Speckled Wood is a woodland and

park A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are urban green space, green spaces set aside for recreation inside t ...

in Ore Village in the

Ore Valley Ore is a large suburb of the urban area of Hastings, in the Hastings district, in the county of East Sussex, England. Formerly a village, it is still known and advertised locally as "Ore Village". It is located to the north-east of Hastings to ...

Hastings Hastings ( ) is a seaside town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to th ...

East Sussex East Sussex is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Kent to the north-east, West Sussex to the west, Surrey to the north-west, and the English Channel to the south. The largest settlement ...

, United Kingdom. The woodland park consists of woodland trails and clearings. The woodland has steep sixty-degree sides and is a

wet woodland A wet woodland is a type of plant community. It is a biodiversity habitat in the United Kingdom as part of the British National Vegetation Classification system. Wet woodlands occurs on poorly drained or seasonally wet soils. They may occur in ri ...

. The wood is a habitat to a wealth of mammals, birds and invertebrates. There is a stream that runs right through the wood. The name Speckled Wood is believed to have come from the butterflies of the same name that thrive here, the speckled wood (SP1861). Speckled Wood falls within Ore's development area to the northeast of

, where major housing and industrial development has been concentrated during the last two decades. Despite considerable new development in the area, the woodland has been retained since 1930. Speckled Wood, together with nearby fragments of woodland and tree belts, represents a sizeable proportion of green space within the urban area of

and is a conspicuous landscape feature. It is a core area of natural habitat within the town. It is possible to enter the natural area from points within Ore Village using the long established footpaths.

History

The Yeakell and Gardners 1778 Sussex map shows the area to be a historic woodland. Maps from 1873 to 1875 show the Ore Stream running under Cackle Street (now Frederick Road) and further into the valley. It also mentions the stream and narrow band of woodland surrounded by farm land which was part of the Vine Farm Estate. This was eventually sold by Messrs Woodhams & Son by Auction in Havelock Road 5 June 1889. At around 1897, it is believed that the area (TQ835177) which is part of Speckled Wood may have been used as a brick field, run by a Mr W. Rodgers. This site was described as ; although the record of this is documented in a book, it is believed to come from a piece of paperwork detailing a rate payment, which does not actually prove bricks were produced from the site. It is clear that Mr W Rodgers had other brick fields in the surrounding area of Ore Village. In 1916 and up until 1921, at least 20 plots of land in the woodland known at that time as the Oller' were sold by a generous land owner, Mrs Elisabeth Peddlesden and her husband Joeseph, for use by the Soldiers' and Sailors' Families' Association and Small Holdings Committee as part of the

Land Settlement (Facilities) Act 1919 The Land Settlement (Facilities) Act 1919 ( 9 & 10 Geo. 5. c. 59) was a piece of legislation passed in the United Kingdom following World War I. The act allowed local governments (namely county councils) to provide smallholdings (farmland) to ve ...

to give small holdings to returning

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

soldiers settling in the South East. This was originally organized by the National Freehold Land Company. Many of these records have been transferred to the Keep in Brighton. The small holdings were used to keep pigs and chickens mainly, and thought to provide a working living for the soldiers, many of which had returned from the war with injuries from

mustard gas Mustard gas or sulfur mustard are names commonly used for the organosulfur compound, organosulfur chemical compound bis(2-chloroethyl) sulfide, which has the chemical structure S(CH2CH2Cl)2, as well as other Chemical species, species. In the wi ...

. As early as 1927 the ''Hastings Observer'' reported that Town Planning was working with councillors to produce a comprehensive report towards housing and leisure facilities. The town was to be re mapped and designated housing and recreational areas were to be created. In 1930 the area was subject to the Hastings General Development Plan 1930. A large proportion of the woodland we know to day was declared as green-space. The map in the rear pocket of this Management Plan shows the area as a public-open-space In 1934 the Town and Planning Committee reported that during their meeting of the Hastings Council they had prepared and estimate for the cost of purchasing the land and public-open-space Speckled Wood as shown in the General Development Plan. Friends of Speckled Wood Management Trust petitioned to keep the entire woodland undeveloped. Friends of Speckled Wood (FOSWMT) presented this public response to the Hastings Borough Council Cabinet. On 12 November 2012, the Hastings Cabinet Councillors were unable to name the entire area as a Nature Reserve, but did keep "a substantial area of land...as woodland instead of potential housing". A public enquiry was held during 2014/2015 and the inspector recommended that the majority of Speckled Wood should be re-designated as protected open space. This was ratified by Hastings Borough Council during the latter part of 2015. In 2017, Hastings Borough Council handed over two plots of land to local charity, Ore Community Land Trust, as the first step in establishing the wood as a permanent local amenity.

Geology and geography

Sandstone and clay bed in the Ore Valley Stream

From a

geological Geology (). is a branch of natural science concerned with the Earth and other astronomical objects, the rocks of which they are composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Earth s ...

perspective, the area along the stream is on the sandstone of the Ashdown Beds and this is surrounded by clays and mudstones, also of the Ashdown series all laid down in the

Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 143.1 to 66 mya (unit), million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era (geology), Era, as well as the longest. At around 77.1 million years, it is the ...

Period. Several valleys run from The Ridge to the sea from the Marline Wood area in the west to the

Country Park A country park is a natural area designated for people to visit and enjoy recreation in a countryside environment. United Kingdom History In the United Kingdom, the term ''country park'' has a specific meaning. There are around 250 designated c ...

in the east. The Speckled Wood valley is part of the catchment that includes St Helens Park and Old Roar Ghyll. Speckled Wood can be seen as historic from the Yeakell and Gardners 1778 Sussex map showing the 'Oller' this shows a ribbon of woodland along the Ore stream, The ancient wooded ghylls around Hastings of which the Speckled Wood area is the only remaining part of one which started from the area known as North Seat then through to the ponds which were in the area of what is now the Leeds Close garages of Victoria Avenue in

, and then in south westerly direction right down to what is now Alexandra Park in

. The Upper Ore Valley to date has steep sixty-degree valleys or inclines to the north, east and west. The stream cuts right through the lower valley exposing the Ashdown bed in sections along the valley floor. To the west the incline falls off to a plateau which then rises to land level. The North End of the Upper Valley has been topographically mapped to reveal its slopes. This was created by a group of volunteers that made a model from MDF based on height readings from the Valley floor. The ghyll forms a link within the

green corridor both spatially and as a means to prevent further fragmentation of flora and fauna.

Ore Valley Stream

The Ore stream through Speckled Wood is an integral part of one of the few remaining currently-undeveloped wooded ghylls left in Hastings. The Ore Valley stream runs from the Bourne spring feed splitting on the North Seat in Country Park. It runs under Southview Close and through Speckled Wood where it eventually feeds into Alexandra Park stream. There is a colony of ''

Arum italicum ''Arum italicum'' is a species of flowering herbaceous perennial plant in the family Araceae, also known as Italian arum and Italian lords-and-ladies. It is native to the British Isles and much of the Mediterranean region, the Caucasus, Canary Is ...

'' ssp. ''italicum'' ("Italian lords-and-ladies") at (TQ8353411464) close to the bottom of the steps leading from Victoria Avenue into Speckled Wood. It is distinct from ordinary cuckoopint as the leaves appear in the autumn. They are plain green in this British form and without the whitish veins of some more popular garden varieties from abroad and which are usually encountered as throw-outs. There is ''

Hirudo medicinalis ''Hirudo medicinalis'', or the European medicinal leech, is one of several species of leeches used as medicinal leeches. Other species of ''Hirudo'' sometimes also used as medicinal leeches include ''Hirudo orientalis, H. orientalis'', ''Hirudo ...

'' and ''

Lymnaea ''Lymnaea'' is a genus of small to large-sized air-breathing freshwater snails, aquatic pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Lymnaeinae of the family Lymnaeidae, the pond snails.Bouchet, P.; Rosenberg, G. (2013). Lymnaea Lamarck, 1799. ...

'' in the stream.

Wildlife

Speckled Wood is a mix of old woodland,

Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literatur ...

garden survivors, it shares common taxon as

ancient woodland In the United Kingdom, ancient woodland is that which has existed continuously since 1600 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (or 1750 in Scotland). The practice of planting woodland was uncommon before those dates, so a wood present in 1600 i ...

according to the Ancient Woodland Vascular Plant indicators on page 27 of the Hastings Borough Council Ancient Woodland Report by P Sansum This ancient woodland status is yet to be recognised . It is one of the only deep sided wet woods to remain in East Sussex, with over 200 species of trees and flowering plants. Sussex Biodiversitry Record Centre - SxBRCReport_SpeckledWood Many rare and scarce

liverworts Liverworts are a group of non-vascular plant, non-vascular embryophyte, land plants forming the division Marchantiophyta (). They may also be referred to as hepatics. Like mosses and hornworts, they have a gametophyte-dominant life cycle, in wh ...

, mosses and

lichens A lichen ( , ) is a hybrid colony (biology), colony of algae or cyanobacteria living symbiotically among hypha, filaments of multiple fungus species, along with yeasts and bacteria embedded in the cortex or "skin", in a mutualism (biology), m ...

occur within the ghyll. Hastings Borough Council Statements A multitude of fungi, rare insects, birds and elusive woodland mammals including the wood mouse. There is a blanket TPO Tree Protection Order ref TPO NO 157, W1 on the trees in the woodland. These are mostly

ash Ash is the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non-aqueous, non- gaseous residues that remain after something burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, ash is the ...

, hawthorn,

holly ''Ilex'' () or holly is a genus of over 570 species of flowering plants in the family Aquifoliaceae, and the only living genus in that family. ''Ilex'' has the most species of any woody dioecious angiosperm genus. The species are evergreen o ...

pedunculate oak ''Quercus robur'', the pedunculate oak, is a species of flowering plant in the beech and oak family, Fagaceae. It is a large tree, native to most of Europe and western Asia, and is widely cultivated in other temperate regions. It grows on soi ...

sycamore Sycamore is a name which has been applied to several types of trees, but with somewhat similar leaf forms. The name derives from the Ancient Greek () meaning . Species of otherwise unrelated trees known as sycamore: * ''Acer pseudoplatanus'', a ...

and

goat willow ''Salix caprea'', known as goat willow, pussy willow or great sallow, is a common species of willow native to Europe and western and central Asia.Meikle, R. D. (1984). ''Willows and Poplars of Great Britain and Ireland''. BSBI Handbook 4. . De ...

all identified in the Thomson Ecology Arboricultural Survey 2007. This survey only dealt with the top half of the woodland but clearly stated that there are trees which were grade B, whilst some categorised as C1.

Species

The species list of flora and fauna are being added as new species are noted and photographed in the woodland. The data is also being updated on iRecord and the 2014 study The area has a large quantity of invasive

Japanese knotweed ''Reynoutria japonica'', synonyms ''Fallopia japonica'' and ''Polygonum cuspidatum'', is a species of herbaceous perennial plant in the knotweed and buckwheat family Polygonaceae. Common names include Japanese knotweed and Asian knotweed. It is ...

(''Reynoutria japonica'') and

Himalayan balsam ''Impatiens glandulifera'', Himalayan balsam, is a large annual plant native to the Himalayas. Via human introduction it is now present across much of the Northern Hemisphere and is considered an invasive species in many areas. Uprooting or cutt ...

which occurs in at least seventy-two separate areas of substantial size. The study was first conducted photographically, identifying the seventy-two separate large areas, which were then mapped onto an existing pathway map. The

rhizome In botany and dendrology, a rhizome ( ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and Shoot (botany), shoots from its Node (botany), nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from ...

area was then estimated at seven square metres in accordance with Environment Department guidelines, from where rhizomes had been discovered in soil during clearance work. Fauna * 16-spot orange ladybird (''

Propylea quatuordecimpunctata ''Propylea quatuordecimpunctata'' is a small lady beetle, belonging to the family Coccinellidae. It is sometimes referred to by the common name 14-spotted ladybird beetle, or simply P-14. Varieties Varieties include: * ''Propylea quatuordecimp ...

'') * Thirteen-spotted lady beetle ('' Hippodamia tredecimpunctata'') * Black-billed magpie (''

Pica pica The Eurasian magpie or common magpie (''Pica pica'') is a resident breeding bird throughout the northern part of the Eurasian continent. It is one of several birds in the crow family (corvids) designated magpies, and belongs to the Holarctic rad ...

'') * Blue tit (''

Cyanistes caeruleus The Eurasian blue tit (''Cyanistes caeruleus'') is a small passerine bird in the tit family, Paridae. It is easily recognizable by its blue and yellow plumage and small size. Eurasian blue tits, usually resident and non-migratory birds, ar ...

'') * The comma Butterfly (''

Polygonia c-album ''Polygonia c-album'', or the “comma”, is a food generalist (List of feeding behaviours#Classification, polyphagous) butterfly species belonging to the family Nymphalidae. The angular notches on the edges of the forewings are characteristic ...

'') * Common earwig (''

Forficula auricularia ''Forficula auricularia'' is a species complex comprising the common earwig. It is also known as the European earwig. It is an omnivorous insect belonging to the family Forficulidae. The name ''earwig'' comes from the appearance of the hindwings ...

'') * Common green darner ''(Anax junius)'' * Common orb weaver (''

Metellina segmentata ''Metellina segmentata'' is a spider in the family Tetragnathidae with a Palaearctic distribution. This spider's name is often shortened to ''Meta segmentata'', and some even call it ''Araneus segmentatus'' simply meaning, orb weaving spiders. It ...

'') * Common rough woodlouse (''

Porcellio scaber ''Porcellio scaber'' (otherwise known as the common rough woodlouse or simply rough woodlouse), is a species of woodlouse native to Europe but with a cosmopolitan distribution. They are often found in large numbers in most regions, with many spec ...

'') * Common toad (''

Bufo bufo The common toad, European toad, or in Anglophone parts of Europe, simply the toad (''Bufo bufo'', from Latin ''bufo'' "toad"), is a toad found throughout most of Europe (with the exception of Ireland, Iceland, parts of Scandinavia, and some Medi ...

'') * Common woodlouse (''

Oniscus asellus ''Oniscus asellus'', the common woodlouse, is one of the largest and most common species of woodlouse native to the British Isles and Western Europe, Western and Northern Europe, growing to long and wide. ''Oniscus asellus'' was first describe ...

'') * Common wood pigeon ('' Columba palumbus'') * Dark bush cricket (''

Pholidoptera griseoaptera ''Pholidoptera'' is a genus of bush-crickets belonging to the subfamily Tettigoniinae and the type genus In biological taxonomy, the type genus (''genus typica'') is the genus which defines a biological family and the root of the family name ...

'') * Dark bodied glass snail (''

Oxychilus draparnaudi ''Oxychilus draparnaudi'', or Draparnaud's glass snail, is a species of small land snail, a Terrestrial molluscs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Oxychilidae, the glass snails. Description ''Oxychilus draparnaudi'' is lar ...

'') * Eastern grey squirrel ('' Sciurus carolinensis'') * Eurasian jay (''

Garrulus glandarius The Eurasian jay (''Garrulus glandarius'') is a species of passerine bird in the crow family Corvidae. It has pinkish brown plumage with a black stripe on each side of a whitish throat, a bright blue panel on the upper wing and a black tail. The ...

'') * Freshwater shrimp (''

Gammarus ''Gammarus'' is an amphipod crustacean genus in the family Gammaridae. It contains more than 200 described species, making it one of the most species-rich genera of crustaceans. Different species have different optimal conditions, particularly ...

'') * Fresh water leech (''

'') * Garden cross spider (''

Araneus diadematus The spider species ''Araneus diadematus'' is commonly called the European garden spider, cross orbweaver, diadem spider, orangie, cross spider, and crowned orb weaver. It is sometimes called the pumpkin spider, although this name is also used fo ...

'') * Garden orb weaver spider (''

'') * Golden pigmy ('' Stigmella aurella'') * Great pond snail ('' Limnaea'') * Great tit (''

Parus major The great tit (''Parus major'') is a small passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is a widespread and common species throughout Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and east across the Palearctic to the Amur River, south to parts of No ...

'') * Harvestman spider ('' Opilio parietinus'') * Holly leaf miner ('' Phytomyza ilicis'') * Holly blue butterfly (''

Celastrina argiolus The holly blue (''Celastrina argiolus'') Retrieved April 20, 2018. is a butterfly that belongs to the lycaenids or blues family and is native to the Palearctic. Description The holly blue has pale silver-blue wings spotted with pale ivory dots ...

'' ssp. ''britanna'') * Native land snail ('' Phylum mollusca'') * Ichneumen wasp (''

Ichneumonidae The Ichneumonidae, also known as ichneumon wasps, ichneumonid wasps, ichneumonids, or Darwin wasps, are a family of parasitoid wasps of the insect order Hymenoptera. They are one of the most diverse groups within the Hymenoptera with roughly 25 ...

'') * Large bee-fly, (''

Bombylius major ''Bombylius major'' (commonly named the large bee-fly, the dark-edged bee-fly or the greater bee fly) is a parasitic bee mimic fly. ''B. major'' is the most common type of fly within the ''Bombylius'' genus. The fly derives its name from its clos ...

'') * Lemon slug (''

Malacolimax tenellus ''Malacolimax tenellus'' (lemon slug) is a species of air-breathing land slug, a shell-less terrestrial gastropod mollusk in the family Limacidae. Description The body is yellow in color and can grow up to . Habitat This species is known to liv ...

'') *'' Leiobunum blackwalli'' ('' Phytomyza ilicis'') * Long-tailed tit (''

Aegithalos caudatus The long-tailed tit (''Aegithalos caudatus''), also named long-tailed bushtit, is a common bird found throughout Europe and the Palearctic. The genus name ''Aegithalos'' was a term used by Aristotle for some European tits, including the long-tail ...

'') * Orange ladybird, 16-spot ('' Halyzia sedecimguttata'') * Palmate newt ('' Lissotriton helveticus'') * Pond skater (''

Gerridae The Gerridae are a family of insects in the order Hemiptera, commonly known as water striders, water skeeters, water scooters, water bugs, pond skaters, water skippers, water gliders, water skimmers or puddle flies. They are true bugs of the ...

'') * Red admiral butterfly (''

Vanessa atalanta ''Vanessa atalanta'', the red admiral or, previously, the red admirable, is a well-characterized, medium-sized butterfly with black wings, red bands, and white spots. It has a wingspan of about . It was species description, first described by C ...

'') * Red/brown fox (''

Vulpes vulpes The red fox (''Vulpes vulpes'') is the largest of the true foxes and one of the most widely distributed members of the order Carnivora, being present across the entire Northern Hemisphere including most of North America, Europe and Asia, plus ...

'') * Rough woodlouse (''

'') * Serotine ('' Eptesicus serotinus'') * Speckled wood butterfly (''

Pararge aegeria The speckled wood (''Pararge aegeria'') is a butterfly found in and on the borders of woodland areas throughout much of the Palearctic realm. The species is subdivided into multiple subspecies, including ''Pararge aegeria aegeria'', ''Pararge aeg ...

'') * The comma butterfly (''

'') * Tree snail (''

Balea perversa ''Balea perversa'', also known as the wall snail or tree snail, is a species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial molluscs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Clausiliidae, the door snails. The shell of this species is l ...

'') * Tree snail ('' Oxychilus navarricus'') * Water hoglouse (''

Asellus aquaticus ''Asellus aquaticus'' is a fresh water, freshwater crustacean resembling a woodlouse. It is known by various common names including pond slater, water louse, aquatic sowbug, water hoglouse and cress bug. Ecology ''Asellus aquaticus'' is common t ...

'') * White lipped bandit snail (''

Cepaea hortensis The white-lipped snail or garden banded snail, scientific name ''Cepaea hortensis'', is a large species of air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusc in the family Helicidae. The only other species in the genus is ''Cepae ...

'') Flora * Ash (''

Fraxinus excelsior ''Fraxinus excelsior'', known as the ash, or European ash or common ash to distinguish it from other types of ash, is a flowering plant species in the olive family Oleaceae. It is native throughout mainland Europe east to the Caucasus and Alb ...

'') * Alexanders (''

Smyrnium olusatrum ''Smyrnium olusatrum'', common name alexanders (or alisander) is an edible flowering plant of the family Apiaceae (Umbelliferae), which grows on waste ground and in hedges around the Mediterranean and Atlantic coastal regions of Europe. It was ...

'') * Beech (''

Fagus sylvatica ''Fagus sylvatica'', the European beech or common beech, is a large, graceful deciduous tree in the Fagaceae, beech family with smooth silvery-gray bark, large leaf area, and a short trunk with low branches. Description ''Fagus sylvatica'' i ...

'') * Native blue bells (''

Hyacinthoides non-scripta ''Hyacinthoides non-scripta'' (formerly ''Endymion non-scriptus'' or ''Scilla non-scripta'') is a bulbous perennial plant found in Atlantic areas from the north-western part of the Iberian Peninsula to the British Isles, and also frequently used ...

'') * Boxwood (''

Buxus sempervirens ''Buxus sempervirens'', the common box, European box, or boxwood, is a species of flowering plant in the genus ''Buxus'', native to western and southern Europe, northwest Africa, and southwest Asia, from southern England south to northern Morocco ...

'') * Bramble (''

Rubus ''Rubus'' is a large and diverse genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, subfamily Rosoideae, most commonly known as brambles. Fruits of various species are known as raspberries, blackberries, dewberries, and bristleberries. ...

'') * Bristly oxtongue (''

Picris echioides ''Helminthotheca echioides'', known as bristly (or prickly) oxtongue, is a sprawling annual plant, annual or biennial plant, biennial herb native to Europe and North Africa. It was originally placed within the genus ''Picris'' but is often separa ...

'') * Broad buckler-fern ('' Dryopteris dilatata'') * Broad leaf dock (''

Rumex obtusifolius ''Rumex obtusifolius'', commonly known as bitter dock, broad-leaved dock, bluntleaf dock, dock leaf, dockens or butter dock, is a perennial plant in the family Polygonaceae. It is native to Europe, but is found on all temperate continents. It i ...

'') * Cherry laurel (''

Prunus laurocerasus ''Prunus laurocerasus'', also known as cherry laurel, common laurel and sometimes English laurel in North America, is an evergreen species of cherry (''Prunus''), native to regions bordering the Black Sea in southwestern Asia and southeastern Eur ...

'') * Cleavers (''

Galium aparine ''Galium aparine'', with common names including cleavers, clivers, catchweed, robin-run-the-hedge, goosegrass, and sticky willy, is an annual, herbaceous plant of the family Rubiaceae. Names ''Galium aparine'' is known by a variety of common n ...

'') * Cuckoo pint (''

Arum maculatum ''Arum maculatum'', commonly known as cuckoopint, jack-in-the-pulpit and other names (see common names), is a woodland flowering plant species in the family Araceae. It is native across most of Europe, as well as Eastern Turkey and the Caucasus. ...

'') * Common hop (''

Humulus lupulus ''Humulus lupulus'', the common hop or hops, is a species of flowering plant in the hemp family, Cannabaceae. It is a perennial, herbaceous climbing plant which sends up new shoots in early spring and dies back to a cold-hardy rhizome in autumn. ...

'') * Common nettle (''

Urtica dioica ''Urtica dioica'', often known as common nettle, burn nettle, stinging nettle (although not all plants of this species sting) or nettle leaf, or just a nettle or stinger, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Urticaceae. Or ...

'') * Common ragwort (''

Jacobaea vulgaris ''Jacobaea vulgaris'', syn. ''Senecio jacobaea'', is a very common wild flower in the family Asteraceae that is native to northern Eurasia, usually in dry, open places, and has also been widely distributed as a weed elsewhere. Common names inc ...

'') * Common oak (''

Quercus robur ''Quercus robur'', the pedunculate oak, is a species of flowering plant in the beech and oak family, Fagaceae. It is a large tree, native plant, native to most of Europe and western Asia, and is widely cultivated in other temperate regions. It ...

'') * Common pocket-moss ('' Fissidens taxifolius'') * Cow parsley (''

Anthriscus sylvestris ''Anthriscus sylvestris'', known as cow parsley, wild chervil, wild beaked parsley, Queen Anne's lace or keck, is a herbaceous biennial or short-lived perennial plant in the family Apiaceae (Umbelliferae). It is also sometimes called mother-die ...

'') * Crack willow (''

Salix × fragilis ''Salix'' × ''fragilis'', with the common names crack willow and brittle willow, is a hybrid species of willow native to Europe and Western Asia. It is native to riparian habitats, usually found growing beside rivers and streams, and in marsh ...

'') * Crescent-cup liverwort ('' Lunularia cruciata'') * Creeping buttercup (''

Ranunculus repens ''Ranunculus repens'', the creeping buttercup, is a flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, native to Europe, Asia and northwestern Africa. Habitat It is a very common weed of agricultural land and gardens, spreading quickly by it ...

'') * Elder (''

Sambucus nigra ''Sambucus nigra'' is a species complex of flowering plants in the family Viburnaceae native to most of Europe. Common names include elder, elderberry, black elder, European elder, European elderberry, and European black elderberry. It grows in ...

'') * Enchanters nightshade (''

Circaea lutetiana ''Circaea lutetiana'', known as broad-leaved enchanter's nightshade, is a plant in the evening primrose family, Onagraceae. The genus name comes from the enchantress Circe of Greek mythology and the specific designation is derived from Lutetia, ...

'') * English oak (''

'') * Field maple (''

Acer campestre ''Acer campestre'', known as the field maple, is a flowering plant species in the family Sapindaceae. It is native plant, native to much of continental Europe, Britain, southwest Asia from Turkey to the Caucasus, and north Africa in the Atlas Mou ...

'') * Fool's parsley ('' Aethusa cynapium'') * Forget-me-nots (''

Myosotis sylvatica ''Myosotis sylvatica'', the wood forget-me-not or woodland forget-me-not, is a species of flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae, native to Europe. This spring-flowering plant and its cultivars, typically with blue flowers, are the familiar f ...

'') * Gean (''

Prunus avium ''Prunus avium'', commonly called wild cherry, sweet cherry or gean is a species of Prunus subg. Cerasus, cherry, a flowering plant in the rose family, Rosaceae. It is native to Eurasia and naturalized elsewhere. It is an ancestor of ''Prunus c ...

'') * Great bindweed agg. (''

Calystegia sepium ''Calystegia sepium'' (hedge bindweed, Rutland beauty, bugle vine, heavenly trumpets, bellbind, granny-pop-out-of-bed and many others) is a species of flowering plant in the family Convolvulaceae. It has a cosmopolitan distribution, subcosmopolit ...

'') * Greater plantain (''

Plantago major ''Plantago major'', the broadleaf plantain, white man's footprint, waybread, or greater plantain, is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family Plantaginaceae. The plant is native to Eurasia. The young, tender leaves can be eaten raw, a ...

'') * Guelder rose (''

Viburnum opulus ''Viburnum opulus'', commonly known as the guelder-rose, or guelder rose (), is an Old World species of flowering plant in the family Adoxaceae. Description ''Viburnum opulus'' is a deciduous shrub growing to tall. The leaves are opposite, th ...

'') * Hart's-tongue ('' Phyllitis scolopendrium'') * Hard fern (''

Blechnum spicant ''Struthiopteris spicant'', Synonym (taxonomy), syn. ''Blechnum spicant'', is a species of fern in the family (biology), family Blechnaceae, known by the common names hard-fern or deer fern. It is native plant, native to Europe, western Asia, no ...

'') * Hawthorn (''

Crataegus monogyna ''Crataegus monogyna'', known as common hawthorn, whitethorn, one-seed hawthorn, or single-seeded hawthorn, is a species of flowering plant in the rose family, Rosaceae. It grows to about tall, producing plant sexuality, hermaphrodite flowers i ...

'') * Hazel (''

Corylus avellana ''Corylus avellana'', the common hazel, is a species of flowering plant in the birch tree, birch family Betulaceae. The shrubs usually grow tall. The nut is round, in contrast to the longer Corylus maxima, filbert nut. Common hazel is native to E ...

'') * Hedge bindweed (''

'') * Hedge woundwort (''

Stachys sylvatica ''Stachys sylvatica'', commonly known as hedge woundwort, whitespot, or sometimes as hedge nettle, is a perennial herbaceous plant growing to tall in woodland and unmanaged grassland. In temperate zones of the northern hemisphere it flowers in ...

'') * Henbane (''

Hyoscyamus niger Henbane (''Hyoscyamus niger'', also black henbane and stinking nightshade) is a poisonous plant belonging to tribe Hyoscyameae of the nightshade family ''Solanaceae''. Henbane is native to temperate Europe and Siberia, and naturalised in Great B ...

'') * Herb bennet (''

Geum urbanum ''Geum urbanum'', also known as wood avens, herb Bennet, colewort, clove root and St. Benedict's herb (Latin: ''herba benedicta''), is a perennial plant in the rose family (Rosaceae), which grows in shady places (such as woodland edges and near ...

'') * Herb-robert (''

Geranium robertianum ''Geranium robertianum'', commonly known as herb-robert or, in North America, as Robert's geranium, is a species of cranesbill that is widespread throughout the northern hemisphere and introduced to some countries in the southern. It is common i ...

'') * Hogweed (''

Heracleum sphondylium ''Heracleum sphondylium'', commonly known as hogweed or common hogweed, is a herbaceous perennial plant in the carrot family Apiaceae, which includes fennel, cow parsley, ground elder and Heracleum mantegazzianum, giant hogweed. It is native to m ...

'') * Holly (''

Ilex aquifolium ''Ilex aquifolium'', the holly, common holly, English holly, European holly, or occasionally Christmas holly, is a species of flowering plant in the family Aquifoliaceae, native to western and southern Europe, northwest Africa, and southwest As ...

'') * Honeysuckle (''

Lonicera periclymenum ''Lonicera periclymenum'', common names honeysuckle, common honeysuckle, European honeysuckle, or woodbine, is a species of flowering plant in the family Caprifoliaceae native to much of Europe, North Africa, Turkey and the Caucasus. It is foun ...

'') * Ivy (''

Hedera helix ''Hedera helix'', the common ivy, European ivy, King's Choice ivy, or just ivy, is a species of flowering plant in the family Araliaceae. It is native to most of Europe and parts of western Asia. Ivy is a clinging evergreen vine that grows on t ...

'') * Japanese knotweed (''

Reynoutria japonica ''Reynoutria japonica'', synonyms ''Fallopia japonica'' and ''Polygonum cuspidatum'', is a species of herbaceous perennial plant in the knotweed and buckwheat family Polygonaceae. Common names include Japanese knotweed and Asian knotweed. It is ...

'') * Knotgrass agg. (''

Polygonum aviculare ''Polygonum aviculare'' or common knotgrass is a plant related to buckwheat and dock. It is also called prostrate knotweed, birdweed, pigweed and lowgrass. It is an annual found in fields and wasteland, with white flowers from June to October. I ...

'') * Lady fern (''

Athyrium filix-femina ''Athyrium filix-femina'', the lady fern or common lady-fern, is a large, feathery species of fern native to temperate Asia, Europe, North Africa, Canada and the US. It is often abundant (one of the more common ferns) in damp, shady woodland envi ...

'') * Large leaved lime (''

Tilia platyphyllos ''Tilia platyphyllos'', the large-leaved lime or large-leaved linden, is a species of flowering plant in the family (biology), family Malvaceae (Tiliaceae). It is a deciduous tree, native plant, native to much of continental Europe as well as sou ...

'') * Lords and ladies (''

'') * Lesser burdock (''

Arctium minus ''Arctium minus'', commonly known as lesser burdock, little burdock, louse-bur, common burdock, button-bur, cuckoo-button, or wild rhubarb, is a biennial plant native to Europe. Description ''Arctium minus'' is a biennial plant growing up to ...

'') * Male fern (''

Dryopteris filix-mas ''Dryopteris filix-mas'', the male fern, is a common fern of the temperateness, temperate Northern Hemisphere, native plant, native to much of Europe, Asia, and North America. It favours damp shaded areas in the understory of woodlands, but also ...

'') * Native bluebells (''

'') *

New Zealand flax New Zealand flax describes the common New Zealand perennial plants ''Phormium tenax'' and '' Phormium colensoi'', known by the Māori names ''harakeke'' and ''wharariki'' respectively. Although given the common name 'flax' they are quite disti ...

(''

Phormium ''Phormium'' is a genus of two plant species in the family Asphodelaceae. One species is endemic to New Zealand and the other is native to New Zealand and Norfolk Island. The two species are widely known in New Zealand as flax or their Māori l ...

'' 'Evening Glow') * Moss (''

Mnium hornum ''Mnium hornum'', also known by the common names horn calcareous moss or swan's-neck thyme-moss, is a species of moss in the genus '' Mnium''. Description The upright stems of swan's-neck thyme-moss are 2 to 4 cm tall. Leaves are 4mm to ...

'') * Nipplewort (''

Lapsana communis ''Lapsana communis'', the common nipplewort, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to Europe and southwestern Asia, and it is widely naturalized in other regions including North America. Description ''Lapsana co ...

'') * Pendulous sedge (''

Carex pendula ''Carex pendula'' (pendulous sedge, also known as hanging, drooping or weeping sedge) is a large sedge of the genus ''Carex''. It occurs in woodland, scrubland, hedges and beside streams, preferring damp, heavy clay soils. It is sometimes grown ...

'') * Prickly sow-thistle (''

Sonchus asper ''Sonchus asper'', the prickly sow-thistle, rough milk thistle, spiny sowthistle, sharp-fringed sow thistle, or spiny-leaved sow thistle, is a widespread flowering plant in the tribe Cichorieae within the family Asteraceae. Description ''Sonchus ...

'') * Pussy willow (''

Salix discolor ''Salix discolor'', the American pussy willow or glaucous willow, is a species of willow native to North America, one of two species commonly called pussy willow. It is native to the vast reaches of Alaska as well as the northern forests and we ...

'') * Red campion (''

Silene dioica ''Silene dioica'' (synonym (taxonomy), syn. ''Melandrium rubrum''), known as red campion and red catchfly, is a herbaceous flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae, native to Europe and introduced to the Americas. Description It is a biennia ...

'') * Rose (''

Rosa Rosa or De Rosa may refer to: Plants and animals * ''Rosa'' (plant), the genus of roses * Rosa (sea otter), a sea otter that has become popular on the internet * Rosa (cow), a Spanish-born cow People * Rosa (given name) * Rosa (surname) * San ...

'' sp.) * Rush (''

Juncus ''Juncus'' is a genus of monocotyledonous flowering plants, commonly known as rushes. It is the largest genus in the family Juncaceae, containing around 300 species. Description Rushes of the genus ''Juncus'' are herbaceous plants that superfici ...

'' sp.) * Sedge (''

'') * Sessile oak (''

Quercus petraea ''Quercus petraea'', commonly known as the sessile oak, Welsh oak, Cornish oak, Irish oak or durmast oak, is a species of oak tree native to most of Europe and into Anatolia and Iran. The sessile oak is the national tree of Ireland, and an un ...

'') * Self heal (''

Prunella vulgaris ''Prunella vulgaris'', the common self-heal, heal-all, woundwort, heart-of-the-earth, carpenter's herb, brownwort or blue curls, is a herbaceous plant in the mint family Lamiaceae. Description ''Prunella vulgaris'' grows high, with creeping, s ...

'') * Smooth sow-thistle (''

Sonchus oleraceus ''Sonchus oleraceus'' is a species of flowering plant in the tribe Cichorieae of the family Asteraceae, native species, native to Europe and Western Asia. It has many common names including common sowthistle, sow thistle, smooth sow thistle, annu ...

'') * Snowberry (''

Symphoricarpos albus ''Symphoricarpos albus'' is a species of flowering plant in the honeysuckle family known by the common name common snowberry. Native to North America, it is browsed by some animals and planted for ornamental and ecological purposes, but is pois ...

'') * Snowdrop (''

Leucojum aestivum ''Leucojum aestivum'', commonly called the summer snowflake, giant snowflake, Loddon lily (see ) and rarely snowbell and dewdrop among others, is a plant species widely cultivated as an ornamental. It is native to most of Europe from Spain and I ...

'') * Soft shield-fern (''

Polystichum setiferum ''Polystichum setiferum'', or the soft shield fern, is an evergreen or semi-evergreen fern native to southern and western Europe. The stalks and most midribs are coated with cinnamon-brown scales. The Latin specific epithet ''setiferum'' means "w ...

'') * Spindle (''

Euonymus europaeus ''Euonymus europaeus'', the spindle, European spindle, or common spindle, is a species of flowering plant in the family Celastraceae, native to much of Europe, where it inhabits the edges of forest, hedges and gentle slopes, tending to thrive on ...

'') * Sycamore tarspot (''

Rhytisma acerinum ''Rhytisma acerinum'' is a plant pathogen that commonly affects sycamores and maples in late summer and autumn, causing tar spot. Tar spot does not usually have an adverse effect on the trees' long-term health. ''R. acerinum'' is an Ascomycete fu ...

'') * Tutsan ('' Hypericum androsaemum'') * Water figwort (''

Scrophularia auriculata ''Scrophularia auriculata'', the shoreline figwort or water figwort, is a perennial plant of the genus Scrophularia in the family Scrophulariaceae. It is found commonly in Western Europe and North Africa, on the margins of rivers, ponds and simil ...

'') * Water starwort ('' Callitriche stagnalis s.l.'') * Wavy bitter-cress (''Cardamine flexuosa'') * Weeping crack-willow (''Salix × pendulina'', a hybrid of ''Salix babylonica'', with the male parent uncertain, likely either ''

'' or Salix euxina, ''S. euxina'', but perhaps Salix pentandra, ''S. pentandra'') * Welsh poppy (''Papaver cambricum'') * Wild angelica (''Angelica sylvestris'') * Wilson's honeysuckle (''Lonicera nitida'') * Willowherb (''Epilobium'') * Wood anemone (''Anemone nemorosa'') * Wood avens (''

'') * Wood dock (''Rumex'') * Wood forget-me-not (''

'') Fungi * Artist fungus (''Ganoderma applanatum'') * Angel wings (''Pleurocybella'') * Beech bracket (''Trametes gibbosa'') * Bracket, tinder polypore (''Fomes fomentarius'') * Candle-snuff (''Xylaria'') * Common ink cap (''Coprinopsis atramentaria'') * Coral bracket, smoky polypore (''Bjerkandera adusta'') * Coral spot fungus (''Nectria cinnabarina'') * Cramp balls, Alfred cakes (''Daldinia concentrica'') * Giant flame cap (''Gymnopilus junonius'') * Jew's ear, jelly ear (''Auricularia auricula-judae'') * Pleurocybella porrigens (''Pleurocybella porrigens'') * Puff ball (''Lycoperdon echinatum'') * Red cap (''Amanita muscaria'') * Shaggy ink cap (''Coprinus comatus'') * The wood ear mushroom (''Auricularia auricula'') * Turkey tail (''Trametes versicolor'') * Velvet shanks (''Flammulina valutipes'') * Wood blewit (''Lepista'') * Yellow brain fungus (''Tremella mesenterica'')

Facilities

The local primary school children, Ore Church Mice and child minding groups in the woodland's vicinity use the woodland as a learning and recreational resource. In addition, local groups including Ore Trails give guided walks.

Access

There is a map and numbered trail from the entrance at Ore Village Green. There is another entrance at Frederick Road and a further one from Victoria Avenue. By public transport the Village Green Entrance on Old London Rd can be reached by bus from Hastings Railway Station alighting at the Frederick Road bus stop. Buses on route from Hastings Railway Station bus stop also pass near the entrance at Frederick Road. The woodland can also be reached from Ore station, Ore Station on foot.

References

{{Reflist Parks and open spaces in East Sussex Forests and woodlands of East Sussex Hastings