Mid Sussex Times July 16th 1982

July

NEW ENGLAND WOOD, Cuckfield, has now been preserved for all time as a nature reserve by the dedicated work of the Beech Farm Preservation Society, the Cuckfield Society and other residents of the community. One of them, Mr Stan Hallett, who visited the wood regularly throughout 1981, has produced a 54,000 word diary about it, which the Mid Sussex Times is serialising.

Often, as I enter the wood, I reflect on what should be done to encourage birds to nest and have previously commented on some aspects of this. I have recently returned from a visit to ‘Yarna Wood National Nature Reserve’, which was one of the first national nature reserves to be established in Britain and was declared in 1952. It is situated on the eastern margin of Dartmoor National Park.

An interesting experiment was carried out there in 1955 by placing nesting boxes at varying height. The result was that 10 feet was found to be the preferred height for Blue, Coal, Great and Marsh Tits, Pied Flycatcher, Redstart, Nuthatch and Treecreeper, so this information may well prove useful should a decision be made to introduce nesting boxes, though it may not necessarily apply to our wood it could be a starting point.

In the preface to my diary, I made reference to the wood having been known locally, for some years, as Major Waring’s Shoot. I have now learned that Major C. C. Waring, MC, Croix-De Guerre, came to Cuckfield in 1939, lived in London Lane for 35 years, became commanding officer of the first home guard battle training school to be established in this country, at Cuckfield and last month died in Knysna, South Africa at the age of 94.

Now the usage of the wood is to be changed and the public will be made aware of this by signs indicating that the wood is a Nature Reserve. We know that this will be respected by all and that those who generously contributed to the appeal and thus made possible its acquisition will be well pleased.

Major Waring will continue to be remembered in connection with New England Wood as the grave and Memorial to his beloved pal, “dear old Taffy”, his dog, is all always observed when admiring the fine old beech tree which adorns this area and the many interesting logs, liverworts, mosses and lichens which abound in the vicinity.

The grass grows long in the field at the eastern edge of the wood and I am glad for every minute that it remains so for the plants have time to flower, develop and seed, particularly the common spotted orchids which we want to remain plentiful for so many flowers are becoming rare.

Lesser Knapweed, Black Knapweed, or more commonly Hardheads, Centaurea Nigra is growing in and around the hedgerows of the woodland edge with its Lanceolate leaves and brush like flower heads, which, when mixed with an alum mordant, give a pale yellow-green dye.

It has been used medicinally to treat bruises, scabs and wounds. Hedge woundwort, Stachys sylvatica, with stalked heart-shaped, toothed leaves and dark beetroot-purple flowers with white blotches, is also visible.

It is a creeping perennial, hairy and strong smelling. The leaves are used for healing wounds, as they contain a volatile oil, with antiseptic qualities.

DOG ROSE

The clambering bittersweet, or woody nightshade, Solanum dulcamara cannot be missed as the bright purple flowers, in loose clusters, with their petals turning down, contrast with the yellow anthers, which form a pyramidal tube, through which the style protrudes. The plant has a creeping rootstock and the trailing stems climb without their own means of support, depending on other hedge plants to lean against and yet they manage to attain four or five feet in height.

The stalked dark green leaves vary in shape, the lower ones are heart-shaped, whilst the upper ones tend to be spear-shaped. This plant is often erroneously referred to as Deadly Nightshade.

At this time of the year it is always pleasing to see the sweet-scented dog rose, Rosa canina, in the woods and hedges. It is the largest of the British wild roses and an extremely variable species, varying from pink to white. In fact there are over 60 varieties and forms. It looks so beautiful, that the flesh scars received from its broad and sharp hooks on its arching branches, when walking the wood, are soon forgotten.

There are now many insects to be seen and today I watched, as I had on my last visit, the snipe fly, Rhagio tringaria. This is a large fly of the Diptera species (two winged). The males tend to sit downwards, particularly on tree trunks and so are often referred to as "Down Lookers". They dart to and from their positions. There are about 18 British species in the family, mostly slim and with long legs. It is a day flier in wooded districts from May to July.

In proximity to the stream, the moss, Dicranum scoparium spreads itself and has produced many fruiting bodies, being capsules on yellowish stalks, with a reddish base. Mosses are well worth close examination when walking a wood and particularly if a lense is used.

Goose-grass or Cleavers, Galium aparine, with its minute greenish, white flowers, you cannot avoid as it scrambles everywhere, its stems extending to several feet. The whole plant is covered with hooks which attach themselves tenaciously. The fruits too will bristle with hooked spines.

There is never any doubt that they will be carried far and wide. The plant is annual and therefore much dependent on seed distribution for succession.