas few a in found only now , moss Orthodontium gracile Orthodontium
Natural England which has which England Natural
• Do not ‘improve’ holds or remove or holds ‘improve’ not Do •
rocks, particularly the sandstone’s hard, but thin, outer crust. If crust. outer thin, but hard, sandstone’s the particularly rocks, Climbing is monitored by monitored is Climbing The sandrocks are the British stronghold of the tiny silky-leaved tiny the of stronghold British the are sandrocks The
• Always use soft boots soft use Always •
climbing, fires and vandalism can damage the plants and the and plants the damage can vandalism and fires climbing,
Trust: www.bowles.rocks Trust: Wells. . snail, minute the Leiostyla anglica Leiostyla
Co-operation from visitors is also important. Trampling, important. also is visitors from Co-operation
to prevent it cutting into the edge the into cutting it prevent to
agreement with Sussex Wildlife Sussex with agreement
as a ticketed attraction, for example High Rocks near Tunbridge near Rocks High example for attraction, ticketed a as stream-sides, hosts another speciality normally from the West, the from normally speciality another hosts stream-sides,
not come into contact with the rock, the with contact into come not
members, through an through members,
going management. going
public on some days through the National Gardens Scheme, or Scheme, Gardens National the through days some on public The damp marshy ground in the valley bottoms, and along the along and bottoms, valley the in ground marshy damp The moving part of the top rope does rope top the of part moving
parts of Eridge Rocks for BMC for Rocks Eridge of parts
be difficult to remove without damaging the rocks and needs on- needs and rocks the damaging without remove to difficult be
Many outcrops are in private ownership but may be open to the to open be may but ownership private in are outcrops Many • Use slings to ensure that the that ensure to slings Use •
Stone Farm Rocks, as well as on as well as Rocks, Farm Stone . . like mosses and , and Dicranum scottianum Dicranum trilobata Bazzania gracilis
natural herbicide it exudes from its roots. Rhododendron can can Rhododendron roots. its from exudes it herbicide natural
Rocks, Harrison’s Rocks and Rocks Harrison’s Rocks,
(without any rope at all) at rope any (without in Hastings Country Park. Check access at: www.hastings.gov.uk www.hastings.gov.uk at: access Check Park. Country Hastings in Most of the oceanic species are leafy liverworts like like liverworts leafy are species oceanic the of Most Scapania
and year-round shade, it can kill surrounding plants through the through plants surrounding kill can it shade, year-round and
Climbing is allowed at Bowles at allowed is Climbing
• Always use top ropes or climb solo climb or ropes top use Always •
In the east, near Hastings, are Ecclesbourne and Fairlight Glens Fairlight and Ecclesbourne are Hastings, near east, the In
evergreen shrub grows quickly and, as well as creating dense creating as well as and, quickly grows shrub evergreen surfaces. rock the than sides
after the rocks. It advises: It rocks. the after
www.kew.org/wakehurst Rhododendron is a particular problem. This non-native invasive non-native This problem. particular a is Rhododendron valley the of banks steep the on grows often more It distribution.
of Practice helps climbers look climbers helps Practice of
visiting climbers visiting
the Rock Walk: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/nymans Walk: Rock the crisped fronds like curly parsley, has a similar oceanic similar a has parsley, curly like fronds crisped
The Southern Sandstone Code Sandstone Southern The Such work is often done with the help of volunteers. of help the with done often is work Such
provides essential guidance to guidance essential provides
Wakehurst (managed by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew) on Kew) Gardens, Botanic Royal the by (managed Wakehurst ), with large with ), ( Fern Hay-scented beautiful The Dryopteris aemula Dryopteris
sandstone, the BMC (right) BMC the sandstone, • clearing rhododendron. clearing •
access lane; Nymans on the circular woodland trail; and at and trail; woodland circular the on Nymans lane; access
To help preserve the fragile the preserve help To • keeping bramble under control and control under bramble keeping • Luxembourg. in outcrops sandstone
Trust properties of: Standen House and Garden alongside the alongside Garden and House Standen of: properties Trust
generally prefer dappled shade dappled prefer generally • trimming back overhanging branches branches overhanging back trimming • soft and Azores the as far as Europe of coast Atlantic the Britain,
In the western High Weald there are outcrops at the National the at outcrops are there Weald High western the In Mosses, liverworts and ferns and liverworts Mosses,
• coppicing trees at the foot of the rocks the of foot the at trees coppicing • western of woodlands rocky the to confined is it Weald the
www.sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk Management measures therefore include: therefore measures Management Outside places. other 12 about in survives still it locality, original
Council (BMC): www.thebmc.co.uk (BMC): Council Tunbridge Wells by a Dr. Dare in 1686. Although no longer in its in longer no Although 1686. in Dare Dr. a by Wells Tunbridge
enough light to grow, so they tend to die back and can disappear. can and back die to tend they so grow, to light enough
Harrison’s Rocks, managed by the British Mountaineering British the by managed Rocks, Harrison’s This little fern was first discovered on the High Rocks at Rocks High the on discovered first was fern little This
dense shade, often created by evergreens, they cannot get cannot they evergreens, by created often shade, dense
Tunbridge Filmy-fern Tunbridge
Eridge Rocks Nature Reserve near Tunbridge Wells, and Wells, Tunbridge near Reserve Nature Rocks Eridge
exposed the plants can dry out too much, even in winter. In winter. in even much, too out dry can plants the exposed fern. a than moss a like more looking and long 8cm
The largest sandstone cliffs are found at Sussex Wildlife Trust’s Wildlife Sussex at found are cliffs sandstone largest The
shade that mosses, liverworts, lichens and ferns thrive in. If fully If in. thrive ferns and lichens liverworts, mosses, that shade to up fronds delicate thin with ), ( fern Hymenophyllum tunbrigense Hymenophyllum
Wellington Rocks and Toad Rock: www.twcommons.org www.twcommons.org Rock: Toad and Rocks Wellington Sandrock habitat needs to be managed to maintain the dappled the maintain to managed be to needs habitat Sandrock Filmy- Tunbridge tiny the is species oceanic these of famous Most
and Surrey and
outcrops on Tunbridge Wells and Rusthall Commons, including Commons, Rusthall and Wells Tunbridge on outcrops
important sandrock exposures. sandrock important East.
In the central High Weald you can visit several sandrock several visit can you Weald High central the In
Geological Conservation Review for their nationally their for Review Conservation Geological South the than Britain western of climate oceanic mild the
of Kent, Sussex Sussex Kent, of
communities. Seventeen sites have also been listed in the in listed been also have sites Seventeen communities. of characteristic more are species these of Many sandrock. streams (gills). (gills). streams
Interest for their ferns, mosses, liverwort and lichen and liverwort mosses, ferns, their for Interest the of surface the on lichens and liverworts mosses, ferns, particularly on the edge of ancient sunken lanes and steep-sided and lanes sunken ancient of edge the on particularly
a minute snail minute a
in the Weald the in Weald have been notified as Sites of Special Scientific Special of Sites as notified been have Weald of growth luxuriant the favour Weald High the of (gills)
their rare plants. Sandrock is visible around the High Weald, High the around visible is Sandrock plants. rare their
Leiostyla anglica: Leiostyla
Many of the significant sandrock outcrops in the High the in outcrops sandrock significant the of Many streams steep-sided the of conditions shaded mild, The Autumn or winter is often the best time to see the rocks and rocks the see to time best the often is winter or Autumn
Sandrock
Visiting the sandrock cliffs sandrock the Visiting Looking after sandrock after Looking wildlife special Sandrock’s
Sandrock in the Weald The formation of sandstone The origin of the sandstone cliffs The changing landscape
Sandrock outcrops are a distinctive local feature found Wealden sandstone formed 130 to 140 million years ago during Facts & Figures No-one knows exactly when the Wealden cliffs originated, After the Ice Age, dense forest spread across Britain. Between scattered across the High Weald – the hilly core of the the Early Cretaceous period. At this time rivers flowed across a but it was during the very last stages of the formation of about 8,500 and 5,000 years ago, in the Atlantic Period, the • There are over 75 Weald. Occasionally visible at the edge of roads and lanes, vast plain close to the Tethys Sea depositing beds of sand, as today’s hills and valleys. climate was warmer and wetter than today. Many of the rare Va l e r i e A l f o r d Va l e r i e A l f o r d significant sites of natural they are more often found hidden away in remote valleys. well as clay. Dinosaurs, including large herbivorous iguanodons, ferns, mosses, liverworts and lichens that grow on the Wealden sandrock outcrops recorded Some geologists think that the cliffs were created by intense would have wandered across the plain. sandstone cliffs probably first reached them around this time. The rocks are important geological features and home to some in the Weald. frost action during the last Ice Age. Present day processes of nationally rare ferns, mosses, liverworts and lichens. Many of weathering and erosion are thought to be slowly destroying the Later, as the climate became drier, these species retreated to • Since 1688 a total of 264 these plants are a living legacy from the climate that most of cliffs. the north and west of Britain. Relict communities were left on ‘lower plants’ have been Britain experienced around 4,000 BC, before the first farmers the Wealden cliffs, especially in the deep, steep-sided valleys Later in found growing on the 15 Other geologists believe that the cliffs originated during one of started to clear forest to make way for agriculture. with a humid microclimate. the Cretaceous period, the plain major sandrock outcrops in the many milder periods of the Ice Age when the climate was Mesolithic hunters sheltering Archaeological evidence suggests Mesolithic hunter-gatherers, disappeared beneath the advancing the Weald, including 165 as warm as it is today. They think the cliffs may still be From the Neolithic period onwards, humans began to settle, under a sandstone cliff. who once roamed the Wealden forests, were the first humans to Tethys Sea. More sand and clay beds were mosses and liverworts and forming, rather than being fossil features. gradually clearing the forests to create open areas for farming. make use of the rocks. The discovery of thousands of tiny flint deposited, and then a great layer of chalk. 90 lichens. By the end of the medieval period, woodland clearance was tools, as well as fragments of charcoal, suggest they camped After a succession of sea retreat, invasion and The forest was cleared for extensive; timber was in high demand, particularly for charcoal • Surveys in the last 50 beneath the shelter of the sandstone cliffs. land uplifts, South East England eventually agriculture and converted to to fuel the Wealden iron industry. years suggest 18 lichens and Sandrock was later valued as building stone. Many of the High arched up into a broad dome, centred on the coppiced woodland 21 mosses and liverworts Use of the High Weald’s abundant resources had created a Weald’s well known attractions are built of Wealden sandstone High Weald in England, and extending The changing face of the cliffs Sandra Fernandez have disappeared. landscape of small, irregular shaped fields and open heaths – Battle Abbey, Bodiam Castle, Wakehurst Place and across to France. within a woodland setting. Batemans, Kipling’s house at Burwash. • There are only four areas of soft sandstone in lowland The sand grains that form the cliffs are only weakly cemented Drawings show that in the eighteenth century many of the In Victorian times the rocks in and around Royal Tunbridge Clay, Sand & Gravel Chalk Gault Clay Lower Greensand Weald Clay and Sand Europe: the Weald; sandstone outcrops had only light or patchy tree cover. But Wells were popular visitor attractions and tea rooms could be Erosion has stripped away together, but the rock develops a hardened skin or rind, which the Fôret de Fontainbleu from the late Victorian period onwards, the cliffs became found nestling in the cliffs. Many of the rocks were named after the chalk from the High Thames Basin North Greensand Central South helps to protect it from the weather. The rind is enriched with River Thames Downs Ridge Weald Downs in France; increasingly hidden by the growth of trees and shrubs, things they resemble – Toad Rock, Loaf Rock, Pulpit Rock and Weald, and many of the beds organic matter, and with silica and iron salts which are Overlying rocks removed by erosion the Petite Suisse in Lion Rock. Wellington Rocks were named after the nearby beneath, exposing the Early following folding and uplift deposited when water from inside the especially rhododendrons. Some of the rare plants on the cliffs Luxembourg; and the hotel. Bell Rock was so called because of the metallic ringing Cretaceous beds. The chalk rock evaporates at the surface. became extinct, possibly as a result of too much shade. Elbe Sandstone on the ‘The famous Toad Rock is to noise it made when struck. has survived around the Czech/German border. On some cliffs the rind has Tunbridge Wells what the edges of the dome, forming leaning tower is to Pisa’ It was in the 1920s that the value of the rocks for climbing was weathered and cracked, discovered. As the only climbable rock in the South East, the the North and South Downs giving the rock the E.V. Lucas 1904 on the English side of the Sandra Fernandez accessible cliffs are some of the most heavily used in the Older underlying rocks appearance of crocodile Channel country. North KENT/SURREY EAST SUSSEX South hide or tortoiseshell. In the 18th century the cliffs Equally strange are the had light tree cover massed hollows known as Many of the Early Cretaceous beds of sand became compacted honeycomb weathering. when they were buried beneath the later deposits, forming soft The joints within the sandstone. Two of the sandstone beds (or layers) are resistant sandstone have become so wide Today sandrock cliffs and boulders continue to be valued Polygonal Cracking enough to form inland cliffs, up to 15 metres high. on steep valley sides – perhaps by local residents and visitors as important geological In places, these cliffs extend for distances of half a kilometre or caused by successive freezing and thawing features, with special and rare wildlife communities. more along the sides of river valleys. The older of the two cliff- during the Ice Age – that narrow passageways have sometimes forming sandstones is named the Top Ashdown Sandstone and been formed. Many of the cliffs are undercut at the base, Right: 18th-century drawing Modest homes, as well as grand the younger, the Ardingly Sandstone. The majority of the cliffs probably because the dampness at the bottom of the cliffs by Grimm: buildings, were built from sandstone are formed of Ardingly Sandstone. speeds up the rock’s decay. View of Penns Rocks
www.highweald.org www.highweald.org www.highweald.org www.highweald.org
www.highweald.org www.highweald.org www.highweald.org
Botanic Gardens Kew. Gardens Botanic (AONB) in 1983 to aid its protection and management and protection its aid to 1983 in (AONB) and protect the rock: www.sandstonevolunteers.org.uk rock: the protect and remove rhododendron remove
Wakehurst Place, Royal Place, Wakehurst The High Weald was designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Natural Outstanding of Area an designated was Weald High The
Volunteers using a winch to winch a using Volunteers in climbing and carry out practical work to clear overgrowth clear to work practical out carry and climbing in mosses and liverworts are at risk from climate change. climate from risk at are liverworts and mosses Hay-scented Fern Hay-scented
sandrock along rock walk. rock along sandrock
and East Sussex sandstone crags. They encourage good practice good encourage They crags. sandstone Sussex East and Like many other species, the High Weald’s unique ferns, unique Weald’s High the species, other many Like
Frontcover: Yew roots over roots Yew Frontcover: rare wildlife rare
interested in conserving the rock and environment of the Kent the of environment and rock the conserving in interested
MSS671 No19 MSS671
area. The Sandstone Volunteers Group – climbers and others and climbers – Group Volunteers Sandstone The ●
Library Grimms Images Grimms Library
its internationally its
• the relatively high rainfall and number of rainy days in the in days rainy of number and rainfall high relatively the • permission of the British the of permission
cutting back trees and brambles: www.sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk brambles: and trees back cutting
View of Penn Rocks by Rocks Penn of View
summer
unique feature and feature unique Nature Reserve and organises practical volunteering tasks like tasks volunteering practical organises and Reserve Nature
Reprinted March 2020. March Reprinted
• extensive woodland which provides dappled shade in shade dappled provides which woodland extensive •
Sussex Wildlife Trust – a charity that manages Eridge Rocks Eridge manages that charity a – Trust Wildlife Sussex ●
Partnership. Partnership.
• its water-absorbing qualities water-absorbing its •
A guide to a a to guide A
© High Weald AONB Weald High ©
As well as visiting the rocks responsibly, you can join and support: support: and join can you responsibly, rocks the visiting as well As moist through: through: moist
– search for ‘landform story’ ‘landform for search –
plants exists in the High Weald because the sandrock is kept is sandrock the because Weald High the in exists plants
W: www.highweald.org www.highweald.org W:
This extraordinary community of oceanic, moisture-loving oceanic, of community extraordinary This
E: [email protected] [email protected] E:
What you can do can you What a tiny moss tiny a
Partnership T: 01424 723011 01424 T: Partnership Orthodontium gracile Orthodontium :
High Weald AONB Weald High
with its dark green, glossy strap-shaped fronds. strap-shaped glossy green, dark its with
Further information information Further From: www.thebmc.co.uk From:
, liverwort, beautiful the is rarity great Another Pallavicinia lyellii Pallavicinia
• Always walk down; don’t abseil don’t down; walk Always • High Weald Weald High Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Natural Outstanding of Area
very quickly. very
woodland.
powers to protect these sites. these protect to powers
vegetation of any kind any of vegetation
the crust is damaged or worn, the underlying softer stone erodes stone softer underlying the worn, or damaged is crust the
, now only found in a few areas of rocky of areas few a in found only now , moss Orthodontium gracile Orthodontium
Natural England which has which England Natural
• Do not ‘improve’ holds or remove or holds ‘improve’ not Do •
rocks, particularly the sandstone’s hard, but thin, outer crust. If crust. outer thin, but hard, sandstone’s the particularly rocks, Climbing is monitored by monitored is Climbing The sandrocks are the British stronghold of the tiny silky-leaved tiny the of stronghold British the are sandrocks The
• Always use soft boots soft use Always • climbing, fires and vandalism can damage the plants and the and plants the damage can vandalism and fires climbing,
Trust: www.bowles.rocks Trust: Wells. . snail, minute the Leiostyla anglica Leiostyla
Co-operation from visitors is also important. Trampling, important. also is visitors from Co-operation to prevent it cutting into the edge the into cutting it prevent to
agreement with Sussex Wildlife Sussex with agreement
as a ticketed attraction, for example High Rocks near Tunbridge near Rocks High example for attraction, ticketed a as stream-sides, hosts another speciality normally from the West, the from normally speciality another hosts stream-sides,
not come into contact with the rock, the with contact into come not
members, through an through members,
going management. going
public on some days through the National Gardens Scheme, or Scheme, Gardens National the through days some on public The damp marshy ground in the valley bottoms, and along the along and bottoms, valley the in ground marshy damp The moving part of the top rope does rope top the of part moving
parts of Eridge Rocks for BMC for Rocks Eridge of parts
be difficult to remove without damaging the rocks and needs on- needs and rocks the damaging without remove to difficult be
Many outcrops are in private ownership but may be open to the to open be may but ownership private in are outcrops Many • Use slings to ensure that the that ensure to slings Use •
Stone Farm Rocks, as well as on as well as Rocks, Farm Stone . . like mosses and , and Dicranum scottianum Dicranum trilobata Bazzania gracilis
natural herbicide it exudes from its roots. Rhododendron can can Rhododendron roots. its from exudes it herbicide natural
Rocks, Harrison’s Rocks and Rocks Harrison’s Rocks,
(without any rope at all) at rope any (without in Hastings Country Park. Check access at: www.hastings.gov.uk www.hastings.gov.uk at: access Check Park. Country Hastings in Most of the oceanic species are leafy liverworts like like liverworts leafy are species oceanic the of Most Scapania
and year-round shade, it can kill surrounding plants through the through plants surrounding kill can it shade, year-round and
Climbing is allowed at Bowles at allowed is Climbing
• Always use top ropes or climb solo climb or ropes top use Always •
In the east, near Hastings, are Ecclesbourne and Fairlight Glens Fairlight and Ecclesbourne are Hastings, near east, the In
evergreen shrub grows quickly and, as well as creating dense creating as well as and, quickly grows shrub evergreen surfaces. rock the than sides
after the rocks. It advises: It rocks. the after
www.kew.org/wakehurst Rhododendron is a particular problem. This non-native invasive non-native This problem. particular a is Rhododendron valley the of banks steep the on grows often more It distribution.
of Practice helps climbers look climbers helps Practice of
visiting climbers visiting
the Rock Walk: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/nymans Walk: Rock the crisped fronds like curly parsley, has a similar oceanic similar a has parsley, curly like fronds crisped
The Southern Sandstone Code Sandstone Southern The Such work is often done with the help of volunteers. of help the with done often is work Such
provides essential guidance to guidance essential provides
Wakehurst (managed by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew) on Kew) Gardens, Botanic Royal the by (managed Wakehurst ), with large with ), ( Fern Hay-scented beautiful The Dryopteris aemula Dryopteris
sandstone, the BMC (right) BMC the sandstone, • clearing rhododendron. clearing •
access lane; Nymans on the circular woodland trail; and at and trail; woodland circular the on Nymans lane; access
To help preserve the fragile the preserve help To • keeping bramble under control and control under bramble keeping • Luxembourg. in outcrops sandstone
Trust properties of: Standen House and Garden alongside the alongside Garden and House Standen of: properties Trust generally prefer dappled shade dappled prefer generally • trimming back overhanging branches branches overhanging back trimming • soft and Azores the as far as Europe of coast Atlantic the Britain,
In the western High Weald there are outcrops at the National the at outcrops are there Weald High western the In Mosses, liverworts and ferns and liverworts Mosses,
• coppicing trees at the foot of the rocks the of foot the at trees coppicing • western of woodlands rocky the to confined is it Weald the
www.sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk Management measures therefore include: therefore measures Management Outside places. other 12 about in survives still it locality, original
Council (BMC): www.thebmc.co.uk (BMC): Council Tunbridge Wells by a Dr. Dare in 1686. Although no longer in its in longer no Although 1686. in Dare Dr. a by Wells Tunbridge enough light to grow, so they tend to die back and can disappear. can and back die to tend they so grow, to light enough
Harrison’s Rocks, managed by the British Mountaineering British the by managed Rocks, Harrison’s This little fern was first discovered on the High Rocks at Rocks High the on discovered first was fern little This
dense shade, often created by evergreens, they cannot get cannot they evergreens, by created often shade, dense
Tunbridge Filmy-fern Tunbridge
Eridge Rocks Nature Reserve near Tunbridge Wells, and Wells, Tunbridge near Reserve Nature Rocks Eridge exposed the plants can dry out too much, even in winter. In winter. in even much, too out dry can plants the exposed fern. a than moss a like more looking and long 8cm
The largest sandstone cliffs are found at Sussex Wildlife Trust’s Wildlife Sussex at found are cliffs sandstone largest The
shade that mosses, liverworts, lichens and ferns thrive in. If fully If in. thrive ferns and lichens liverworts, mosses, that shade to up fronds delicate thin with ), ( fern Hymenophyllum tunbrigense Hymenophyllum
Wellington Rocks and Toad Rock: www.twcommons.org www.twcommons.org Rock: Toad and Rocks Wellington Sandrock habitat needs to be managed to maintain the dappled the maintain to managed be to needs habitat Sandrock Filmy- Tunbridge tiny the is species oceanic these of famous Most
and Surrey and
outcrops on Tunbridge Wells and Rusthall Commons, including Commons, Rusthall and Wells Tunbridge on outcrops
important sandrock exposures. sandrock important East.
In the central High Weald you can visit several sandrock several visit can you Weald High central the In
Geological Conservation Review for their nationally their for Review Conservation Geological South the than Britain western of climate oceanic mild the
of Kent, Sussex Sussex Kent, of
communities. Seventeen sites have also been listed in the in listed been also have sites Seventeen communities. of characteristic more are species these of Many sandrock. streams (gills). (gills). streams
Interest for their ferns, mosses, liverwort and lichen and liverwort mosses, ferns, their for Interest the of surface the on lichens and liverworts mosses, ferns, particularly on the edge of ancient sunken lanes and steep-sided and lanes sunken ancient of edge the on particularly
a minute snail minute a
in the Weald the in Weald have been notified as Sites of Special Scientific Special of Sites as notified been have Weald of growth luxuriant the favour Weald High the of (gills)
their rare plants. Sandrock is visible around the High Weald, High the around visible is Sandrock plants. rare their
Leiostyla anglica: Leiostyla
Many of the significant sandrock outcrops in the High the in outcrops sandrock significant the of Many streams steep-sided the of conditions shaded mild, The Autumn or winter is often the best time to see the rocks and rocks the see to time best the often is winter or Autumn
Sandrock
Visiting the sandrock cliffs sandrock the Visiting Looking after sandrock after Looking wildlife special Sandrock’s
Sandrock in the Weald The formation of sandstone The origin of the sandstone cliffs The changing landscape
Sandrock outcrops are a distinctive local feature found Wealden sandstone formed 130 to 140 million years ago during Facts & Figures No-one knows exactly when the Wealden cliffs originated, After the Ice Age, dense forest spread across Britain. Between scattered across the High Weald – the hilly core of the the Early Cretaceous period. At this time rivers flowed across a but it was during the very last stages of the formation of about 8,500 and 5,000 years ago, in the Atlantic Period, the • There are over 75 Weald. Occasionally visible at the edge of roads and lanes, vast plain close to the Tethys Sea depositing beds of sand, as today’s hills and valleys. climate was warmer and wetter than today. Many of the rare Va l e r i e A l f o r d Va l e r i e A l f o r d significant sites of natural they are more often found hidden away in remote valleys. well as clay. Dinosaurs, including large herbivorous iguanodons, ferns, mosses, liverworts and lichens that grow on the Wealden sandrock outcrops recorded Some geologists think that the cliffs were created by intense would have wandered across the plain. sandstone cliffs probably first reached them around this time. The rocks are important geological features and home to some in the Weald. frost action during the last Ice Age. Present day processes of nationally rare ferns, mosses, liverworts and lichens. Many of weathering and erosion are thought to be slowly destroying the Later, as the climate became drier, these species retreated to • Since 1688 a total of 264 these plants are a living legacy from the climate that most of cliffs. the north and west of Britain. Relict communities were left on ‘lower plants’ have been Britain experienced around 4,000 BC, before the first farmers the Wealden cliffs, especially in the deep, steep-sided valleys Later in found growing on the 15 Other geologists believe that the cliffs originated during one of started to clear forest to make way for agriculture. with a humid microclimate. the Cretaceous period, the plain major sandrock outcrops in the many milder periods of the Ice Age when the climate was Mesolithic hunters sheltering Archaeological evidence suggests Mesolithic hunter-gatherers, disappeared beneath the advancing the Weald, including 165 as warm as it is today. They think the cliffs may still be From the Neolithic period onwards, humans began to settle, under a sandstone cliff. who once roamed the Wealden forests, were the first humans to Tethys Sea. More sand and clay beds were mosses and liverworts and forming, rather than being fossil features. gradually clearing the forests to create open areas for farming. make use of the rocks. The discovery of thousands of tiny flint deposited, and then a great layer of chalk. 90 lichens. By the end of the medieval period, woodland clearance was tools, as well as fragments of charcoal, suggest they camped After a succession of sea retreat, invasion and The forest was cleared for extensive; timber was in high demand, particularly for charcoal • Surveys in the last 50 beneath the shelter of the sandstone cliffs. land uplifts, South East England eventually agriculture and converted to to fuel the Wealden iron industry. years suggest 18 lichens and Sandrock was later valued as building stone. Many of the High arched up into a broad dome, centred on the coppiced woodland 21 mosses and liverworts Use of the High Weald’s abundant resources had created a Weald’s well known attractions are built of Wealden sandstone High Weald in England, and extending The changing face of the cliffs Sandra Fernandez have disappeared. landscape of small, irregular shaped fields and open heaths – Battle Abbey, Bodiam Castle, Wakehurst Place and across to France. within a woodland setting. Batemans, Kipling’s house at Burwash. • There are only four areas of soft sandstone in lowland The sand grains that form the cliffs are only weakly cemented Drawings show that in the eighteenth century many of the In Victorian times the rocks in and around Royal Tunbridge Clay, Sand & Gravel Chalk Gault Clay Lower Greensand Weald Clay and Sand Europe: the Weald; sandstone outcrops had only light or patchy tree cover. But Wells were popular visitor attractions and tea rooms could be Erosion has stripped away together, but the rock develops a hardened skin or rind, which the Fôret de Fontainbleu from the late Victorian period onwards, the cliffs became found nestling in the cliffs. Many of the rocks were named after the chalk from the High Thames Basin North Greensand Central South helps to protect it from the weather. The rind is enriched with River Thames Downs Ridge Weald Downs in France; increasingly hidden by the growth of trees and shrubs, things they resemble – Toad Rock, Loaf Rock, Pulpit Rock and Weald, and many of the beds organic matter, and with silica and iron salts which are Overlying rocks removed by erosion the Petite Suisse in Lion Rock. Wellington Rocks were named after the nearby beneath, exposing the Early following folding and uplift deposited when water from inside the especially rhododendrons. Some of the rare plants on the cliffs Luxembourg; and the hotel. Bell Rock was so called because of the metallic ringing Cretaceous beds. The chalk rock evaporates at the surface. became extinct, possibly as a result of too much shade. Elbe Sandstone on the ‘The famous Toad Rock is to noise it made when struck. has survived around the Czech/German border. On some cliffs the rind has Tunbridge Wells what the edges of the dome, forming leaning tower is to Pisa’ It was in the 1920s that the value of the rocks for climbing was weathered and cracked, discovered. As the only climbable rock in the South East, the the North and South Downs giving the rock the E.V. Lucas 1904 on the English side of the Sandra Fernandez accessible cliffs are some of the most heavily used in the Older underlying rocks appearance of crocodile Channel country. North KENT/SURREY EAST SUSSEX South hide or tortoiseshell. In the 18th century the cliffs Equally strange are the had light tree cover massed hollows known as Many of the Early Cretaceous beds of sand became compacted honeycomb weathering. when they were buried beneath the later deposits, forming soft The joints within the sandstone. Two of the sandstone beds (or layers) are resistant sandstone have become so wide Today sandrock cliffs and boulders continue to be valued Polygonal Cracking enough to form inland cliffs, up to 15 metres high. on steep valley sides – perhaps by local residents and visitors as important geological In places, these cliffs extend for distances of half a kilometre or caused by successive freezing and thawing features, with special and rare wildlife communities. more along the sides of river valleys. The older of the two cliff- during the Ice Age – that narrow passageways have sometimes forming sandstones is named the Top Ashdown Sandstone and been formed. Many of the cliffs are undercut at the base, Right: 18th-century drawing Modest homes, as well as grand the younger, the Ardingly Sandstone. The majority of the cliffs probably because the dampness at the bottom of the cliffs by Grimm: buildings, were built from sandstone are formed of Ardingly Sandstone. speeds up the rock’s decay. View of Penns Rocks
www.highweald.org www.highweald.org www.highweald.org www.highweald.org
www.highweald.org www.highweald.org www.highweald.org
Botanic Gardens Kew. Gardens Botanic (AONB) in 1983 to aid its protection and management and protection its aid to 1983 in (AONB) and protect the rock: www.sandstonevolunteers.org.uk rock: the protect and remove rhododendron remove
Wakehurst Place, Royal Place, Wakehurst The High Weald was designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Natural Outstanding of Area an designated was Weald High The
Volunteers using a winch to winch a using Volunteers
in climbing and carry out practical work to clear overgrowth clear to work practical out carry and climbing in mosses and liverworts are at risk from climate change. climate from risk at are liverworts and mosses Hay-scented Fern Hay-scented
sandrock along rock walk. rock along sandrock
and East Sussex sandstone crags. They encourage good practice good encourage They crags. sandstone Sussex East and Like many other species, the High Weald’s unique ferns, unique Weald’s High the species, other many Like
Frontcover: Yew roots over roots Yew Frontcover: rare wildlife rare
interested in conserving the rock and environment of the Kent the of environment and rock the conserving in interested
MSS671 No19 MSS671
area. The Sandstone Volunteers Group – climbers and others and climbers – Group Volunteers Sandstone The ●
Library Grimms Images Grimms Library
its internationally its
• the relatively high rainfall and number of rainy days in the in days rainy of number and rainfall high relatively the • permission of the British the of permission
cutting back trees and brambles: www.sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk brambles: and trees back cutting
View of Penn Rocks by Rocks Penn of View
summer
unique feature and feature unique Nature Reserve and organises practical volunteering tasks like tasks volunteering practical organises and Reserve Nature
Reprinted March 2020. March Reprinted
• extensive woodland which provides dappled shade in shade dappled provides which woodland extensive •
Sussex Wildlife Trust – a charity that manages Eridge Rocks Eridge manages that charity a – Trust Wildlife Sussex ●
Partnership. Partnership.
• its water-absorbing qualities water-absorbing its •
A guide to a a to guide A
© High Weald AONB Weald High ©
As well as visiting the rocks responsibly, you can join and support: support: and join can you responsibly, rocks the visiting as well As moist through: through: moist
– search for ‘landform story’ ‘landform for search –
plants exists in the High Weald because the sandrock is kept is sandrock the because Weald High the in exists plants
W: www.highweald.org www.highweald.org W:
This extraordinary community of oceanic, moisture-loving oceanic, of community extraordinary This
E: [email protected] [email protected] E:
What you can do can you What a tiny moss tiny a
Partnership T: 01424 723011 01424 T: Partnership Orthodontium gracile Orthodontium :
High Weald AONB Weald High
with its dark green, glossy strap-shaped fronds. strap-shaped glossy green, dark its with
Further information information Further From: www.thebmc.co.uk From:
, liverwort, beautiful the is rarity great Another Pallavicinia lyellii Pallavicinia
• Always walk down; don’t abseil don’t down; walk Always • High Weald Weald High Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Natural Outstanding of Area
very quickly. very
woodland.
powers to protect these sites. these protect to powers
vegetation of any kind any of vegetation
the crust is damaged or worn, the underlying softer stone erodes stone softer underlying the worn, or damaged is crust the
, now only found in a few areas of rocky of areas few a in found only now , moss Orthodontium gracile Orthodontium
Natural England which has which England Natural
• Do not ‘improve’ holds or remove or holds ‘improve’ not Do •
rocks, particularly the sandstone’s hard, but thin, outer crust. If crust. outer thin, but hard, sandstone’s the particularly rocks, Climbing is monitored by monitored is Climbing The sandrocks are the British stronghold of the tiny silky-leaved tiny the of stronghold British the are sandrocks The
• Always use soft boots soft use Always •
climbing, fires and vandalism can damage the plants and the and plants the damage can vandalism and fires climbing,
Trust: www.bowles.rocks Trust: Wells. . snail, minute the Leiostyla anglica Leiostyla
Co-operation from visitors is also important. Trampling, important. also is visitors from Co-operation
to prevent it cutting into the edge the into cutting it prevent to
agreement with Sussex Wildlife Sussex with agreement
as a ticketed attraction, for example High Rocks near Tunbridge near Rocks High example for attraction, ticketed a as stream-sides, hosts another speciality normally from the West, the from normally speciality another hosts stream-sides,
not come into contact with the rock, the with contact into come not
members, through an through members,
going management. going
public on some days through the National Gardens Scheme, or Scheme, Gardens National the through days some on public The damp marshy ground in the valley bottoms, and along the along and bottoms, valley the in ground marshy damp The moving part of the top rope does rope top the of part moving
parts of Eridge Rocks for BMC for Rocks Eridge of parts
be difficult to remove without damaging the rocks and needs on- needs and rocks the damaging without remove to difficult be
Many outcrops are in private ownership but may be open to the to open be may but ownership private in are outcrops Many • Use slings to ensure that the that ensure to slings Use •
Stone Farm Rocks, as well as on as well as Rocks, Farm Stone . . like mosses and , and Dicranum scottianum Dicranum trilobata Bazzania gracilis
natural herbicide it exudes from its roots. Rhododendron can can Rhododendron roots. its from exudes it herbicide natural
Rocks, Harrison’s Rocks and Rocks Harrison’s Rocks,
(without any rope at all) at rope any (without in Hastings Country Park. Check access at: www.hastings.gov.uk www.hastings.gov.uk at: access Check Park. Country Hastings in Most of the oceanic species are leafy liverworts like like liverworts leafy are species oceanic the of Most Scapania
and year-round shade, it can kill surrounding plants through the through plants surrounding kill can it shade, year-round and
Climbing is allowed at Bowles at allowed is Climbing
• Always use top ropes or climb solo climb or ropes top use Always •
In the east, near Hastings, are Ecclesbourne and Fairlight Glens Fairlight and Ecclesbourne are Hastings, near east, the In
sides than the rock surfaces. surfaces. rock the than sides evergreen shrub grows quickly and, as well as creating dense creating as well as and, quickly grows shrub evergreen
after the rocks. It advises: It rocks. the after
www.kew.org/wakehurst distribution. It more often grows on the steep banks of the valley the of banks steep the on grows often more It distribution. Rhododendron is a particular problem. This non-native invasive non-native This problem. particular a is Rhododendron
of Practice helps climbers look climbers helps Practice of
visiting climbers visiting
the Rock Walk: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/nymans Walk: Rock the crisped fronds like curly parsley, has a similar oceanic similar a has parsley, curly like fronds crisped
The Southern Sandstone Code Sandstone Southern The Such work is often done with the help of volunteers. of help the with done often is work Such
provides essential guidance to guidance essential provides
Wakehurst (managed by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew) on Kew) Gardens, Botanic Royal the by (managed Wakehurst ), with large with ), ( Fern Hay-scented beautiful The Dryopteris aemula Dryopteris
sandstone, the BMC (right) BMC the sandstone, • clearing rhododendron. clearing •
access lane; Nymans on the circular woodland trail; and at and trail; woodland circular the on Nymans lane; access
To help preserve the fragile the preserve help To sandstone outcrops in Luxembourg. in outcrops sandstone • keeping bramble under control and control under bramble keeping •
Trust properties of: Standen House and Garden alongside the alongside Garden and House Standen of: properties Trust
generally prefer dappled shade dappled prefer generally Britain, the Atlantic coast of Europe as far as the Azores and soft and Azores the as far as Europe of coast Atlantic the Britain, • trimming back overhanging branches branches overhanging back trimming •
In the western High Weald there are outcrops at the National the at outcrops are there Weald High western the In Mosses, liverworts and ferns and liverworts Mosses,
the Weald it is confined to the rocky woodlands of western of woodlands rocky the to confined is it Weald the • coppicing trees at the foot of the rocks the of foot the at trees coppicing •
www.sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk original locality, it still survives in about 12 other places. Outside places. other 12 about in survives still it locality, original Management measures therefore include: therefore measures Management
Council (BMC): www.thebmc.co.uk (BMC): Council Tunbridge Wells by a Dr. Dare in 1686. Although no longer in its in longer no Although 1686. in Dare Dr. a by Wells Tunbridge
enough light to grow, so they tend to die back and can disappear. can and back die to tend they so grow, to light enough
Harrison’s Rocks, managed by the British Mountaineering British the by managed Rocks, Harrison’s This little fern was first discovered on the High Rocks at Rocks High the on discovered first was fern little This
dense shade, often created by evergreens, they cannot get cannot they evergreens, by created often shade, dense
Tunbridge Filmy-fern Tunbridge
Eridge Rocks Nature Reserve near Tunbridge Wells, and Wells, Tunbridge near Reserve Nature Rocks Eridge
8cm long and looking more like a moss than a fern. fern. a than moss a like more looking and long 8cm exposed the plants can dry out too much, even in winter. In winter. in even much, too out dry can plants the exposed
The largest sandstone cliffs are found at Sussex Wildlife Trust’s Wildlife Sussex at found are cliffs sandstone largest The
), with thin delicate fronds up to up fronds delicate thin with ), ( fern shade that mosses, liverworts, lichens and ferns thrive in. If fully If in. thrive ferns and lichens liverworts, mosses, that shade Hymenophyllum tunbrigense Hymenophyllum
Wellington Rocks and Toad Rock: www.twcommons.org www.twcommons.org Rock: Toad and Rocks Wellington Most famous of these oceanic species is the tiny Tunbridge Filmy- Tunbridge tiny the is species oceanic these of famous Most Sandrock habitat needs to be managed to maintain the dappled the maintain to managed be to needs habitat Sandrock
and Surrey and
outcrops on Tunbridge Wells and Rusthall Commons, including Commons, Rusthall and Wells Tunbridge on outcrops
East. important sandrock exposures. sandrock important
In the central High Weald you can visit several sandrock several visit can you Weald High central the In
the mild oceanic climate of western Britain than the South the than Britain western of climate oceanic mild the Geological Conservation Review for their nationally their for Review Conservation Geological
of Kent, Sussex Sussex Kent, of
sandrock. Many of these species are more characteristic of characteristic more are species these of Many sandrock. communities. Seventeen sites have also been listed in the in listed been also have sites Seventeen communities. streams (gills). (gills). streams
ferns, mosses, liverworts and lichens on the surface of the of surface the on lichens and liverworts mosses, ferns, Interest for their ferns, mosses, liverwort and lichen and liverwort mosses, ferns, their for Interest particularly on the edge of ancient sunken lanes and steep-sided and lanes sunken ancient of edge the on particularly
a minute snail minute a
in the Weald the in (gills) of the High Weald favour the luxuriant growth of growth luxuriant the favour Weald High the of (gills) Weald have been notified as Sites of Special Scientific Special of Sites as notified been have Weald
their rare plants. Sandrock is visible around the High Weald, High the around visible is Sandrock plants. rare their
Leiostyla anglica: Leiostyla
The mild, shaded conditions of the steep-sided streams steep-sided the of conditions shaded mild, The Many of the significant sandrock outcrops in the High the in outcrops sandrock significant the of Many Autumn or winter is often the best time to see the rocks and rocks the see to time best the often is winter or Autumn
Sandrock
Visiting the sandrock cliffs sandrock the Visiting Looking after sandrock after Looking wildlife special Sandrock’s
Sandrock in the Weald The formation of sandstone The origin of the sandstone cliffs The changing landscape
Sandrock outcrops are a distinctive local feature found Wealden sandstone formed 130 to 140 million years ago during Facts & Figures No-one knows exactly when the Wealden cliffs originated, After the Ice Age, dense forest spread across Britain. Between scattered across the High Weald – the hilly core of the the Early Cretaceous period. At this time rivers flowed across a but it was during the very last stages of the formation of about 8,500 and 5,000 years ago, in the Atlantic Period, the • There are over 75 Weald. Occasionally visible at the edge of roads and lanes, vast plain close to the Tethys Sea depositing beds of sand, as today’s hills and valleys. climate was warmer and wetter than today. Many of the rare Va l e r i e A l f o r d Va l e r i e A l f o r d significant sites of natural they are more often found hidden away in remote valleys. well as clay. Dinosaurs, including large herbivorous iguanodons, ferns, mosses, liverworts and lichens that grow on the Wealden sandrock outcrops recorded Some geologists think that the cliffs were created by intense would have wandered across the plain. sandstone cliffs probably first reached them around this time. The rocks are important geological features and home to some in the Weald. frost action during the last Ice Age. Present day processes of nationally rare ferns, mosses, liverworts and lichens. Many of weathering and erosion are thought to be slowly destroying the Later, as the climate became drier, these species retreated to • Since 1688 a total of 264 these plants are a living legacy from the climate that most of cliffs. the north and west of Britain. Relict communities were left on ‘lower plants’ have been Britain experienced around 4,000 BC, before the first farmers the Wealden cliffs, especially in the deep, steep-sided valleys Later in found growing on the 15 Other geologists believe that the cliffs originated during one of started to clear forest to make way for agriculture. with a humid microclimate. the Cretaceous period, the plain major sandrock outcrops in the many milder periods of the Ice Age when the climate was Mesolithic hunters sheltering Archaeological evidence suggests Mesolithic hunter-gatherers, disappeared beneath the advancing the Weald, including 165 as warm as it is today. They think the cliffs may still be From the Neolithic period onwards, humans began to settle, under a sandstone cliff. who once roamed the Wealden forests, were the first humans to Tethys Sea. More sand and clay beds were mosses and liverworts and forming, rather than being fossil features. gradually clearing the forests to create open areas for farming. make use of the rocks. The discovery of thousands of tiny flint deposited, and then a great layer of chalk. 90 lichens. By the end of the medieval period, woodland clearance was tools, as well as fragments of charcoal, suggest they camped After a succession of sea retreat, invasion and The forest was cleared for extensive; timber was in high demand, particularly for charcoal • Surveys in the last 50 beneath the shelter of the sandstone cliffs. land uplifts, South East England eventually agriculture and converted to to fuel the Wealden iron industry. years suggest 18 lichens and Sandrock was later valued as building stone. Many of the High arched up into a broad dome, centred on the coppiced woodland 21 mosses and liverworts Use of the High Weald’s abundant resources had created a Weald’s well known attractions are built of Wealden sandstone High Weald in England, and extending The changing face of the cliffs Sandra Fernandez have disappeared. landscape of small, irregular shaped fields and open heaths – Battle Abbey, Bodiam Castle, Wakehurst Place and across to France. within a woodland setting. Batemans, Kipling’s house at Burwash. • There are only four areas of soft sandstone in lowland The sand grains that form the cliffs are only weakly cemented Drawings show that in the eighteenth century many of the In Victorian times the rocks in and around Royal Tunbridge Clay, Sand & Gravel Chalk Gault Clay Lower Greensand Weald Clay and Sand Europe: the Weald; sandstone outcrops had only light or patchy tree cover. But Wells were popular visitor attractions and tea rooms could be Erosion has stripped away together, but the rock develops a hardened skin or rind, which the Fôret de Fontainbleu from the late Victorian period onwards, the cliffs became found nestling in the cliffs. Many of the rocks were named after the chalk from the High Thames Basin North Greensand Central South helps to protect it from the weather. The rind is enriched with River Thames Downs Ridge Weald Downs in France; increasingly hidden by the growth of trees and shrubs, things they resemble – Toad Rock, Loaf Rock, Pulpit Rock and Weald, and many of the beds organic matter, and with silica and iron salts which are Overlying rocks removed by erosion the Petite Suisse in Lion Rock. Wellington Rocks were named after the nearby beneath, exposing the Early following folding and uplift deposited when water from inside the especially rhododendrons. Some of the rare plants on the cliffs Luxembourg; and the hotel. Bell Rock was so called because of the metallic ringing Cretaceous beds. The chalk rock evaporates at the surface. became extinct, possibly as a result of too much shade. Elbe Sandstone on the ‘The famous Toad Rock is to noise it made when struck. has survived around the Czech/German border. On some cliffs the rind has Tunbridge Wells what the edges of the dome, forming leaning tower is to Pisa’ It was in the 1920s that the value of the rocks for climbing was weathered and cracked, discovered. As the only climbable rock in the South East, the the North and South Downs giving the rock the E.V. Lucas 1904 on the English side of the Sandra Fernandez accessible cliffs are some of the most heavily used in the Older underlying rocks appearance of crocodile Channel country. North KENT/SURREY EAST SUSSEX South hide or tortoiseshell. In the 18th century the cliffs Equally strange are the had light tree cover massed hollows known as Many of the Early Cretaceous beds of sand became compacted honeycomb weathering. when they were buried beneath the later deposits, forming soft The joints within the sandstone. Two of the sandstone beds (or layers) are resistant sandstone have become so wide Today sandrock cliffs and boulders continue to be valued Polygonal Cracking enough to form inland cliffs, up to 15 metres high. on steep valley sides – perhaps by local residents and visitors as important geological In places, these cliffs extend for distances of half a kilometre or caused by successive freezing and thawing features, with special and rare wildlife communities. more along the sides of river valleys. The older of the two cliff- during the Ice Age – that narrow passageways have sometimes forming sandstones is named the Top Ashdown Sandstone and been formed. Many of the cliffs are undercut at the base, Right: 18th-century drawing Modest homes, as well as grand the younger, the Ardingly Sandstone. The majority of the cliffs probably because the dampness at the bottom of the cliffs by Grimm: buildings, were built from sandstone are formed of Ardingly Sandstone. speeds up the rock’s decay. View of Penns Rocks
www.highweald.org www.highweald.org www.highweald.org www.highweald.org
www.highweald.org www.highweald.org www.highweald.org
Botanic Gardens Kew. Gardens Botanic (AONB) in 1983 to aid its protection and management and protection its aid to 1983 in (AONB) and protect the rock: www.sandstonevolunteers.org.uk rock: the protect and remove rhododendron remove
Wakehurst Place, Royal Place, Wakehurst The High Weald was designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Natural Outstanding of Area an designated was Weald High The
Volunteers using a winch to winch a using Volunteers in climbing and carry out practical work to clear overgrowth clear to work practical out carry and climbing in mosses and liverworts are at risk from climate change. climate from risk at are liverworts and mosses Hay-scented Fern Hay-scented
sandrock along rock walk. rock along sandrock
and East Sussex sandstone crags. They encourage good practice good encourage They crags. sandstone Sussex East and Like many other species, the High Weald’s unique ferns, unique Weald’s High the species, other many Like
Frontcover: Yew roots over roots Yew Frontcover: rare wildlife rare
interested in conserving the rock and environment of the Kent the of environment and rock the conserving in interested
MSS671 No19 MSS671
area. The Sandstone Volunteers Group – climbers and others and climbers – Group Volunteers Sandstone The ●
Library Grimms Images Grimms Library
its internationally its
• the relatively high rainfall and number of rainy days in the in days rainy of number and rainfall high relatively the • permission of the British the of permission
cutting back trees and brambles: www.sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk brambles: and trees back cutting
View of Penn Rocks by Rocks Penn of View summer
unique feature and feature unique Nature Reserve and organises practical volunteering tasks like tasks volunteering practical organises and Reserve Nature
Reprinted March 2020. March Reprinted
• extensive woodland which provides dappled shade in shade dappled provides which woodland extensive •
Sussex Wildlife Trust – a charity that manages Eridge Rocks Eridge manages that charity a – Trust Wildlife Sussex ●
Partnership. Partnership.
• its water-absorbing qualities water-absorbing its •
A guide to a a to guide A
© High Weald AONB Weald High ©
As well as visiting the rocks responsibly, you can join and support: support: and join can you responsibly, rocks the visiting as well As moist through: through: moist
– search for ‘landform story’ ‘landform for search –
plants exists in the High Weald because the sandrock is kept is sandrock the because Weald High the in exists plants
W: www.highweald.org www.highweald.org W:
This extraordinary community of oceanic, moisture-loving oceanic, of community extraordinary This
E: [email protected] [email protected] E:
What you can do can you What a tiny moss tiny a
Partnership T: 01424 723011 01424 T: Partnership Orthodontium gracile Orthodontium :
High Weald AONB Weald High
with its dark green, glossy strap-shaped fronds. strap-shaped glossy green, dark its with
Further information information Further From: www.thebmc.co.uk From:
, liverwort, beautiful the is rarity great Another Pallavicinia lyellii Pallavicinia
• Always walk down; don’t abseil don’t down; walk Always • High Weald Weald High Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Natural Outstanding of Area
very quickly. very woodland.
powers to protect these sites. these protect to powers
vegetation of any kind any of vegetation
the crust is damaged or worn, the underlying softer stone erodes stone softer underlying the worn, or damaged is crust the
, now only found in a few areas of rocky of areas few a in found only now , moss Orthodontium gracile Orthodontium
Natural England which has which England Natural
• Do not ‘improve’ holds or remove or holds ‘improve’ not Do •
rocks, particularly the sandstone’s hard, but thin, outer crust. If crust. outer thin, but hard, sandstone’s the particularly rocks, Climbing is monitored by monitored is Climbing The sandrocks are the British stronghold of the tiny silky-leaved tiny the of stronghold British the are sandrocks The
• Always use soft boots soft use Always • climbing, fires and vandalism can damage the plants and the and plants the damage can vandalism and fires climbing,
Trust: www.bowles.rocks Trust: Wells. . snail, minute the Leiostyla anglica Leiostyla
Co-operation from visitors is also important. Trampling, important. also is visitors from Co-operation to prevent it cutting into the edge the into cutting it prevent to
agreement with Sussex Wildlife Sussex with agreement
as a ticketed attraction, for example High Rocks near Tunbridge near Rocks High example for attraction, ticketed a as stream-sides, hosts another speciality normally from the West, the from normally speciality another hosts stream-sides,
not come into contact with the rock, the with contact into come not
members, through an through members,
going management. going
public on some days through the National Gardens Scheme, or Scheme, Gardens National the through days some on public The damp marshy ground in the valley bottoms, and along the along and bottoms, valley the in ground marshy damp The moving part of the top rope does rope top the of part moving
parts of Eridge Rocks for BMC for Rocks Eridge of parts
be difficult to remove without damaging the rocks and needs on- needs and rocks the damaging without remove to difficult be
Many outcrops are in private ownership but may be open to the to open be may but ownership private in are outcrops Many • Use slings to ensure that the that ensure to slings Use •
Stone Farm Rocks, as well as on as well as Rocks, Farm Stone . . like mosses and , and Dicranum scottianum Dicranum trilobata Bazzania gracilis
natural herbicide it exudes from its roots. Rhododendron can can Rhododendron roots. its from exudes it herbicide natural
Rocks, Harrison’s Rocks and Rocks Harrison’s Rocks,
(without any rope at all) at rope any (without in Hastings Country Park. Check access at: www.hastings.gov.uk www.hastings.gov.uk at: access Check Park. Country Hastings in Most of the oceanic species are leafy liverworts like like liverworts leafy are species oceanic the of Most Scapania
and year-round shade, it can kill surrounding plants through the through plants surrounding kill can it shade, year-round and
Climbing is allowed at Bowles at allowed is Climbing
• Always use top ropes or climb solo climb or ropes top use Always •
In the east, near Hastings, are Ecclesbourne and Fairlight Glens Fairlight and Ecclesbourne are Hastings, near east, the In
sides than the rock surfaces. surfaces. rock the than sides evergreen shrub grows quickly and, as well as creating dense creating as well as and, quickly grows shrub evergreen
after the rocks. It advises: It rocks. the after
www.kew.org/wakehurst distribution. It more often grows on the steep banks of the valley the of banks steep the on grows often more It distribution. Rhododendron is a particular problem. This non-native invasive non-native This problem. particular a is Rhododendron
of Practice helps climbers look climbers helps Practice of
visiting climbers visiting
the Rock Walk: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/nymans Walk: Rock the crisped fronds like curly parsley, has a similar oceanic similar a has parsley, curly like fronds crisped
The Southern Sandstone Code Sandstone Southern The Such work is often done with the help of volunteers. of help the with done often is work Such
provides essential guidance to guidance essential provides
Wakehurst (managed by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew) on Kew) Gardens, Botanic Royal the by (managed Wakehurst ), with large with ), ( Fern Hay-scented beautiful The Dryopteris aemula Dryopteris
sandstone, the BMC (right) BMC the sandstone, • clearing rhododendron. clearing •
access lane; Nymans on the circular woodland trail; and at and trail; woodland circular the on Nymans lane; access
To help preserve the fragile the preserve help To sandstone outcrops in Luxembourg. in outcrops sandstone • keeping bramble under control and control under bramble keeping •
Trust properties of: Standen House and Garden alongside the alongside Garden and House Standen of: properties Trust
generally prefer dappled shade dappled prefer generally Britain, the Atlantic coast of Europe as far as the Azores and soft and Azores the as far as Europe of coast Atlantic the Britain, • trimming back overhanging branches branches overhanging back trimming •
In the western High Weald there are outcrops at the National the at outcrops are there Weald High western the In Mosses, liverworts and ferns and liverworts Mosses,
the Weald it is confined to the rocky woodlands of western of woodlands rocky the to confined is it Weald the • coppicing trees at the foot of the rocks the of foot the at trees coppicing •
www.sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk original locality, it still survives in about 12 other places. Outside places. other 12 about in survives still it locality, original Management measures therefore include: therefore measures Management
Council (BMC): www.thebmc.co.uk (BMC): Council Tunbridge Wells by a Dr. Dare in 1686. Although no longer in its in longer no Although 1686. in Dare Dr. a by Wells Tunbridge enough light to grow, so they tend to die back and can disappear. can and back die to tend they so grow, to light enough
Harrison’s Rocks, managed by the British Mountaineering British the by managed Rocks, Harrison’s This little fern was first discovered on the High Rocks at Rocks High the on discovered first was fern little This
dense shade, often created by evergreens, they cannot get cannot they evergreens, by created often shade, dense
Tunbridge Filmy-fern Tunbridge
Eridge Rocks Nature Reserve near Tunbridge Wells, and Wells, Tunbridge near Reserve Nature Rocks Eridge
8cm long and looking more like a moss than a fern. fern. a than moss a like more looking and long 8cm exposed the plants can dry out too much, even in winter. In winter. in even much, too out dry can plants the exposed
The largest sandstone cliffs are found at Sussex Wildlife Trust’s Wildlife Sussex at found are cliffs sandstone largest The
), with thin delicate fronds up to up fronds delicate thin with ), ( fern shade that mosses, liverworts, lichens and ferns thrive in. If fully If in. thrive ferns and lichens liverworts, mosses, that shade Hymenophyllum tunbrigense Hymenophyllum
Wellington Rocks and Toad Rock: www.twcommons.org www.twcommons.org Rock: Toad and Rocks Wellington Most famous of these oceanic species is the tiny Tunbridge Filmy- Tunbridge tiny the is species oceanic these of famous Most Sandrock habitat needs to be managed to maintain the dappled the maintain to managed be to needs habitat Sandrock
and Surrey and
outcrops on Tunbridge Wells and Rusthall Commons, including Commons, Rusthall and Wells Tunbridge on outcrops
East. important sandrock exposures. sandrock important
In the central High Weald you can visit several sandrock several visit can you Weald High central the In the mild oceanic climate of western Britain than the South the than Britain western of climate oceanic mild the Geological Conservation Review for their nationally their for Review Conservation Geological
of Kent, Sussex Sussex Kent, of
sandrock. Many of these species are more characteristic of characteristic more are species these of Many sandrock. communities. Seventeen sites have also been listed in the in listed been also have sites Seventeen communities. streams (gills). (gills). streams
ferns, mosses, liverworts and lichens on the surface of the of surface the on lichens and liverworts mosses, ferns, Interest for their ferns, mosses, liverwort and lichen and liverwort mosses, ferns, their for Interest particularly on the edge of ancient sunken lanes and steep-sided and lanes sunken ancient of edge the on particularly
a minute snail minute a
in the Weald the in (gills) of the High Weald favour the luxuriant growth of growth luxuriant the favour Weald High the of (gills) Weald have been notified as Sites of Special Scientific Special of Sites as notified been have Weald
their rare plants. Sandrock is visible around the High Weald, High the around visible is Sandrock plants. rare their
Leiostyla anglica: Leiostyla
The mild, shaded conditions of the steep-sided streams steep-sided the of conditions shaded mild, The Many of the significant sandrock outcrops in the High the in outcrops sandrock significant the of Many Autumn or winter is often the best time to see the rocks and rocks the see to time best the often is winter or Autumn
Sandrock
Visiting the sandrock cliffs sandrock the Visiting Looking after sandrock after Looking wildlife special Sandrock’s
Sandrock in the Weald The formation of sandstone The origin of the sandstone cliffs The changing landscape
Sandrock outcrops are a distinctive local feature found Wealden sandstone formed 130 to 140 million years ago during Facts & Figures No-one knows exactly when the Wealden cliffs originated, After the Ice Age, dense forest spread across Britain. Between scattered across the High Weald – the hilly core of the the Early Cretaceous period. At this time rivers flowed across a but it was during the very last stages of the formation of about 8,500 and 5,000 years ago, in the Atlantic Period, the • There are over 75 Weald. Occasionally visible at the edge of roads and lanes, vast plain close to the Tethys Sea depositing beds of sand, as today’s hills and valleys. climate was warmer and wetter than today. Many of the rare Va l e r i e A l f o r d Va l e r i e A l f o r d significant sites of natural they are more often found hidden away in remote valleys. well as clay. Dinosaurs, including large herbivorous iguanodons, ferns, mosses, liverworts and lichens that grow on the Wealden sandrock outcrops recorded Some geologists think that the cliffs were created by intense would have wandered across the plain. sandstone cliffs probably first reached them around this time. The rocks are important geological features and home to some in the Weald. frost action during the last Ice Age. Present day processes of nationally rare ferns, mosses, liverworts and lichens. Many of weathering and erosion are thought to be slowly destroying the Later, as the climate became drier, these species retreated to • Since 1688 a total of 264 these plants are a living legacy from the climate that most of cliffs. the north and west of Britain. Relict communities were left on ‘lower plants’ have been Britain experienced around 4,000 BC, before the first farmers the Wealden cliffs, especially in the deep, steep-sided valleys Later in found growing on the 15 Other geologists believe that the cliffs originated during one of started to clear forest to make way for agriculture. with a humid microclimate. the Cretaceous period, the plain major sandrock outcrops in the many milder periods of the Ice Age when the climate was Mesolithic hunters sheltering Archaeological evidence suggests Mesolithic hunter-gatherers, disappeared beneath the advancing the Weald, including 165 as warm as it is today. They think the cliffs may still be From the Neolithic period onwards, humans began to settle, under a sandstone cliff. who once roamed the Wealden forests, were the first humans to Tethys Sea. More sand and clay beds were mosses and liverworts and forming, rather than being fossil features. gradually clearing the forests to create open areas for farming. make use of the rocks. The discovery of thousands of tiny flint deposited, and then a great layer of chalk. 90 lichens. By the end of the medieval period, woodland clearance was tools, as well as fragments of charcoal, suggest they camped After a succession of sea retreat, invasion and The forest was cleared for extensive; timber was in high demand, particularly for charcoal • Surveys in the last 50 beneath the shelter of the sandstone cliffs. land uplifts, South East England eventually agriculture and converted to to fuel the Wealden iron industry. years suggest 18 lichens and Sandrock was later valued as building stone. Many of the High arched up into a broad dome, centred on the coppiced woodland 21 mosses and liverworts Use of the High Weald’s abundant resources had created a Weald’s well known attractions are built of Wealden sandstone High Weald in England, and extending The changing face of the cliffs Sandra Fernandez have disappeared. landscape of small, irregular shaped fields and open heaths – Battle Abbey, Bodiam Castle, Wakehurst Place and across to France. within a woodland setting. Batemans, Kipling’s house at Burwash. • There are only four areas of soft sandstone in lowland The sand grains that form the cliffs are only weakly cemented Drawings show that in the eighteenth century many of the In Victorian times the rocks in and around Royal Tunbridge Clay, Sand & Gravel Chalk Gault Clay Lower Greensand Weald Clay and Sand Europe: the Weald; sandstone outcrops had only light or patchy tree cover. But Wells were popular visitor attractions and tea rooms could be Erosion has stripped away together, but the rock develops a hardened skin or rind, which the Fôret de Fontainbleu from the late Victorian period onwards, the cliffs became found nestling in the cliffs. Many of the rocks were named after the chalk from the High Thames Basin North Greensand Central South helps to protect it from the weather. The rind is enriched with River Thames Downs Ridge Weald Downs in France; increasingly hidden by the growth of trees and shrubs, things they resemble – Toad Rock, Loaf Rock, Pulpit Rock and Weald, and many of the beds organic matter, and with silica and iron salts which are Overlying rocks removed by erosion the Petite Suisse in Lion Rock. Wellington Rocks were named after the nearby beneath, exposing the Early following folding and uplift deposited when water from inside the especially rhododendrons. Some of the rare plants on the cliffs Luxembourg; and the hotel. Bell Rock was so called because of the metallic ringing Cretaceous beds. The chalk rock evaporates at the surface. became extinct, possibly as a result of too much shade. Elbe Sandstone on the ‘The famous Toad Rock is to noise it made when struck. has survived around the Czech/German border. On some cliffs the rind has Tunbridge Wells what the edges of the dome, forming leaning tower is to Pisa’ It was in the 1920s that the value of the rocks for climbing was weathered and cracked, discovered. As the only climbable rock in the South East, the the North and South Downs giving the rock the E.V. Lucas 1904 on the English side of the Fernandez Sandra accessible cliffs are some of the most heavily used in the Older underlying rocks appearance of crocodile Channel country. North KENT/SURREY EAST SUSSEX South hide or tortoiseshell. In the 18th century the cliffs Equally strange are the had light tree cover massed hollows known as Many of the Early Cretaceous beds of sand became compacted honeycomb weathering. when they were buried beneath the later deposits, forming soft The joints within the sandstone. Two of the sandstone beds (or layers) are resistant sandstone have become so wide Today sandrock cliffs and boulders continue to be valued Polygonal Cracking enough to form inland cliffs, up to 15 metres high. on steep valley sides – perhaps by local residents and visitors as important geological In places, these cliffs extend for distances of half a kilometre or caused by successive freezing and thawing features, with special and rare wildlife communities. more along the sides of river valleys. The older of the two cliff- during the Ice Age – that narrow passageways have sometimes forming sandstones is named the Top Ashdown Sandstone and been formed. Many of the cliffs are undercut at the base, Right: 18th-century drawing Modest homes, as well as grand the younger, the Ardingly Sandstone. The majority of the cliffs probably because the dampness at the bottom of the cliffs by Grimm: buildings, were built from sandstone are formed of Ardingly Sandstone. speeds up the rock’s decay. View of Penns Rocks
www.highweald.org www.highweald.org www.highweald.org www.highweald.org Sandrock in the Weald Did you know?
The High Weald’s rolling The Wealden sandrocks were being created when large hills have been created by dinosaurs like the iguanodon alternate bands of clays wandered across the once open and sandstone. The plains. landscape is studded with In remote High Weald valleys you sandrock cliffs and can find plants on or near the dissected by streams that rocks that are a living legacy from have created deep, steep- the climate that most of Britain sided ravines called ‘gills’. experienced around 4,000 BC. Two of Britain’s rarest mosses, The area’s many sheltered Many of the sandrock cliffs and damp woods and gills, have distinctive features like Orthodontium gracile, and with their moisture- honeycomb weathering and liverworts, Pallavicinia lyelli, have their stronghold on Wealden holding sandstone rocks, large, deep open joints. Most of the large sandrock sandrocks. are ideal for ferns, mosses, outcrops are Sites of liverworts and lichens, Special Scientific Interest Some mosses and liverworts some of which are rare. and also regionally found in the High Weald are only important geological sites. found elsewhere in the moister west and northern regions of Britain.
The High Weald’s sandrocks Dead wood is vital for are some of the most many fungi, insects and important places in the UK their predators. for the conservation of mosses and liverworts. Rhododendron can spread very quickly, casting dense shade and preventing the growth of other plants. It is better for wildlife to remove it.
Rich carpets of mosses and liverworts often cover isolated boulders.
Many different lichens grow on the rocks and trees.