2005 Ashdown Forest Sussex Early Stagers Heathland 23rd July One Day Meeting
On the last day of the drought David Bevan met 14 of us from the London Natural History Society and the WFS at the Ashdown Forest Centre. He recommended the latest Fitter, Fitter and Blarney Wild Flowers of Britain and Ireland'and Clive Stace's Field Flora of the British Isles for use in the field. He also had a copy of the Flora of Ashdown Forest (now out of print). lan asked to look at it at the centre - it was closely guarded! This is Pooh Bear country and the centre had a delightful exhibition ofE. Shepherd's original drawings.
We set off down one of the wide rides which are regularly cut to maintain the heathland flora (previously done through grazing) and to act as fire breaks. We were able to examine and compare many heathland rushes, grasses and flowering plants. Ulex minor (dwarf gorse) was just coming into flower. We found Erica tetralix (cross- leaved heath), E. cinerea (bell heather) and Calluna vulgaris (heather), one plant with Cuscuta epithymum (dodder) on it and another with an incredible 'look alike' caterpillar of Anarta myrtilli (beautiful yellow underwing moth). The highlight for me was the lovely patch of flowering Stachys officinalis (betony) intermixed with Serrutula tinctoria (saw-wort). Eyebrights were no problem because only two occur here - Euphrasia nemorosa - without glandular hairs and E. anglica - with glandular hairs.
We moved to another car park for Hypericum maculatum ssp. obtusiusculum(imperforate St John's-wort) and a road verge full of flowers including Potentilla anglica (trailing tormentil) and Hypericum pulchrum (slender St John's-wort).
Finally, the surprise - a superb strawberry cream tea provided by David's wife Barbara, at their cottage. To get there? Down the lane, a very sharp U-tum, three water splashes, a 'no through road' track and .... Paradise. The garden provided the third of the Leontodons, L. hispidus (rough hawkbit) and Potentilla x suberecta. We walked down to the lake for some water loving plants there.
I jotted down 84 plants and so appreciated David's clear teaching, especially the grasses and rushes, also the caterpillars and butterflies noticed and named by LNHS folk. An excellent day. Many thanks David and Barbara.
PRISCILLA NOBBS