VOLUNTEERS HANDBOOK V5 – 1 July 2011

Thank you for joining the Ashdown Forest Volunteer team! We hope you really enjoy your volunteering sessions with us. This Handbook has been put together to give you as much basic information about Ashdown Forest as possible. You will learn so much more from actually doing the job, chatting to the public and answering their questions. Forest staff and fellow volunteers (who have a huge and diverse range of knowledge) are always available to answer your questions, offer help and support. Most of the information contained in this book can be found on www.ashdownforest.org or in the ‘Information Barn Volunteers Manual’ (the black folder). Don’t feel you have to ’know it all’. None of us do and we all learn from each other. Remember the only foolish question is the one not asked. Any feedback, suggestions, alterations are always welcome.

The Ashdown Forest Centre Tel: 01342 823583 Fax: 01342 824177 [email protected] East [email protected] RH18 5JP www.ashdownforest.org

1 CONTENTS Page PART 1 The Staff 4

PART 2 Volunteer Policy 6 Health and Safety 9 Risk Assessments 9 - 17 Uniform 18 Two Way Radios and Their Use 18 Fire Alarms and Forest Fires 19 First Aid 19 - 20 Training 20

PART 3 The Board of Conservators 21 The Committees 21 - 22 Organisational Chart 22 Funding and Income Chart 22 - 23

PART 4 Forest Bye-Laws 24 - 26 Helping Visitors 26 Maps and Walks 27 Schools and Educational Visitors 28 Frequently Asked Questions 24 Permits, Licences and Rents 29 Developments at the Forest Centre 30

PART 5 History of the Forest 31 Iron Working 37 Deer Hunting 38 Special Designations 38 Flora 39 Fauna 42 - Birds 42 - Insects including Butterflies and Moths 42 - Snakes 43 - Lizards and Amphibians 45 - Mammals 45 Geology 46 Further reading 46

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Ashdown Forest – a lovely place!

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1 A view from the Broadstone Amble taken in 2010. 2 The volunteers summer BBQ 2010. 3 Volunteers from Southview Close, part of ESCC Social Services based in 4 Conservation Group volunteers at the Folly Bridge in the Vachery 5 A member of the Mounted Rangers team 3 PART ONE

THE STAFF 6 Below is a list of the Forest staff. You are likely to meet all the Rangers and the office staff. You are less likely to meet the countryside workers or the shepherds other than at the Christmas party or the summer BBQ as they spend significant amounts of time out on the Forest. You can find photos of the team on the website.

Mike Payne - West Chase Ranger Mike studied Countryside Management at Brinsbury College. Mike has been employed as estate worker and second tractor driver for several years. He has recently been promoted to Chase Ranger and has taken over the West Chase from Rich Allum.

Mike Yates - North Chase Ranger Mike came to Ashdown Forest in 2003 from a background of commercial forestry, having served as a Ranger volunteers for several years. Mike looks after our contracts, spraying of invasive species and also liaises with the Probation Service (Community Payback) and our special needs volunteers.

Rich Allum – South Chase Ranger Rich joined the team in 2005. He has a degree in Ecology & Conservation from the University of Sussex, was a ranger for ESCC and Bracknell Forest Borough Council and was Heathland Project Officer for the High AONB Unit at Flimwell. Rich has taken over the South Chase from Roger Beal who retired early 2011. Rich looks after the Ranger volunteers and volunteer mounted Rangers.

Chris Sutton - East Chase Ranger Chris Sutton is our Health and Safety advisor and organises such things as maintenance of our vehicles, PAT testing, and fire and intruder alarm servicing. He also liaises with the Fire and Rescue Service in regards to Forest fires. Chris also has a Diploma in Countryside Recreation.

Chris Marrable - Conservation Officer and Acting Superintendent Chris has worked on the Forest for over 20 years, first as a Chase Ranger and later as the Centre Ranger. What Chris doesn’t know about the Forest and its wildlife is not worth knowing. Chris is Acting Superintendent while the Board decide what they want to do about the role.

Gerry Lee - Countryside Worker Gerry is the newest member of the estate team and more about him will follow in the next edition of this handbook.

Colin Lutman - Countryside Worker Colin has been the Forest tractor driver for over 18 years and his knowledge of the area is second to none - there isn’t a slit-trench or drainage ditch that Colin hasn’t got stuck in He is now very experienced in all aspects of the Forest’s machinery which includes high horse-power four-wheel drive tractors, forwarders, winches and forestry grinders. Like most tractor drivers, Colin is keen to maintain and repair his machines himself.

6 See ‘Information on Ashdown Forest’ by Chris Marrable, 1998. Specific information is very much out of date but there are some very helpful chapters. Chapter 4 gives an overview of the administration and management of the Forest including the role of the Conservator, the role of the Ranger, Commoners and their rights, the Trusts and the Friends. 4

Ed Burgin - Countryside Worker Ed spent two years studying Countryside Management at Hadlow College where he was taught to manage the land sympathetically and also learnt hedge laying, tree felling (by hand and with a chainsaw) and species identification. After completing two years at Hadlow College he was able to get a job working for a specialist countryside contractor up in Yorkshire where he stayed for six months before returning south.

Caroline FitzGerald - Grazing Officer Caroline is the newest member of the team. Caroline has a long history and great experience of working on heathland conservation and running her own flock of Hebridean sheep. She is also very familiar with the Forest through her time at the High Weald Unit working on the Weald Heathland Initiative.

Joe Walsh – Grazing Assistant Joe joined the Forest in July 2011 and works three days a week with Caroline and/or covers for her when she has a break. Joe’s other job is on a commercial farm looking after Poll and Southdown sheep.

Ros Marriott - Office Manager and Clerk Ros has been at the Forest Centre since 1994. She is the font of all knowledge when it comes to issuing and advising on perpetual licences, the collection of Forest rates, acknowledgement rents, direct debiting, overseas the accounts, finances and human resources. Any questions regarding the intricacies of finances should be directed to her.

Tracy Buxton - Office Administrator Tracy helps out Ros with all the day-to-day duties and any one else who asks nicely. She is responsible for, amongst other things, riding permits, the volunteers, Forest events, the website and anything else that might need doing. These days she is the one you will get on the telephone.

John Ridley - Caretaker John has recently joined the team after many years at nearby Wych Cross Place and keeps the Forest Centre site including the loos, the grounds and the offices spick and span.

5 PART TWO

VOLUNTEER POLICY The support that volunteers offer the staff at Ashdown Forest is incredibly important. For example without volunteers, giving up their valuable time, the Information Barn could not operate and be open to visitors. The organisation, as a whole, benefits from the diverse experience volunteers can bring. Although many people volunteer in order to do something ‘completely different’ it is hugely useful to be able to tap into the wealth of skills and experiences of our volunteers.

It is considered best practice, by both central and local government, to have an up-to-date Volunteer Policy. Our policy has been drafted with guidance from Volunteering and the Volunteer Centre East Sussex. All policies are ‘living’ documents and subject to regular reviews as legislation changes. The views of volunteers are also very important and any suggestions to improve the policy or rectify any omissions will be gratefully received. A laminated copy of the Policy can be found on the notice board in the Radio Room. For more information on volunteer policies visit http://www.volunteering.org.uk

Volunteer Policy The Board of Conservators welcomes and values the input of volunteers in the many and varied aspects of its work.  Key points • Guidance has been sought from support officers at Volunteer Centre East Sussex and direct.gov.uk/HomeAndCommunity/Gettinginvolvedinyourcommunity/Volunteering and www.Volunteering.org.uk/PoliciesBooklet.pdf

• Responsibilities in relation to this Policy fall on the Board, Clerk, Health and Safety Advisor (Chris Sutton), employees and volunteers.

1. Introduction Originally a deer hunting forest in Norman times, Ashdown Forest is now the largest free public access space in the South East. It is a great place for walking and enjoying spectacular views over the Sussex countryside and is known the world over as the 'home' of Winnie-the-Pooh.

The Forest is at the heart of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and has national and international protection because of its wildlife. Nearly two thirds of its 6500 acres (2500 hectares) are heathland, amounting to 2.5% of the UK's extent of this rare habitat. It is therefore an extremely important national conservation area and also very significant in European terms. Roughly a third of the Forest is managed as woodland. There are four areas where individuals may contribute to the Forest through volunteering: the Information Barn, Rangers, mounted Rangers and Conservation Group.

The Forest Centre is the headquarters of the Board of Conservators of Ashdown Forest who are responsible for the managing the Forest.

1.1 The Board of Conservators encourages and welcomes support from volunteers (from the age of 18 upwards) and we are firmly committed to diversity in all aspects of its work on Ashdown Forest.

6 1.2 The Board recognises that volunteers bring a great wealth of diverse skills and interests to the Forest which is extremely valuable and helpful. It also recognises that volunteering should benefit the volunteer as much as the Board.

1.3 The Board will ensure that arrangements are in place for implementing this Policy and will have systems in place for periodic monitoring of its implementation.

2. Recruitment, Training and Support 2.1 The Board receives volunteer recruitment assistance from Volunteers Bureau, the Volunteer Centre East Sussex and the “Do-It” website. Volunteering opportunities are also advertised on the Ashdown Forest website and in the Information Barn through flyers, hand-outs, word-of-mouth and we encourage potential volunteers to make contact directly. There are informal, basic application forms and interviews and we do not generally take up references for volunteers.

2.2 Potential information volunteers (not Conservation or Ranger) are offered a taster session to allow them to ‘have a go’ before making a commitment. If, however, potential volunteers feel that the role is not for them, or their priorities change, they are free to leave at any time. We welcome feedback about why they feel the role has not suited them and what we could do in future to improve opportunities. There is a simple feedback form available to make this process as easy as possible.

2.3 Training for Information Barn and Ranger volunteers (not Conservation) comprises of a minimum three sessions with a supervised solo session and, for Information Barn volunteers, a week-end session (for those who plan to do week-ends). However, more sessions can easily be arranged.

2.4 Volunteers have access to support from members of staff and training sessions, (not Conservation volunteers), a handbook and regular newsletters. All volunteers are encouraged to report any issues regarding topics such as health and safety, public and staff relations to the office or to the management. This is to ensure the smooth and efficient running of the volunteer programme and maintain good working relations between volunteers and staff. There are regular meetings and social events to offer support, assistance and encouragement. There is active supervision; however, a light touch is the usual method.

2.5 Uniform (appropriate to the role) is provided for Ranger volunteers. It can also be provided for Information Barn volunteers should they wish to have it. Tools are provided, on the day, for Conservation Group volunteers.

2.6 The Board are not in the position to offer financial reimbursements to volunteers.

2.7 Any personal information provided by volunteers will be held in confidence and not shared with third parties. However, contact details are shared amongst volunteers to aid the smooth running of the volunteer programme.

2.8 All volunteers complete a simple health questionnaire in case of any medical emergencies. This is held in strictest confidence.

2.9 We recognise that situations change and volunteers may wish to stop volunteering sessions. We welcome feedback from volunteers about what we could do in future to improve opportunities and a feedback form is available for volunteers who may feel uncomfortable offering criticism.

7 2.10 Tracy Buxton is the co-ordinator for Information Barn volunteers, Rich Allum for Ranger volunteers (including mounted) and Chris Marrable for Conservation Group volunteers.

2.11 If any volunteer would like clarification of any aspect of the handbook please speak to the relevant co-ordinator.

2.12 Also please contact the relevant co-ordinator if you change your contact details, have shift alterations, absences, wish to leave, have complaints or would like to give feedback or make suggestions.

3. Volunteer Opportunities 3.1 Information Barn Volunteers 3.1.1 These volunteers are located in the Information Barn at weekends throughout the year and also during weekday afternoons from April to October. They are encouraged to work in pairs at the weekend where possible. During the week back-up is available from the office and, at week-ends, from the Duty Ranger. Information Barn volunteers are managed by the office administrator, Tracy Buxton, and training is provided ‘on-the-job’ by experienced volunteers.

3.1.2 Volunteers greet the public and help them with their questions, advise them regarding walks, picnic sites, information on flora, fauna and how best to enjoy the Forest. There is a small sales area with a till and a credit card machine. There is a comprehensive manual to assist new volunteers and a training sheet that covers the day-to-day procedures.

3.1.3 Volunteers can further develop their roles to allow them to use their areas of personal expertise, for example leading walks on the Forest or helping to manage events at the Forest Centre.

3.2 Conservation Group Volunteers 3.2.1 This is the most informal group. It is under the direct supervision of the Chris Marrable and carries out practical conservation work between August and December on often remote parts of the Forest. Meetings are currently held on the last Sunday of each month, meeting at 10.20 in the Forest centre car-park and finishing at 15.00 approx.

3.2.2 Only hand tools are used and instruction on how to use them safely is given. Chris Marrable also acts as first aider.

3.2.3 Conservation volunteers provide their own clothing (appropriate to the weather), gloves and suitable footwear. They should also provide drinks and their lunch.

3.3 Ranger volunteers 3.3.1 These help the Duty Ranger at weekends by patrolling the Forest, assisting visitors, litter picking, reporting any problems and helping the Duty Ranger deal with any emergencies.

3.3.2 As volunteers drive one of the Forest’s 4x4 vehicles, a copy of a driving license must be provided. Endorsements are allowed.

3.3.3 A minimum of three ‘on-the-job’ training sessions is given and there is an informal assessment prior to commencing lone sessions.

8 3.4 Volunteer Mounted Rangers 3.4.1 These volunteers patrol the Forest on their own horses during the week and at weekends.

3.4.2 They assist visitors, alert staff to riders without riding permits and report any problems to Forest staff .

3.4.3 Mounted Rangers are trained and assessed as Ranger volunteers and provided with uniforms and Ashdown Forest riding permits.

4. Health and Safety Issues 4.1 Volunteers’ duties are covered by a separate risk assessment (overleaf) which includes aspects of generic risk assessments produced for full-time staff.

4.2 Training is given in-house as detailed above and the volunteers have continual assessment from staff to ensure they have the relevant knowledge and ability to carry out their duties. Self-assessment is encouraged and self-assessment forms are provided.

4.3 When allocating jobs, account is taken of the individual volunteer’s ability and mobility.

4.4 Information Barn volunteers and Ranger volunteers are provided with hand-held radios to contact the Duty Ranger and each other.

4.5 The Information Barn has an emergency alarm that is emitted over the radio network. This is tested at the beginning of each weekend shift by the Information volunteer and Ranger volunteers.

4.6 Volunteers are not permitted to work with hazardous substances labelled as dangerous, e.g. pesticides.

5. Insurance All Volunteers are covered by the Conservators’ third party liability and personal accident insurance whilst on duty and this is only applicable if they are carrying out legitimate duties on behalf of the Conservators. Mounted Rangers should have their own horse insurance.

HEALTH AND SAFETY

The Board has a very wide ranging set of Health and Safety policies (available in full on the website or from the office). The majority of them are not relevant to volunteers as they relate to specific work tasks or equipment used on the Forest. However, one of the policies (Voluntary Workers and Work Experience Students Policy 2008) is directly aimed at volunteers. The policies have all been written based on guidance from the Health and Safety Executive and ESCC and are regularly reviewed and amended. A laminated copy of the Voluntary Workers and Work Experience Students Policy 2008 can be found on the notice board in the Radio Room. The Board also has policies that provide a mechanism to deal with grievances, the promotion of dignity at work (discrimination harassment and bullying) and disciplinary procedures. Though aimed at staff the general principles are applicable to volunteers. Copies of all policies are available in the office.

RISK ASSESSMENTS

All of our risk assessments use the same method of calculating risk based on a template used by East Sussex County Council. The severity and likelihood of any potential injury are assessed and the risk level, taking into account the control measures, is then calculated. The calculation table is below. On 9 top of this a site specific risk assessment can be performed if thought necessary. This covers risks that are specific to a particular activity or work site and not fully covered in the generic assessments. This is commonly used out on the Forest for unusual or ad-hoc tasks. On the next few pages copies of our current risk assessment sheets. They are also available in the radio room and in volunteer training packs. If you have any queries or suggestions on how we can improve Health and Safety or any concerns please address them to Chris Sutton our Health and Safety Advisor.

Calculation of Risk Level Severity Likelihood Risk Level = Severity x Likelihood 1 First Aid injury or illness 1 Very Unlikely 1 – 2 = Very Low Risk 2 Minor injury or illness 2 Unlikely 3 – 5 = Low Risk 3 3 day injury or illness 3 Likely 6 – 9 = Medium Risk 4 Major injury or illness 4 Very Likely 10 – 15 = High Risk 5 Fatality/disabling injury or illness 5 Almost Certain 16 – 25 = Unacceptable Risk

The risk assessments for each volunteering role follow on the pages below.

10 Task INFORMATION VOLUNTEER Equipment As required Area On site indoors often alone Materials As required

Hazard Risk People at Risk With Control measures in place Control Measures Severity Likelihood Risk Level Irate member of public Physical bodily harm Volunteer 2 2 Low • Training Emotional stress Staff • Experience Verbal abuse • Radio communication training • Emergency alarm training • Working in pairs Robbery Person demanding takings Volunteer 2 2 Low • Radio communication training Physical bodily harm Staff • Emergency alarm training • Working in pairs • Know to hand over takings immediately • Know how to call Police Manual handling Lifting, moving, placing an Volunteer 2 2 Low • Reducing loads in size and/or weight object(s) leading to • Assistance from Duty Ranger musculoskeletal injury i.e. strains sprains to back and upper body or crush injury when placing or dropping object

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Task RANGER VOLUNTEERS DUTIES Equipment As required by task Area Forest sites outdoors Materials As required by task

Hazard Risk People at Risk With Control measures in place Control Measures Severity Likelihood Risk Level Irate members of Physical bodily harm, Ranger 3 2 Medium • Training public met whilst verbal abuse and volunteerss • Experience patrolling and emotional stress • Radio communications informing visitors about byelaws. Manual handling : - Musculoskeletal injury, Volunteer 3 1 Low • Reducing loads in size or weight lifting, moving, or such as strains/sprains to Rangers • Asking for assistance placing an object(s) back and upper body. • Use of mechanical equipment such as a Crush injuries when trolley placing or dropping an object Walking over uneven Tripping over or falling in Volunteer 2 2 Low • Site specific risk assessment terrain (perhaps slit trenches, ditches or Rangers • Personal awareness masked by thick stumps and twisted ankles • Establishing safe paths vegetation). and other minor injuries • Stout footwear Working in the sun - Heat exhaustion and heat Volunteer 2 1 Low • Personal awareness General working in stroke Rangers • Wearing a hat high temperatures & • Drinking plenty of liquid sunlight Working in the sun - Exposing skin to strong Ranger 3 1 Low • Personal awareness General working in sunlight - sun burn from volunteerss • Cover up when high risk high temperatures & UV light which can • Wear hat sunlight penetrate clouds. In long • Wear sun cream term - skin cancer Use of hand tools - Cuts to digits, arms/hands Volunteer 3 2 Low • Training using bow saws, Lacerated or penetration Rangers • Use of gloves toppers & pruners wound or amputation at worst

12 Hazard Risk People at Risk With Control measures in place Control Measures Severity Likelihood Risk Level Roadside working - Severe injury or possible Ranger 4 2 Medium • Safety Awareness. Struck by passing fatality volunteerss • Use of vehicle beacons vehicles whilst standing • Use of PPE (reflective jackets) at roadside Road work - Vehicle Severe injury or possible Ranger 4 2 Medium • Sensible parking struck by passing fatality volunteerss • Use of hazard lights vehicles or other RTA • Use of beacons and other signage with associated risks • Use of PPE (reflective jackets) Forest fires – accessing Tripping over or falling in Ranger 2 2 Low • Familiarization with area the site over uneven slit trenches, ditches or volunteerss • Stout footwear terrain (perhaps stumps • Establish safe paths masked by thick Twisted ankles and other • Supporting role to permanent staff vegetation or smoke) minor injuries Forest fires - unusual Accident on way to, from, Ranger 2 2 Low • Familiarization with area vehicle movements and at the incident volunteerss • Establish safe paths and routes whilst accessing site Vehicle getting stuck • Off road driving training /experience and during incident. Loss or damage to • Observer for driver especially when off equipment rides Forest fires - heat Heat exhaustion from fire Ranger 2 2 Low • PPE stress and exhaustion itself and whilst using the volunteerss • Rotation of beaters fire beaters • Rotation of branch operators • Supply of refreshment • 1st aid Forest fires - Breathing difficulties Ranger 2 2 Low • PPE including respirator respiratory hazard Removing any volunteers volunteerss from smoke inhalation with asthma Forest fires - Eye Airborne particles Volunteer 2 2 Low • PPE including safety glasses contamination or injury Rangers • First aid kit with eye wash

Notes - Fires on the Forest, Ranger volunteers are in a supporting role only and should not get involved in actual fire fighting. They should be aware of their own safety and work within their own physical ability.

13 Hazard Risk People at Risk With Control measures in place Control Measures Severity Likelihood Risk Level Forest fire - animals Personnel being struck, Volunteer 2 2 Low • Knowledge of animal locations stampeding in areas gouged etc Rangers • Knowledge of potential behavior close to fire Vehicles being struck • Knowledge of position of gates Forest fire - changing Loss of personnel Ranger 2 2 Low • Training weather conditions i.e. Loss of vehicles volunteers • Roll call wind direction Loss of equipment • Effective communications • Support of permanent staff Forest fire – accidental Severe injury or possible Ranger 2 2 Low • Familiarization with area public involvement fatality, minor injury due volunteers • Establish safe paths and routes to lack of knowledge • Buddy with trained staff to escort away Litter picking - strains Muscle or tendon injury Ranger 3 1 Low • Use litter picker provided from unusual posture. volunteers • Safe lifting methods

Litter picking – Various infections Ranger 2 2 Low • Use litter picker provided contamination due to including blood borne volunteers • Use rubber gloves soiled litter Skin puncture requiring • Wash hands thoroughly first aid and other infections Litter picking - cuts Various infections Ranger 2 2 Low • Use litter picker provided from objects including blood borne volunteers • Use rubber gloves Skin puncture requiring • Wash hands thoroughly first aid and other infections Litter picking – Various infections Ranger 2 2 Low • Use litter picker provided puncture wounds from including blood borne volunteers • Use rubber gloves picking up hypodermic Skin puncture requiring • Wash hands thoroughly syringes (needles and first aid and other • Place sharps in yellow and blue clinical sharps) infections waste box

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Litter picking – manual Musculoskeletal injury, Ranger 5 1 Low • Reducing loads in size or weight handling large or heavy such as strains/sprains to volunteers • Asking for assistance objects back and upper body. • Use of mechanical equipment i.e. trolley

Task CONSERVATION VOLUNTEER DUTIES Equipment As required by task Area Forest sites outdoors Materials As required by task

Hazard Risk People at Risk With Control measures in place Control Measures Severity Likelihood Risk Level Manual handling : Lifting, moving, or placing volunteers 3 2 Medium • Reducing loads in size or weight musculoskeletal injury, an object(s) • Asking for assistance such as strains/sprains to back and upper body. Walking over uneven Tripping over or falling in volunteers 3 3 Medium • Site specific risk assessment terrain (perhaps slit trenches, ditches or • Personal awareness masked by thick stumps • Establishing safe paths vegetation) Twisted ankles and other • Stout footware minor injuries Working in the sun: Heat exhaustion, heat volunteers 2 1 Low • Personal awareness general working in high stroke and dehydration • Drinking plenty of liquid temperatures & sunlight Working in the sun: Exposing skin to strong volunteers 3 1 Low • Personal awareness general working in high sunlight • Cover up when high risk temperatures & Sun burn from UV light • Wear hat sunlight which can penetrate • Wear sun cream clouds Extreme cases - skin cancer Use of hand tools: Cuts to digits, arms/hands volunteers 3 2 Medium • Training using bow saws, Lacerated or penetration • Use of gloves toppers & pruners wound amputation at worst 15

Task VOLUNTEER MOUNTED RANGER DUTIES Equipment As required by task Area Forest wide Materials As required by task

Hazard Risk People at Risk With Control measures in place Control Measures Severity Likelihood Risk Level Working on own and Medical emergency, e.g. Volunteer 3 3 Medium • Full Ranger volunteers training is suffering an injury or falls leading to physical Rangers provided medical emergency injury or incapacitation • Ensure uniform provided is worn • Ensure good and regular Stings, bites and cuts communication with other staff via mobile phone (and radio when available) • Inform office/other staff of patrol area and time of start of duty and time of return • Phone if return is delayed for any reason • Make sure sufficient information is provided to other staff members to enable them to respond to summons for help • Tack should be checked for safety before setting off • PPE should be worn i.e. a hard hat meeting BS EN1384 or PAS015 or ASTMF1153. (Hard hats should be fitted correctly.) • Follow BHS guidance set out in the leaflet ‘Road Sense for Riders’ when on the road and if road riding is envisaged wear a high-vis jacket • Access to a First Aid Kit should be available if practicable (i.e. in horse box 16 or personal carried on belt) Working on own and Potential altercations Volunteer 2 2 Low • Full Ranger volunteers training is public involvement Rangers provided • Calm, polite explanation and communication • Back off if the situation is escalating • Maintain good communications and frequent communication with other staff via mobile phone (and radio when available) • Summon assistance and back-up at an early opportunity • Police involvement if required Prolonged working in Heat exhaustion, heat Volunteers 2 1 Low • See Sun Exposure Risk assessment high temperatures & stroke and dehydration Rangers • If possible, take liquid refreshments or strong sunlight have some in horse box.

17 UNIFORM Basic uniforms are supplied for Information Barn Ranger and Mounted Ranger volunteers.

Ranger volunteers are supplied with shirts, ties and a fleece with stitch-on volunteer badges and epaulettes. Mounted Ranger volunteers are supplied with a polo-shirt and a zip-up fleece again with stitch-on volunteer badges and epaulettes. When on duty it is important that uniforms are be worn so that you can be easily identified by the public. All volunteers should present themselves in a neat and tidy fashion.

Information Barn volunteers can be issued with a sweatshirt (if you would like one please ask) and an attractive enamelled volunteers badge on qualifying. Badges should be worn at all times when on duty so that you can be easily identified by the public

Conservation volunteers do not have a uniform issued and wear clothes appropriate to the weather and the task.

TWO WAY RADIOS AND THEIR USE Forest vehicles are equipped with radios and mobile radio handsets for use while away from vehicles. There are also hand held radios for use at week-ends ‘on duty’ in the Information Barn. Whilst the radios will give good reception over most of the Forest, there are certain areas where it will be difficult to transmit / receive from, e.g. at the bottom of Mardens Hill.

Below are the three buttons that volunteers must be aware of:

1. The channel button – this should be set at ‘1’

2. The ‘on-off’ / volume control button – this ‘clicks’ on and off

4. The ‘push to speak button’ – press before you speak

All volunteers must be familiar with the operation of the radios particularly before setting out or being left on their own in the Information Barn.

The week-end Duty Ranger will ensure that all radios are correctly switched on, the volume is set at halfway on the volume scale, the channel button is set at channel one and that the call signs are shown on the notice board in the radio room. At the beginning of the day, the Ranger will ask for a radio check 18 to ensure that all the radios are working. During the radio check, the Information volunteer(s) will be asked to test the emergency button that is installed for safety. Information volunteers should know where the emergency button is located (as per training sheet) and should ask if they require it to be shown to them again.

Sending a Message • Think about your message before you transmit so that it is precise and to the point. • Press the button (no. 4 in the illustration) firmly, wait a second or two, then start talking. • Speak clearly, loudly and with pauses – don’t panic; • Speak the Ranger call sign clearly, twice, then say your call sign and end with “OVER” e.g. “ASHDOWN KILO, ASHDOWN KILO, FROM ASHDOWN CENTRE, OVER” (think of ‘over’ as a full stop) then release the button and wait for the response, • They should reply “ASHDOWN KILO HERE, OVER”, • Press the button firmly again, wait a second or two, then give your message and end with “OVER”, • The conversation continues until its conclusion which is stated by “OUT” by one party. • Only answer the radio if you hear your call sign for example ‘ASHDOWN CENTRE’. • Never attempt to interrupt a transmission between other call signs and keep messages as short and precise as possible

If volunteers are unsure of using the radio or would like a refresher session please ask the Ranger on duty or any other staff member to run through it. The radios really are a vital communication link and it is essential for everyone’s health and safety that everyone is proficient and comfortable in their use. Don’t be daunted by them they are really very easy to use.

FIRE ALARMS AND FOREST FIRES All parts of the Forest Centre are fitted with smoke detectors and fire bells. If volunteers see smoke anywhere in the Forest Centre, alert a member of staff at once either in person or by radio or by using the emergency button (as described above). If smoke or flames are seen behind a closed door, do not open the door under any circumstances. Call for immediate assistance either in person, by radio or by using the emergency button (as described above). It may be appropriate to call 999.

On hearing the fire bells volunteers should immediately leave the building. It is important to remain calm. If in the Information Barn volunteers must tell visitors to leave at once and quickly exit the site via the front gate, switch the till off, remove the key, take the radio and leave the building closing the door behind you. Go to the meet point at the front gate leading to the public car park and stand by the information board. The fire marshal (usually the Ranger on duty) will do a roll call and staff and volunteers should wait until given the all clear to return to the building by the fire marshal. It is possible that the emergency services will arrive – it is vital to obey their instructions.

There are fire extinguishers throughout the buildings; however, volunteers are not expected to fight fires and have not received training on the use of extinguishers. Ranger volunteers seeing smoke or flames on the Forest should report it to the Duty Ranger who will assess the situation and call the emergency services as appropriate. Ranger volunteers are not expected to fight fires and it is important that they are aware of the ‘Forest Fires’ section of the risk assessment. Ranger volunteers should follow the instructions of the Duty Ranger.

FIRST AID All Rangers receive regularly updated First Aid training. If First Aid is required, alert a member of staff at once either in person or by radio or by using the emergency button (as described above). There are several First Aid boxes located at key points throughout the buildings and volunteers must be aware of 19 the location of the nearest one to them (for example there is one in the radio room, in the office and in the Education Barn). All Forest vehicles carry First Aid boxes. If First Aid boxes require replenishing please inform a member of staff. If volunteers should sustain a minor injury or have an accident at work they should fill in the accident book which is located in the office. At week-ends please ask the Ranger on duty to bring the accident book to you. All volunteers are asked during their training to complete the Health Form (kept confidentially). This will be used in the case of a medical emergency and allows us to give information to the emergency services and to contact your next-of-kin.

TRAINING Information Barn Trainee volunteers are provided with a short set of training notes that cover basic topics such as the volunteer’s role, Health and Safety, appearance and presentation, dealing with queries and emergencies, the day-to-day duties in the Information Barn such as the opening and closing procedures (with a handy checklist), information on using the ‘black folder’, making sales via the till and/or the credit card machine and stock. There is plenty of written help on using the till and trainees have the opportunity to practice during their training sessions. There is also information, as detailed above, on using the radio system (also provided as a useful separate handout). All these items are fully covered in the training notes. This self-explanatory tick box sheet allows volunteers to track the areas that they have covered in their training sessions and highlight any areas that have been missed. Volunteers are asked to complete the Health Form (kept confidentially) and have a copy of appropriate Risk Assessments. Volunteers are also provided with a set of walk maps, copies of Ashdown Forest Life (the Conservator’s newsletter) and the Ashdown Forest Map to aid their orientation and learning and a copy of the Illustrated Guide.

Training is provided by other experienced volunteers and supported by the staff. Volunteers train at their own rate and ‘on-the-job’. Some find the minimum three sessions enough, others require more support. If volunteers are planning to do week-end duties we strongly recommend shadowing an experienced volunteer on a week-end session – as week-ends can be much busier and come with a different set of challenges and queries compared to week-days.

Ranger and Mounted Ranger volunteers Ranger volunteers and Mounted Rangers receive the same basic training. It is very much ‘on-the-job’ and ends with a short Forest knowledge test. It is important the Ranger volunteers have a full driving licence and endorsements are permitted. Trainees are provided with a short set of training notes that cover basic topics such as the role of the Ranger volunteers and Mounted Ranger, Forest management, boundaries and car-parks, Forest vehicles, communication, fires, health and safety, public relations, conservation, recreation, bye-laws, dogs and horse riders. Volunteers have a copy of the appropriate Risk Assessments. Volunteers are also provided with a set of walks maps, copies of Ashdown Forest Life and the Ashdown Forest Map to aid their orientation and learning and a copy of The Illustrated Guide.

Sheep Lookerer volunteers Sheep lookerers volunteers are trained and managed by our grazing officer. This role is very different and will require some experience of livestock. A separate info book will be devised in due course.

Conservation volunteers There is no formal training for Conservation volunteers. Members come and go as they please. This group uses simple hand tools and very basic training is given. Members are asked to complete the Health Form (kept confidentially) as detailed above. At the start of the day an explanation is given regarding the task in hand and the work location. During the course of the day there are plenty of opportunities for volunteers to ask questions and learn more about the Forest. 20 PART THREE

THE BOARD OF CONSERVATORS

The responsibility for managing Ashdown Forest lies with the Board of Conservators who were set up in 1885 (more can be found in the History section). The Board has been regulated under a series of Acts of Parliament, the most recent being the Ashdown Forest Act 1974. There, in section 16, it is stated that

"It shall be the duty of the Conservators at all times as far as possible to regulate and manage the forest as an amenity and place of resort subject to the existing rights of common upon the forest and to protect such rights of common, to protect the forest from encroachments, and to conserve it as a quiet and natural area of outstanding beauty".

Membership of the Board is laid out in the Act. • eight are appointed by East Sussex County Council, • two are appointed by Council • five are elected by local commoners • one (the Chairman of the County Council) represents the owner of the Forest which (since 1988) has been the Ashdown Forest Trust.

Membership of the Board changes fairly frequently – so for up to date membership check out the website. Lists of Board members names and addresses can also be found on the wall in the Radio Room or in the “black folder”.

Board members are also members of the three Committees (more information below) and the Chairmen of those Committees, plus the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Board, make up the Executive Committee. This Committee meets on a less regular basis and looks at sensitive or urgent issues.

There are also ad-hoc working parties that are drafted to look in detail at problems or projects (such as the Forest Centre development).

The Board and the Committees each meet four times a year; all meetings are open to the public. Executive Committee meetings are held on an ad-hoc basis and are generally held in closed session.

The Conservator meeting page and the Conservator page on the website both contain a wealth of interesting and informative material. There are minutes of the Board and the various Committees going back over several years. You will also find our Strategic Forest Plan and legislative and governance documents such as the Ashdown Forest Act, the Ashdown Forest Bye-Laws and the Standing Orders along with Annual Reports, Health and Safety policies and many other useful documents. Every year accounts and annual returns are posted online. Meeting dates and agendas for forthcoming meetings (including Commoners and public meetings) are also posted online.

THE COMMITTEES Committee membership, details on who is the Chairman and Vice Chairman, contact details and meeting dates can all be found on the website.

Roads Planning and Amenity Committee This committee looks at the often complex and time-consuming issues surrounding property such as planning matters that may impinge on the Forest, accesses across the Forest, licensing matters, boundaries queries, bye-law breaches and recreational matters such as horse riding and the Forest Centre itself.

21 Conservation Committee This committee deals with the many very difficult policy decisions regarding the long-term and day-to- day management and conservation of Ashdown Forest and to protect its status as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Special Protection Area (SPA), Special Area of Conservation (SAC), Area of Outstanding Natural beauty (AONB) and a Natura 2000 site (a European wide network of threatened habits). Under the Committee’s remit are the conservation and management of areas of heathland and woodland, the ponds and ghylls, the flora and fauna and, finally, the Hebridean sheep and grazing.

Finance Committee This committee monitors the finances and accounts of the Forest including setting the scale of fees and charges for Forest activities. It also looks at matters such as human resources and health and safety.

Here is a simple organisational chart that illustrates how the Forest is organised. The Board is an independent body and receives funding from ESCC via the Ashdown Forest Trust.

EAST SUSSEX COUNTY COUNCIL (land owner)

ASHDOWN FOREST TRUST

Executive Committee Board of Conservators Conservation Roads, Planning, Amenity Finance & General Purposes Committee Committee Committee

Ashdown Forest Staff

Barn AF sales, Conservation Education Trust & etc Friends of the Forest East Sussex County Council

Ashdown Forest Commoner Income rates

Wealden District Council

Licences, Central permits & Government utility & EU via wayleave s Natural England

22 As you can see from the chart above the way the Forest is funded is made up of, many, varied, income streams. The Forest accounts are audited annually by internal and external auditors and the accounts are made public on the website. The Finance and General Purposes Committee advises the Board on finance matters. The Board’s annual income is approx £0.75 million. Ros Marriott overseas the accounts and finances along with a weekly book-keeper and a monthly accountant. Ros is also responsible for human resources. Any questions regarding the intricacies of finances should be directed to her.

23 PART FOUR

FOREST BYELAWS

This is a summary of the Byelaws made by the Conservators of Ashdown Forest under the powers conferred on them by the Ashdown Forest Act, 1974. Copies of the Bye-Laws are available in the Information Barn and as a pdf on the website 7. Byelaws are enforced by the Rangers not by volunteers and any breaches or suspected breaches should be passed to the office or, at week-ends, to the Ranger on duty.

Byelaw 2. No unauthorised person shall take any wheeled vehicle on the Forest, except within the designated parking areas. This shall not apply to bicycles being pushed, wheel-chairs or child push-chairs.

Byelaw 3. No person shall camp upon the Forest, whether in cars, campers, tents, caravans or sleeping bags. Without written permission from the Conservators, no one will park any vehicle on the Forest between the hours of midnight and 6am.

Byelaw 4. No person will light any fire or stove on the Forest, nor set alight any vegetation on the Forest. This shall not apply to picnic stoves being used in the car-parks during the months July to December inclusive.

Byelaw 5. No one shall leave any building materials, timber, firewood, soil, manure, refuse, rubbish or litter on the Forest without prior permission from the Conservators.

Byelaw 6. No dog shall be allowed upon the Forest unless it is under proper control and restrained from causing annoyance to any person or worrying or disturbing any animal.

Byelaw 7. No one without a permit will use the Forest for riding or exercising horses.

Byelaw 8. No unauthorised person will take or destroy any Forest vegetation.

Byelaw 9. No unauthorised person will take any wood from the Forest.

Byelaw 10. No unauthorised person shall take, snare, trap or kill any animal, bird (including nests or eggs), insect or fish, or have in his possession any gun, trap, net or snare that could be used for these purposes.

Byelaw 11. No unauthorised person shall erect any hut, booth, tent, stall, post or hurdle upon the Forest.

Byelaw 12. No unauthorised person may dig up any stone or turf or in any way disturb the surface of the Forest soil.

Byelaw 13. No unauthorised person may make up or metal any road over the Forest.

7 www.ashdownforest.org/docs/Bye%20Laws.pdf 24 Byelaw 14. No unauthorised person, except in the case of emergency or unavoidable cause, shall launch or land any balloon, glider or model aeroplane from or on the Forest.

Byelaw 15. No unauthorised person shall place any signs or notices on the Forest.

Byelaw 16. No person will wilfully damage or remove any sign or construction authorised by the Conservators.

Byelaw 17. No unauthorised person shall pollute any watercourse on the Forest nor divert or obstruct such watercourses.

Byelaw 18. No one shall interfere with the legitimate enjoyment of the Forest by authorised users, nor interefere with the Conservators or their representatives in carrying out their duties.

Byelaw 19. Any person playing loud music to the annoyance of other users shall be guilty of an offence.

Byelaw 20. The speed limit on Forest roads (ie those not covered by the Road Traffic Act) shall be 10 miles per hour.

Byelaw 21. No unauthorised person shall sell or offer for sale any article on the Forest.

Byelaw 22. No unauthorised person shall keep any animals on the Forest.

Byelaw 23. The Conservators may set the number of commonable animals which may be kept on the Forest; all commonable animals must be properly marked.

Byelaw 24. Commoners and authorised persons may cut bracken and firewood in areas set aside for the purpose by the Conservators, between November and March. No power saws may be used on a Sunday.

Byelaw 25. The Conservators may set aside land for the village Recreation Grounds for cricket or other games; no person shall interfere with such games. No person shall interfere with the playing of golf on the licensed golf courses.

Byelaw 26. No unauthorised person shall enclose any part of the Forest. The Conservators have the power to remove any such enclosures.

Byelaw 27. The Clerk or any Forest Ranger or any constable may remove from the Forest any person who commits any infraction of the Byelaws and fails to give their name and address. They may also be removed when it is believed that the offence against the Byelaws will continue or when it is necessary to do so for the proper use and regulation of the Forest.

25 Any person offending against these Byelaws shall be liable to a fine not exceeding 50 pounds. (This is what is stated in the Act. It does not stop the Conservators from taking people to court where necessary.)

HELPING VISITORS

FAQs The questions listed below can all be answered by the public by a quick visit to the Forest website 8. There is much more information in the ‘black folder’ (that can be found in the Information Barn) and, of course, through on-the-job experience. The most frequently asked questions (and answers) are below:

1. Where is Pooh Bridge There is a handy leaflet in the Information Barn for visitors to take away and to save volunteers having to give the directions numerous times per day!

2. Where can I park? Visitors can park in any of the 40+ designated car-parks scattered around the Forest. No vehicles may be parked on the Forest after midnight. Advise visitors to make sure cars are locked and to take any valuables with them.

3. Where can I walk? The Forest is the largest open access space in the South East. Visitors can walk anywhere on the land managed by the Conservators and on public footpaths and bridleways. You can direct visitors to the Forest Map and to the walks leaflets. Advise them to stay out of the heather (particularly in the spring/summer due to ground nesting birds and adders.

4. Where can I get a cup of tea? There are several places on the Forest - the Tea-Rooms, the Hybrid Tea at Wych Cross Nurseries, the cafe at the Llama Park or the Ashdown Forest Garden Centre at Duddleswell. Volunteers could tell visitors about the proposed Forest Centre development.

5. Can I take my dog? Dogs can be an emotive subject and are welcome on the Forest as long as they are under close control and not annoying other Forest users or disturbing animals/birds. There are specific Forest bye-laws relating to dogs.

The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 require dogs be kept on a lead of no more than 2 metres long between 1st March and 31st July - the main breeding period for ground-nesting birds or at any time of the year near livestock. Leads are specified as even the best trained dog may become unresponsive. However, in practical terms this is very difficult to police.

Please make visitors aware that there are sheep in the grazing area from April to October and DOGS MUST BE ON A LEAD. There may be Hebridean sheep out and visitors should look out for warning signs.

6. Can I ride my horse on the Forest? Permits are required and application forms are available from the office, on the website and from the Information Barn.

7. Can I ride my mountain-bike over the Forest? Another emotive subject. Except for a few designated bridle-ways cycling is not permitted on the Forest. There are as many ‘anti’ bike as ‘pro’ bike opinions, the Conservators have decided, after much

8 www.ashdownforest.org/visitors/forest_use.php 26 discussion, to maintain the ban on and that it is activity incompatible with the enjoyment of the Forest by other visitors. (Mountain bikers can ride along the cycle route at Forest Row or at Deersleap Park, East Grinstead.)

8. Can I camp on the Forest? The simple answer is no. The byelaws prohibit camping due to the problems of fire and litter. However, there are campsites nearby. Details can be found in the ‘black-folder’ or on the website.

9. Can I have a picnic/cooking stove/barbeque? Picnics are fine and there are picnic tables at the Forest Centre; cooking stoves may be used in car-parks between July and December, when the fire risk tends to be low. Barbeques are prohibited at all times due to the problem of disposal of hot coals.

10. Can I fly my model aeroplane? Flying is restricted to members the British Model Flying Association (BMFA) who hold a valid membership card and members should contact their club for the location of flying sites and have membership cards available for inspection if asked for by a Ranger. A model aircraft caused a Forest fire in 2010.

11. Can I bring my school group out to the Forest? School visits are very welcome and are taught by . Anyone interested should visit the website for prices and options and bookings are via the office.

12. Can I organise an orienteering event, a scouting or guiding event, a sponsored walk (with or without dogs),commercial filming or commercial photography on the Forest? All events and activities, such as those listed require permission and queries should be directed to the office.

13. Can I use my metal detector on the Forest? The Byelaws specifically forbid disturbance of the surface of the soil.

14. Can I sell teas/ice-creams/burgers from the Forest car-parks? The only retailing allowed on the Forest is ice-creams; the ice-cream that are sold under licence.

14. How can I find out if the cattle and sheep are out? Cattle and sheep normally go out to graze within the fenced grazing area in early April and would normally come off again by Remembrance Sunday. Please check with the office if you are unsure. The Conservators have their own flock of sheep that could be out grazing anywhere on the Forest - so please advise visitors to look out for the warning signs and put dogs on leads.

15. I’ve seen someone cutting trees down. Is this permitted? Very possibly. Commoners have a right of estovers (firewood). You are most likely to see cutting from November to March. Non-commoners must pay a fee.

Forest Maps and Walks Leaflets Information Barn and Ranger volunteers should all have copies of the Forest walks leaflets and Forest map. The walks are free to the public at the Information Barn (outside during closed periods) and have proved to be very popular. There is a small charge for the Forest map.

27

SCHOOLS AND EDUCATIONAL VISITS

Educational visits are provided by teachers from Sussex Wildlife Trust. Schools have various options to choose from, such as fully guided whole and half days to self-guided options with or without ‘Explorer Packs’. These are highlighted in the leaflet below (taken from the website). There are activity sheets and a debate pack that can be downloaded. The options are aimed at Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 children, however, they can be modified for older children if need be. Any teachers interested in an educational visit need to contact the office to book their preferred date and which options they would like. There is a whole page on the website devoted to educational visits 9. Schools can also book and borrow a Winnie-the-Pooh story sack, suitable for Key Stage 1 pupils. Using as a springboard for activities, the story sack is full of resources and ideas linked to the National Curriculum. The sack includes a handbook for teachers with explicit curriculum links and numerous suggested activities to engage and enthuse the children.

9 www.ashdownforest.org/about/education.php 28 PERMITS, LICENCES, RENTS ETC

Commoner Enquiries There are two sections of the website devoted to Commoners, past and present, and these give some general, but useful, information. 10

Common rights are attached to properties, not to people. Today these include things such as the right to wood (estovers), the right to graze certain animals and to collect brakes and litter from the Forest. Those with Common rights sometimes see them as anachronistic whilst others are delighted to be a part of history. Owners can rescind them, however, once the process is completed the rights can never be returned. Any questions regarding Common rights or Commoners’ assessments payments for specific properties should be directed to the office.

Licence Enquiries Perpetual or Personal Licences, giving property owners the right to make up, metal and maintain access tracks to properties, should be directed to the office. Likewise queries regarding boundaries or other property issues. Both of these areas can be very complex (especially boundaries and access issues), long-winded and in extreme cases potentially litigious

Licence Enquiries – permission to do things For the want of a better term these licences are for ‘doing things’ such as putting up estate agents or builders sign boards (for which there is a fee) or placing skips or building materials during property renovations on the Forest. Where at all possible we ask that skips and building materials are placed within the boundary of the property and not on Forest land. When that is really impossible a ‘deposit licence’ can be taken out. Any such queries should be directed to the office.

Occasionally there are requests for filming on the Forest. We take each request on its own merits – for commercial filming (movies, adverts etc,) there is a fee. On very rare occasions that fee might be reduced. Again, all queries to the office.

The Forest is a popular venue for all kinds of group and sponsored activities such as geocaching, orienteering, sponsored walks, runs and dog walks, search and rescue dog training, scouting and girl guiding events, church picnics, family get-togethers and all manner of other things. In general terms the number of participants, time of year and the location of the events are very important and those wanting to have an event should seek permission well in advance.

Riding Permits and Wood Permits Riding on the Forest is by permit only. Application forms are available from the website, the office and Ashdown Forest Riding Association (AFRA). The riding year is 1 April to 31 March. There are systems in place to allow summer discounts, winter only permits and (new for 2011) day permits. All riders need to have their own third party public liability insurance and a copy needs to be attached to the application form. All riders must display their badge when riding on the Forest. Volunteer and Mounted Rangers are supplied with an up-to-date, alphabetical, list of permitted riders to allow them to police the system.

Wood Permits As stated above those with Common rights have a right to wood. Non-commoners can purchase a permit to cut wood. Both Commoners and non-commoners have to put their names down on a list in order to be allocated a place to cut. This is done via the office. The lists opens at the end of October and the wood cutting season runs from 1 November to 31 March.

10 www.ashdownforest.org/history/the_commoners.php 29 DEVELOPMENTS IN FOREST CENTRE

Before After (possibly!)

At its June 2010 meeting the Board approved unanimously "a) the development of the Centre as a whole and b) the commissioning of architectural drawings for both funding and planning application purposes." For the last few years the Board has had a working party devoted to the development and a crucial member invited onto it has been, and remains, Ian Hurst, a retired architect who previously worked for British Rail as Head of Architecture and Design and latterly for English Heritage as Director of Major Projects. That job included the designs and specifications for visitor centres and associated facilities for sites at St. Augustine's Canterbury, Bolsover Castle, Dover Castle, and Hadrian’s Wall - nearly all multi-million pound investments which included making applications for grants to the Heritage Lottery Fund grant and other funders. Ian is currently an adviser for HLF on developments at Great Dixter House and Gardens. In October 2010 complete architectural plans were drawn up prior to applying for planning permission. The total cost is estimated at £1.5 million all of which will need to be raised.

The two architectural drawings shown above were commissioned to show what the upgrading might look like compared with the Centre as it is now. The views are of (1) the Centre as it is viewed from above the road and (2) as it might look with the new 'add-ons'. The wood boiler is shown behind the Education Barn although its final resting place may be elsewhere (and it's possible it might be fuelled by chips rather than logs). The next new build to the right is a new toilet block between the Education and office Barns. The roof is ‘green’ since it may well be covered by plants (drought resistant Sedum [stonecrop]) rather than another material. Note the stairwell to allow easy access to the upper floor of the office Barn. A new 'link' building is shown between the office and Information Barns. If completed it would, in effect, give the whole site a 'face' to the road - something it lacks now. The tables remind us of the view held by many that the only way to make the Centre viable is to offer some refreshments. Entrance to the whole site is shifted towards the road and would require a redesigned car park.

The planning application has been made and can be found on:

Parish: Forest Row Ward: Forest Row WD/2011/0849/F Grid Ref: Easting 543206 Northing 132359 INTERNAL ALTERATIONS AND EXTENSIONS TO PROVIDE IMPROVED VISITOR AND STAFF FACILITIES INCLUDING RELOCATED STAFF OFFICES AND WELFARE AREAS, NEW PUBLIC WC'S, VISITOR EXHIBITION SPACE, ENLARGED CAFE AND RETAIL AREA, NEW ENTRANCE AREA AND FIRST FLOOR MEETING SPACE. THE PROPOSAL INCLUDES CAR PARK AND VEHICLE ACCESS/EXIT AND LANDSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS.

30 PART 5

HISTORY OF THE FOREST Although Ashdown Forest is seen as a wild and natural place the way it looks now is directly influenced by the activities of man over the course of millennia. The Forest has a manufacturing as well as agricultural element to its history. It was used extensively for grazing, fuel production for hearths and smelting, iron working, timber production and, of course, hunting by the elite.

Archaeological evidence suggests there have been people on Ashdown Forest from the Late Palaeolithic period (750,000 to 10,000 BCE 11 ). A stone hand axe was found near Gills Lap dating to about 50,000 years BCE. Flint artefacts have been found across the Forest dating from the Mesolithic period (10,000 to 4,500 BCE) and the people leaving these signs may have been nomads, moving in search of food or seasonal occupiers taking advantage of warm summer weather to hunting or permanently settling. Hunting techniques improved during the Neolithic period (4,400 BC to 3,300 BCE) and led to increased occupation shown by scattered artefacts. Clearance around settlements would have taken place on the infertile sandy soils, while the heavy clay soils covered in thick woodland would have been used for hunting, fuel and building. Evidence of Forest use occurs for the earliest part of the Bronze Age (2,700 to 750 BCE) and the tumulus 12 near Four Counties car park may be from this period, however, an axe is the only evidence. Iron Age (750 BCE to the Roman Invasion 47 AD) occupation is known from only four sites - King's Standing, Gills Lap, Garden Hill and . Garden Hill (private land adjacent to Tabell Ghyll) appears to have been intermittently occupied in the Neolithic/Bronze Age, the Iron Age and then by the Romans. The site at Chelwood Gate 13 , known as Danes Graves, shows evidence of late Iron Age, pre-Roman iron working. The Weald may have been an imperial estate during the Roman occupation and was likely to have been devoted to iron production. Land use at that time would have been aimed at fuel production (wood and charcoal) for iron working and also grain and meat to feed the iron workers. The best visual remnant of Roman occupation is the road which crosses the Forest parallel with the present B2026. An exposed section can be seen at Roman Road car park.

Early Medieval Period By the fifth century ACE 14 , Saxon / Anglo-Saxon settlements already existed. The Forest, as we know it today, was part of the Andredswald and it was described by Bede as “thick and inaccessible; a place of retreat for large herds of deer and swine”. Bear, wolf and wildcat were also present. The Forest may have been used seasonally for grazing by stockmen from local villages and that these people and their families eventually became “occupiers” (or even landowners) owing rent in the form of labour to the lord.

From the Norman period onwards documentation regarding land and its use rapidly increased and the rate that the Forest changed hands - between royalty, nobility and back again quickened. Some of the most important names in early English history are connected with the area. Many of the Forest’s owners were royal and often the wives of reigning monarchs. In the later Norman period we see the nationwide conflicts between the aristocracy and the common man played out on the Forest. After the Conquest, the Forest area became part of the Rape of 15 . The Rape boundary approximated to the NW boundary of the Forest, cutting through the Hundreds of East Grinstead, , and Rushmonden. The Rape of Pevensey was awarded to Robert, Count of Mortain (half-brother of the Conqueror) along with 549 manors across England (54 in Sussex alone). However the grant came with two important provisos – that the King could keep the deer and hunt whenever he desired, and, that the

11 BCE – Before Common Era 12 Tumulus – a burial mound 13 Behind Churlwood car park 14 ACE – After Common Era 15 Rape being a Sussex term, probably pre-Norman, for a unit of land often subdivided into Hundreds 31 inhabitants (later formalised as Commoners) could continue to use it in their customary way. The Forest is not named in the 16 which interestingly mentions only one iron mine in the Hundred of East Grinstead. It is directly due to the Normans that we have confusion today over the term ‘Forest’ which is a medieval term for a hunting ground. The Oxford English Dictionary definition is ‘an area, typically owned by the sovereign and partly wooded, kept for hunting, and having its own laws’.

Medieval Period 17 The Forest changed hands numerous times through the medieval period as land was an important gift between monarch and subject. It was often gifted when the solemn oath of fealty was made. The Counts of Mortain were eventually dispossessed by William Rufus (son of the Conqueror and later famously murdered in the New Forest) and the Honour of the Rape was given to Gilbert de Aquila, founder of and grandson of a knight killed at . Henry I (another of the four sons of the Conqueror) confirmed that monks could continue to use a road across Essessdone Forest which they had used since the reign of William I – where were they going to and from? Gilbert’s son, Richer, forfeited the Rape but it was restored by Henry II. In 1230 the Rape was again fortified this time by Gilbert III and in 1232 it changed hands yet again, this time granted to one Peter de Rivalis. Three years later Gilbert Marshall, fourth Earl of Pembroke, was granted the land with the proviso that it would revert to the Crown if his own Normandy estates should ever be recovered. By 1246 the land was transferred to Peter of Savoy, uncle of Queen Eleanor of Provence who in turn inherited the Rape from her uncle. The Forest then begins its long period in the hands of England’s Queens.

The reign of Henry III was a turbulent one and in 1254 the Sheriff of Sussex required that the iron industry of the county provide the king with 30,000 horse shoes and 60,000 nails probably for the armies of the King and Prince Edward (who both met with crushing defeat at the hands of Simon de Montfort at the Battle of on 14 May 1264). A survey of Ashdown in 1273 showed that a Master Forester was employed (paid 8d per day for him, his man and his horse). He was assisted by eight Serjeants (or Foresters who may have had to do practical work and were paid 1d per day). There were also 208 customary tenants living on the edge of the Forest, who were allowed to take windfall wood, brushwood, furze and broom for fuel and to graze as much stock as they could winter Head of Eleanor of Provence from on their own holdings. Westminster Abbey

The survey also allowed that “if it be necessary for the improvement of their common pasture they may burn all the aforesaid”. Somewhat bizarrely the soil of the Forest was recorded as belonging to Queen Eleanor of Provence (widow of Henry III) in documents of 1275.

It is not known exactly when the Pale was built but there are accounts for its repair in 1275. The Pale was breached by a number of gates. Those designed for wheeled vehicles, herds of animals or mounted groups were known as “gates”; those for pedestrians only were known as “hatches”. Some of these names are still in use for local villages - Chelwood Gate, Chuck Hatch. (The pub, on the A26, near the line of the old Pale is known as the Crow and Gate - surely a corruption of Crowborough Gate.)

Queen Eleanor died in June 1291 and the Forest reverted to her son, the mighty Edward I, known as ‘Longshanks’, who eventually made it over to his second wife, Margaret of .

16 You can now search Domesday via the PACE search engine devised by University of Cambridge and King's College, London 17 For an interesting take on medieval England (1300 to 1400) see “The Time Travellers Guide to Medieval England”, Ian Mortimer 2009 32 The Forest had been divided into Wards (by 1292), namely Lampol (Southward), Walheath (Westward) and Heselwode (Costley Ward). They met at Three Wards, now on the Pippingford boundary. The wealthier occupants of the Rape of Pevensey are detailed in the Subsidy Rolls of 1296, 1327 and 1332.

Edward I died in July 1307 and the Forest remained with Margaret, now

Queen Dowager, who in turn bequeathed it in 1318 to her daughter-in-law Edward I and his first wife, Queen Queen Isabella, wife of Edward II. There is a record of her receiving an Eleanor, from a contemporary manuscript order to deliver oaks from her Ashdown chase to Pevensey.

By 1335 Queen Philippa of Hainault, the much loved wife of Edward III, held the Forest ‘for life by the king’s grant’ and on her death, in 1369, the Forest reverted back to the crown.

In 1372 the Forest came into the possession of John of Gaunt (or Ghent), 1 st Duke of Lancaster. Thus the Forest became known as the Great Park of Lancaster.18

Aves and Woodmote courts were held in the Forest, possibly in each Ward. Aves courts on the first Tuesday after November 1st were to collect rents and arbitrate Queen Isabella, who deposed her husband Edward II and on pannage (the practice of turning out pigs to feed on mast) and agistments became Regent for her son (feeding of other men’s cattle in the king’s forest and the price paid for such Edward III feeding); three weeks later Woodmote courts heard serious offences. Courts Baron , with Homage (a jury), were held every three weeks and were concerned with land use and customary tenants’ rights issues.

Pannage is no longer a Common Right and the practice had finished by 1500; it was extinguished in 1885 along with Turbary (turf cutting), which was considered Gold coin from the reign of damaging to the Forest soil. Edward III

There is a record in John of Gaunt’s Register of deer being supplied to Katherine Swynford 19 his third wife (and ex-mistress). John of Gaunt is known to have visited the Forest only once, in the autumn of 1381, shortly after he put down the Peasants Revolt. He died in 1399 and Katherine Swynford 20 inherited the Forest. On her death the Forest reverted to Henry IV, son of John of Gaunt and Duke of Lancaster. The Forest was still administered by the Duchy of Lancaster via a Master Forester. In 1480 the new Master Forester had to employ a Ranger, a Marshal, a “logge grome”,

three Ward Foresters and three Foresters of Bailiwicks (the jurisdiction of a bailiff - in this case, the King’s officer, the Forester).

It is recorded in 1496 that continental iron-masters (from Pays de Bray, northern France) were employed to operate the second water powered blast furnace in Britain, established at Newbridge.

John of Gaunt, a 16 th century portrait by an unknown artist and Seal of John of Gaunt

18 The term “park” was generally applied to an enclosed hunting area and “forest” to an open hunting area - “forest” has nothing to do with trees 19 The Register was transcribed in 1911 (in French) and can be read at www.archive.org/details/gauntsregister01smituoft 20 Katherine Swynford was also the sister-in-law of Geoffrey Chaucer. See Kathryn Swynford, Alison Weir, Vintage Press, 2007 33 Late Medieval / Early Modern A water-powered steel forge was established in Pippingford. At the Court held in Nutley in 1519 “all the byrche wood between Notlye and Fayrwarp hathe bene felede”. Thirty loads of timber had been sold at Lewes by the Rangers “to the grete hurte of the kynge and his tenantes”. Development and expansion of the iron industry put more pressure on the Forest and there were a series of commissions appointed to make surveys. A corn mill was working at Newbridge (but where was all the corn grown?) and “Master Huggett and his man John, they did make the first cannon” (referring to Ralph Hogge, iron master) in 1543 in .

In the mid 17 th century the Sackvilles appear in Forest history for the first time. In 1561 Richard Sackville (cousin of Anne Boleyn) became Master Forester, with the ‘mastership of the Forest and keepership of the wild beasts therin’. He was a well known and able administrator, steward of the Archbishop of Canterbury and Chancellor of the Court of Augmentations. His son, Thomas, was created Baron Buckhurst in 1567 and the Earl of Dorset in 1604. Thomas was one of the lords selected to convey Mary Queen of Scots 21 to her execution . Sackville acquired a large fortune through property Thomas Sackville, 1 st Earl of Dorset dealings in many counties, as well as his investments in the iron foundry by John Le Critz business.

By 1574 there were at least 77 iron furnaces working in the Weald. Tudor bricks and pottery have been found at King's Standing; these are evidence of some sort of hunting lodge where the deer were shot with crossbows (or longbows, though these were more difficult to master and a more proletarian weapon) by waiting nobility and possibly royalty. Throughout the seventeenth century there are Woodmote records (from 1607 onwards) which suggest that the Forest was well regulated until the Civil War (when Edward Sackville was Master Forester.)

Early Modern Information and records gather pace through the 17 th century. In a 1650 survey of crown lands by commissioners showed Ashdown Forest as exempt due to it being held as surety to meet army pay arrears. A detailed report showed the timber to be worth £620 and the deer £312. During the interregnum, the Forest had fallen into disrepair due to the Master and his Rangers being Royalists and supporting the King’s cause. The Pale was no longer maintained (“the Pale resteth”), the deer were hunted out and the Forest was granted to the Parliamentary army as pay.

At the Restoration, in 1660, Richard, fifth Earl of Dorset, was granted the post of Keeper of the Forest without being given an absolute grant. This in turn passed, in 1661, to the Earl of Bristol who was given a 99 year lease with right to disafforest and enclose. Commissioners were appointed in 1662 to make proposals for the improvement of the Forest - dividing it to the approval of the king and his farmers, leaving some land for the Commoners. In 1664 there was a dispute between the Earls of Dorset and Bristol due to their unresolved roles regarding the Forest. Dorset renounced his interest for a lump sum payment and rent from Bristol. Bristol (a notorious high-liver and spendthrift) failed to develop the Forest and defaulted on his payments to the King and to Dorset. The Forest was then leased to the daughters of a Colonel Washington in 1673. They too failed to make money and their lease was assigned to Sir Thomas Williams 22 .

21 Mary was executed in 1586. Thomas was also one of the peers at trial of Thomas Howard 4 th Duke of Norfolk in 1572 22 There of numerous Williams Baronetcies so it is not possible to identify Sir Thomas with any accuracy. However a possible candidate is the Williams Baronetcy,of Elham in the County of , created in the Baronetage of England on 12 November 1674 for Thomas Williams, Physician to Charles I and James II. His son, the second Baronet was High Sheriff of Kent in 1668. The title became either extinct or dormant in 1804. This would be an interesting area of research! 34 Sir Thomas Williams, his trustee Joseph Fells and grantee Alexander Staples met with resistance from the Commoners. There was probably unemployment in the area as the iron industry on the Weald was in steep decline, with only 11 furnaces still working.

Pelham and Fagg, Commissioners, made recommendations in 1680, suggesting that the Customary Tenants should be given 5,500 acres in lieu of their Forest common rights. This was resisted by 98 claimants. Then in 1689 a specially appointed commission arbitrated that 6400 acres should be left for the uses of the Commoners whilst the rest could be enclosed and improved. Those Commoners on the enclosures were stripped of their John Digby, 2 nd Earl of Bristol by Van Dyke rights.

An Interlocutory Decree (1691) instigated by the Earl of Dorset, Williams, Fell and Staples recognised that enclosure was possible while still allowing sufficient land for the use of the Commoners. The commissioners appointed by the Interlocutory Decree found that, in 1693, 6,000 acres would provide adequate pasture and herbage. This formed the basis for the Duchy Decree of this year. After the Decree, the private interests were partitioned between Staples, Holland and one Lechmere, the last named taking the Lordship of the Manor of Duddleswell and all the Crown rights to the soil of the open Forest. Much of the enclosed land was used for farming, which explains why the name “warren” is so common (Broadstone, Hindleap, Press Ridge Warrens). This ‘sell-off’ of 1693 is the primary reason of the present Forest boundary.

The Georgian period 1717 saw the end of iron working in the Weald. In 1730 the Manor of Duddleswell was sold to Charles Sackville, second Duke of Dorset. There was, in 1793, a response to the activities of Napoleon, with a Great Muster of troops at what is now called Camp Hill. Horse lines and field kitchens are still just visible. Charles was succeeded by his nephew, John Sackville, third Duke of Dorset who tried to control turfing, litter collection and encroachment. He died in 1799 and the estate was settled on the Duchess for life.

In 1807, Arabella Diana, Dowager Duchess of Dorset (later Lady Whitworth), attempted to restrict litter cutting by everyone (Commoner or not) and to make enclosures. This was opposed by Charles Abbott (later Baron Colchester), Speaker of the House of Commons who lived at Kidbrooke. He managed to obtain a favourable ruling from the Solicitor General.

During 1816 the Commoners in Nutley agreed to restrict litter cutting but continued to throw down enclosures erected by the Lord (and his Lady). In the same year notices were erected saying that trespassers on the Forest cutting

John Sackville, third Duke of bushes, turf, peat, heath, fern, furze or grass, or mining stone or mineral, would Dorset by Gainsborough be prosecuted.

During the early part of the nineteenth century there were complicated dynastic changes in the local aristocracy – in 1815 the fourth Duke of Dorset, George John Frederick, died suddenly after a fall from his horse whilst out hunting. Lady Elizabeth Sackville, his sister and co-heir, inherited his estates at Knole. Elizabeth Sackville had, in 1813, married George Sackville-West, the fifth Earl De La Warr. The title of 5 th Duke of Dorset passed to a cousin Charles Sackville-Germaine, (who had also inherited the title of Viscount Sackville in 1775). From 1776 to 1815 he acted as Receiver-General of Jamaica and he was Charles Abbott, 1 st Baron later a Privy Councillor, Master of the Horse and noted courtier. He died Colchester, Speaker of the unmarried, childless and the last of the line. All his titles became extinct. House 1802 – 1817 35 William Cobbett, on one of his Rural Rides in 1822, visited the Forest and declared it “verily the most villainously ugly spot I ever saw in England” possibly the most famous quote about Ashdown Forest!

Arabella Diana, Lady Whitworth, died in 1825 and the Forest passed into the hands of Elizabeth, Countess De La Warr (the sister of the fourth Duke and youngest daughter of the third). Countess De La Warr’s inheritance included Ashdown Forest and the Manor of Duddleswell.

William Cobbett by George It was Elizabeth who planted the Forest Clumps as landscape features; many of Cooke 1831 the trees were actually destroyed by objectors

In 1830 George Sackville-West, fifth Earl De La Warr, drew up plans for better Forest management. He formed a committee of four Commoners, a nominee of the Lord of the Manor and four employed ‘Lookers’ to enforce regulation. This was financed by a levy on the Commoners of 7d per acre.

The Victorian period Both the fifth Earl and Lady Elizabeth had died by 1870 and the Manor passed to Charles Richard Sackville, Viscount Cantelupe, sixth Earl De La Warr; however, his tenure was short as he died in 1873 and the title passed to Reginald Windsor, seventh Earl De La Warr. No attempt was made to interfere with the Commoners but non-Commoner activity was restricted.

In 1875 De La Warr and his steward challenged whether or not the Commoners had any rights other than estovers and “herbage by bite of mouth”. John Miles, a tenant at Possingford Farm, was seen cutting litter on the Forest by Joseph Pilbeam, one of Earl De La Warrs keepers, thus challenging the Earl’s instructions that Commoners should stop that activity. The Earl, in 1878, brought an action against the Commoners, who, despite a well laid defence full of detailed historical research by WA Raper, a Hastings solicitor, lost the court action.

An appeal in 1881 found in favour of the Commoners and the Common Lands Regulation (Ashdown Forest) Provisional Order Confirmation Act of 1885 established a Board of Conservators with powers to regulate the common land usage and protect the rights of the Commoners.

The Modern Age The Ashdown Forest Act 1949 strengthened the powers of the Conservators to enforce new byelaws drawn up in 1935, especially in respect of digging up plants and litter cutting. It arranged for grants from local authorities in exchange for representation on the Board. However, it was WWII that really impacted on how the Forest looks today. The Forest was heavily used for military exercises through the war – with emergency landing strips being constructed, slit trenches dug and tank manoeuvres. The Ashdown Forest Act 1949 formalised and regulated the use of the Forest for post-war army training. The Society of Friends of Ashdown Forest was formed in 1961 (and is still going strong). The Ashdown Forest Act of 1974 remains the primary legislation governing the Forest. East Sussex County Council purchased the Forest from Earl De La Warr in 1988 with funds from numerous sources including a public appeal. The Freehold of the Forest was purchased (including the Lordship of the Manor of Duddleswell) from the executors of the tenth Earl De La Warr and the Ashdown Forest Trust was established. Sixty- nine acres of woodland garden at Chelwood Vachery were purchased in 1994. The Forest was designated a Special Protection Area, improving protection for wildlife, in 1996 and the years 1996-8 saw phased fencing and the re-introduction of grazing to 1300 acres on the south and west chases. The conservation of the Forest was truly on its way. The Forest was designated a Special Area of Conservation in 2001 to help conserve vulnerable habitats and, dramatically, the Forest was entirely closed for six weeks due to Foot and Mouth Disease precautions.

36 Where to find more historical information The first port of call should be the Forest website, www.ashdownforest.org, followed by the very informative booklet ‘Information on Ashdown Forest’ by Chris Marrable from 1998 (there is a single precious copy in the Information Barn). Professor Brian Short, of Sussex University, has written many books on the history and landscape of Sussex and currently teaches courses about the historical communities of Ashdown Forest. 23 His book ‘The Ashdown Forest Dispute’ covers the Commoner’s dispute of the late Victorian period alluded to above. The colour booklet ‘Ashdown Forest an Illustrated Guide’ by Prendergast and Glyn 24 is a useful introductory guide that contains a wealth of detail and information. ‘Ashdown Forest’ by Garth Christian, first published in 1976, is now sadly out of print, remains one of the most popular books about the Forest. Copies are sometimes available second hand and a worth picking up if you see one. ‘Wikipedia’ the online encyclopaedia has an excellent section on Ashdown Forest written and edited by one of our Information Barn volunteers. There is an excellent website dedicated to the History, Genealogy and Topography of the Weald with a great deal of information and illustrations. 25 Three Subsidy Rolls are available in a transcribed format 26 on line and the late 19 th to early 20 th century Ashdown Forest Minute Books will soon be available in a searchable format. There is a huge amount of internet material on Forest Law and for those interested in the surrounding communities Domesday is now fully searchable online.27

IRON WORKING 28 29 Iron working requires large amounts of wood to make charcoal and iron ore in the vicinity. Ashdown Forest had both in abundance. From the Romans though to the end of the medieval period iron ore was processed in small clay built ‘bloomery’ furnaces – these were blown by hand using bellows and produced wrought iron ready for the blacksmith. Evidence of iron working, often the waste slag, can still be found, usually beside a stream or head of a spring. At the end of the medieval period the iron industry was a dominating feature of the Weald, including Ashdown Forest.

Newbridge Furnace and Forge Newbridge forge was historically the most important site in the area. It was established in 1496 by Henry VII with the aid of French technicians as part of his preparations for war with Scotland. It was the second iron blast furnace in Britain and required water to be dammed to drive huge bellows for the furnace and the ‘great hammer’. The furnace produced primitive artillery, particularly cannon balls and iron fittings for wagons.

23 For a full profile of Prof Short and his work visit www.sussex.ac.uk/geography/people/peoplelists/person/2418 24 Available in the Information Barn 25 www.theweald.org 26 There are several sites with transcripts and a quick Google search will list them 27 See www.PASE.ac.uk 28 See the Wealden Iron Research Group website at www.wealdeniron.org.uk for more detail 29 See ‘Information on Ashdown Forest’ by Chris Marrable, 1998, page 17 37 DEER HUNTING 3031 “[William] made many deer-parks, and he established laws therewith; so that whosoever slew a hart, or a hind, should be deprived of his eyesight. As he forbad men to kill the harts, so also the boars; and he loved the tall deer as if he were their father. Likewise he decreed respecting the hares that they should go free. His rich men bemoaned it, and the poor men shuddered at it.” 32

Ashdown Forest is one of the best preserved royal hunting forests in the High Weald. Hunting was very important in the Norman period, not only did it provide meat for the table, it was a valuable high status gift that could be granted to loyal subjects, royal spouses and to those the monarch wished to keep ‘on- side’. Medieval hunting was a very ‘hands-on’ experience. Deer were pursued by hunters, on foot, and their hounds through the Forest and killed at dangerously close quarters. Henry VIII, particularly in his old age, preferred to hunt from a ‘standing’, a raised platform, from where the passing deer could be shot with cross-bows or long-bows. Hence the name ‘Kings-Standing’.

Illustration from the Livre de la Chasse showing running hounds

SPECIAL DESIGNATIONS 33 Ashdown Forest is one of the largest single continuous blocks of heath, semi-natural woodland and valley bog in south-east England. Heathland predominates: of the 2472 ha of common land, 55% (1365 ha) is heathland and 40% (997 ha) mixed woodland (the remaining 5% (112 ha) consists of car parks, picnic areas, golf courses.

Site of Special Scientific Interest - SSSI 34 Ashdown Forest has been a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) since 1953 and was renotified in 1986. SSSIs include some of our most spectacular and beautiful habitats. Wildlife and geological features are under pressure from development, pollution, climate change and unsustainable land management.

Special Protection Areas - SPA 35 Special Protection Areas (SPA) are strictly protected sites classified in accordance with Article 4 of the EC Directive on the conservation of wild birds (79/409/EEC), also known as the Birds Directive, which came into force in April 1979. They are classified for rare and vulnerable birds and for regularly occurring migratory species. Ashdown Forest was classified as an SPA in March 1996 because it supports bird

30 www.channel4.com/history/microsites/T/timeteam/snapshot_forests.html has a good clear account of the creation of royal forests in England 31 www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_hunting has an interesting page on medieval hunting techniques 32 Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. Begun in the late 9 th century and, in one case, actively updated to 1194. 33 See ‘Information on Ashdown Forest’ by Chris Marrable, 1998, chapter 5 34 For more information on SSSI visit the Joint Nature Conservation Committee website at www.jncc.gov.uk 35 For more information on SPA visit the JNCC website or Natural England at www.naturalengland.org.uk 38 populations of European importance such as the Dartford Warbler Sylvia undata , Eurasian hobby Falco subbuteo and Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus .

Special Areas of Conservation - SAC 36 Special Areas of Conservation are strictly protected sites designated under the EC Habitats Directive. Article 3 of the Habitats Directive requires the establishment of a European network of important high- quality conservation sites that will make a significant contribution to conserving the 189 habitat types and 788 species identified in Annexes I and II of the Directive. The listed habitat types and species are those considered to be most in need of conservation at a European level (excluding birds). Of the Annex I habitat types, 76 are believed to occur in the UK. Of the Annex II species, 43 are native to, and normally resident in, the UK. Ashdown Forest was awarded SAC status because it has one of the largest single continuous blocks of lowland heath in south-east England. The site supports important assemblages of beetles, dragonflies, damselflies and butterflies, including the nationally rare silver-studded blue Plebejus argus , and birds as detailed above.

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty - AONB 37 An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is exactly what it says it is: a precious landscape whose distinctive character and natural beauty are so outstanding that it is in the nation's interest to safeguard them. Created by the legislation of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act of 1949, AONBs represent 18% of the finest Countryside in England and Wales. The Forest is part of the High Weald AONB which covers 146,170 hectares (1,461 square kilometres). This makes the AONB the largest in and the fourth largest in England and Wales. 38

Natura 2000 39 Ashdown Forest is part of the European Natura 2000 Network. All 27 countries of the EU are working together through the Natura 2000 network to safeguard Europe's rich and diverse natural heritage for the benefit of all. The Natura 2000 network contributes to the "Emerald network" of Areas of Special Conservation Interest (ASCIs) set up under the Bern Convention on the conservation of European wildlife and natural habitats.

WHAT FLORA CAN BE FOUND ON ASHDOWN FOREST? 40 41 The areas of dry heath are dominated by ling, bell heather and both common and European dwarf gorse.

Ling - Calluna vulgaris Cross-leaved heath - Erica tetralix Bell heather, Erica cinerea

Bracken is dominant over large areas. On the damper heath, cross-leaved heath becomes dominant with deer-grass.

36 Information can be sought from JNCC and NE websites as above 37 More information can be found on www.aonb.org.uk 38 There is a huge amount of useful information about the Forest on www.highweald.org 39 For more information visit www.natura.org/about 40 Visit the Forest website for information on flora and fauna at www.ashdownforest.org/conservation/wildlife.php 41 See ‘Information on Ashdown Forest’ by Chris Marrable, 1998 chapter 6, chapter 7 and chapter 8 39

Bracken - Pteridium aquilinum Dwarf Gorse – Ulex minor Deer-grass -Trichophorum cespitosum

Purple moor-grass mingled with less common heathland plants include petty whin, creeping willow and heath spotted orchid.

Purple moor-grass - Molinia caerulea Petty whin - Genista anglica Heath spotted orchid - Dactylorhiza maculata

In the wet areas there are several species of sphagnum moss together with bog asphodel, common cotton-grass and specialities such as marsh gentian and ivy-leaved bell flower. The marsh gentian, noted for its bright blue trumpet-like flowers, has a flowering season lasting from July well into October and is found in about a dozen colonies. Many of these plants are very rare elsewhere in Sussex.

Bog asphodel - Narthecium ossifragum Marsh gentian - Gentiana pneumonanthe Ivy-leaved bellflower - Wahlenbergia hederacea

The main trees on the Forest, both on the heath and in the woodlands are silver birch - ; pendunculate oak - quercus robur and scots pine - pinus sylvestris. All are scattered across the heath, in places forming extensive woodland and scrub. 42

42 www.ashdownforest.org/conservation/woodland_conservation.php for information on woodland and its management 40

Bluebell - Hyacinthinoides non-scripta Birds Nest Orchid - Neottia nidus-avis

Older woodlands consist of beech and sweet chestnut with an understory of bluebell, bilberry, the hard fern, honeysuckle, wood anemone and common wood sorrel. Rare on the Forest but occasionally found is birds-nest orchid and violet helleborine.

Forest streams cut through the soft sandstone and form steep-sided ghylls that are sheltered from winter frosts and stay humid in summer, creating conditions more familiar in the Atlantic-facing western coastal regions of Britain. These are often lined by alder, grey sallow, birch and oak. A range of ferns including the mountain fern and the hay-scented buckler fern thrive in this “Atlantic” microclimate.

Mountain Fern - Oreopteris limbosperma Hay-scented buckler fern Dryopteris aemula

The damming of streams, digging for marl, and quarrying have produced several large ponds containing, rafts of broad-leaved pondweed, beds of bulrush (reedmace) and water horsetail.

Broad-leaved pondweed - Potamogeton natans Bullrush - Typha latifolia Water horsetail - Equisetum fluviatile .

41 WHAT FAUNA CAN BE FOUND? Birds The Forest is a popular destination for bird-watchers due to the important populations birds that can be found, notably the Dartford Warbler (the Forest has all-year resident populations of this, Britain's scarcest heathland bird species, which has seen a resurgence since the early 1990s) and the Nightjar. 43

Dartford Warbler - Sylvia undata Nightjar - Caprimulgus europaeus

On the open heaths and grasslands (sometimes boggy and interspersed with single trees or clumps of trees), there are stonechat, tree and meadow pipit, lesser redpoll, , woodlark, redstart, spotted flycatcher, snipe (rare), crossbill, skylark, linnet, yellowhammer and cuckoo. Woodcock and hobby are also common but rarely seen and in winter, also rarely, great grey shrike and hen harrier. The buzzard is becoming more common and there have been sightings of red kite.

Stonechat - Saxicola torquata Goldcrest - Regulus regulus Crossbill - Loxia pytyopsittacus

On scrub areas, especially on the boundary between woodland and heath/grassland, reed bunting, turtle dove and siskin can be found.

In the mixed woodlands can be found stock dove, marsh tit, tawny owl, bullfinch and sparrow hawk.

Insects The Forest supports a rich invertebrate fauna, with many heathland specialities. Half of Britain's 46 breeding species of damselflies and dragonflies (the Odonata) have been recorded, the scarcer among them being the black darter, brilliant emerald and small red damselfly. It is also an important home for the golden-ringed dragonfly, which flies from mid-June to early September.

The Black Darter Brilliant Emerald Small Red Damselfly

43 See www.ashdownforest.org/conservation/birds_of_ashdown_forest.php for a wealth of bird information 42 Of the Forest's 34 species of butterfly, the most spectacular, the Purple Emperor, is rare and difficult to see. Another speciality, the Silver-studded Blue, is widely but thinly spread over the heaths, the main food plants of its caterpillars being gorses and heathers. Commonly seen are the Small Heath, the Small Copper, the Common Blue, the Holly Blue, the Brimstone, the Silver Washed Fritilliary, the Specked Wood, the White Admiral, the Comma, the Red Admiral and the Peacock. 44

The Purple Emperor - female Silver Studded Blue - male Small Copper

There are also numerous moths such as the emperor moth. This moth is one of the great entomological features of the Forest. The male, with its orange tinted lower wings and richly patterned brown and white forewings can be seen in its fast and twisting flight over the heathland in April and May. Other moth species are the Common Heath, the Silver Y, the Marsh Plume Moth, the Elephant Hawk Moth, the Pine Hawk Moth, the Broad and Narrow Bordered Bee Hawk Moth, the Privet Hawk Moth, Death’s Head Hawk Moth and the Hummingbird Hawk Moth.

Emperor Moth - male Elephant Hawk Moth - male Hummingbird Hawk Moth

The Forest is also home to a number of other insect species such as the Common Black Ant which enjoys the wet heathland habitat dominated by purple moor grass. The Wood Ant is the larges species of ant to be found on the Forest. It creates large hummocks, often four feet high and six feet across with weatherproof dry ‘thatch’ of debris. A single colony may house tens of thousands of ants and have several queens who continue laying for several years. Grasshoppers are abundant on the Forest. The Bog Bush Cricket, the Mottled Grasshopper and Common Field Grasshopper can all be found (and heard).

Snakes Adder Adders, the only British venomous snake, are common on the Forest but rarely seen. Bites from adders are very rare, and the vast majority occur when a snake is picked up. Most reactions to adder bites are mild, but any bite should be regarded as potentially serious and immediate medical advice should be sought. In the last century, 12 human deaths in Britain have been attributed to adder bites (this compares with several deaths every year due to insect stings). Bites to dogs do occur, but rarely prove fatal. Vets and doctors in areas where adders occur are aware of the treatment required in handling bite cases, and effective treatment is now well understood.

Adders can be variable in colour, but typically the background colour differs in males and females. Males tend towards a grey, whitish, occasionally yellowish colour. The contrast with the black markings can

44 www.butterfly-conservation.org 43 make them appear almost silver. The females tend to be brownish with considerable variation of shade and occasional hints of red or yellow – although in the latter case always a much darker shade than the males.

Figure 1 – The Adder 45

Both sexes are similarly marked. Typically these markings are very pronounced and extremely easy to identify, consisting of a heavy dark zigzag pattern down the back with dark spots in rows on the flanks. At the back of the head there is a heavy “V” or “X” shaped marking and a dark band running from behind each eye. The young are coloured and marked much like adult females. Although adders are rather stocky snakes they are not very big, seldom exceeding 60 cms in length, the males being slightly shorter. The head shape is notably different from the other British snakes being rather broad and angular with an upturned snout. The eyes are large and tend to be reddish in colour with a vertical pupil – again a feature unique to this species in this country. The back pattern can vary in some individuals. With these variations there are occasional individuals that are not readily identifiable. 46

Grass Snake Grass snakes are also common and rarely seen. The grass snake is often confused with the adder, however, it is a non-venomous and harmless creature. Sometimes the grass snake is confused with the slow-worm, which is a leg-less lizard and not a snake at all. The slow-worm is a smaller creature (40 - 45cm) with a glassy grey/brown appearance.

The grass snake favours rough land and pastures, usually close to a standing body of water. Feeding almost exclusively on amphibians, some individuals may take small fish. The grass snake is an occasional garden visitor and only shows aggression if cornered, hissing loudly and recoiling into a position that looks like they may strike. This is bluff, they rarely bite and if handled often play dead. As with all our native snakes, the best option is simply to leave the snake to get on with its daily business. 47

Figure 2 – The Grass Snake 48

45 Images from www.herpetofauna.co.uk/adder.htm 46 A good site for learning more about the adder and recording sightings is www.adder.org.uk 47 www.herpetofauna.co.uk/grass_snake 48 Images from www.herpetofauna.co.uk/adder.htm 44 Lizards and Amphibians Smooth, crested and great crested newts can be found in Forest ponds where they feed on tadpoles and insects. The pond at the Forest Centre is full of newts. Common Lizards can sometimes be seen basking on fire breaks. Although slow-worms are common they are rarely seen.

Mammals Deer 49 have been a feature of Ashdown Forest particularly since its ‘impaling’ as a royal hunting park in the 13th century. Red deer, an essential part of Wealden culture as long as 6-8,000 years ago, and fallow deer, already present in Sussex in the Romano-British era and particularly favoured by the Normans, were both hunted until the 17th century. By the end of the 17th century red deer had disappeared completely while fallow deer had declined to very low numbers, the poor condition of the forest pale having allowed them to escape. Fallow deer returned in the 20th century, probably as a result of escapes from a local deer park. Also present are Roe deer (the only native deer roaming the forest), muntjac and .

The population of Fallow deer has grown sharply in the last three decades, and they now number in their thousands. Around 500 a year are involved in collisions with motor vehicles on local roads and many are killed. Reducing deer casualties and how best to control their numbers have become major public issues.

Fallow Roe Muntjac

The Forest is home to the common and pygmy shrew, the water shrew, the dormouse, the wood mouse and the yellow necked mouse. There are foxes, rabbits, stoats, weasels, squirrels and badgers. Staff are undertaking, or supervising, surveys of small mammals (including bats). The most conspicuous mammal is, of course, the grey squirrel and the damage it causes to trees (especially sweet chestnut and birch) is very obvious.

Pygmy Shrew Dormouse Yellow Necked Mouse

49 A great deal of information can be found on the Forest website at www.ashdownforest.org/conservation/deer.php

45 GEOLOGY South eastern England’s oldest rocks are to be found on Ashdown Forest dating back 135 million years. At that time there was a great freshwater lake covering the whole of south east England. During the following 70 million years the area gradually sank as some 800m of sediment was deposited in the lake. In these shallow waters deposits iron became concentrated and, due to a series of complex chemical reactions involving circulating water contained in the sediments. During the period when the Alps and the Himalayas were formed by folding (30 million years ago) a similar, though lesser folding was taking place in southern England and a great elongated dome was formed. Gradually, over millennia, erosion by wind, frost, rain and rivers eroded the softer top levels leaving the ridges we see today.

Ashdown Forest has typical acidic, sandy, thin infertile soils 50 . It warms and cools quickly so greater extremes of temperature are found than on loamy soils making the Forest attractive to many insects more commonly found in warmer climates.

FURTHER READING For a great deal of information visit the Forest website at www.ashdownforest.org The Annual Report and the Strategic Forest Plan contain a huge amount of background information. Ashdown Forest Life has interesting seasonal articles. The quarterly Volunteer Newsletter will also keep volunteers in touch with what is going on.

With many thanks to Rich Allum, Martin Berry and Jane Withey for their valuable help, suggestions and support!

50 See ‘Information on Ashdown Forest’ by Chris Marrable, 1998 pages 2 - 3 46