Each month we turn our focus upon a different county, highlighting some key ancient tree sites and identifying some other places of general interest for tree-lovers. Other than Woodland Trust properties, admission or parking charges apply for many sites, and as access may be prohibited or limited to certain dates or times, it’s always advisable to check with the site owner or with the local Tourist Information Office before making a visit.

This month we turn our attention to Sussex in the far south of England. Broadly split into two parts, West Sussex and East Sussex, a combination of breathtaking countryside and coastline produces a county of natural beauty and interest. To the south there’s the South Downs AONB - known for its ancient and veteran beech pollards – and to the north there’s the High Weald AONB. This setting has inspired countless writers, poets and painters, including Rudyard Kipling, H G Wells, William Blake, Lord Tennyson, John Keats and John Constable.
 
The city of Chichester is a popular destination for visitors, whether seeking history, arts, culture or just shopping. It has a fine 12th century cathedral and a Georgian shopping centre. Additionally, you’ll find the renowned Festival Theatre, the Pallant House Gallery and the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum, not forgetting the harbour, another designated AONB. If you revel in history, however, then Hastings is the place to head first. The famous battle took place here in 1066 - an event which probably changed the course of English history. Visitors flock to Arundel too. Set by the River Arun between the South Downs and the sea, this picturesque town boasts an imposing Norman castle and an impressive Gothic cathedral. Indeed, you’ll have no problem finding historic castles and houses across Sussex. Fine examples of other castles include Pevensey, Herstmonceux, Lewes, Bramber, Bodiam and Knepp. The county’s historic dwellings include Glynde Place, Firle Place, Fishbourne Palace and Alfriston Clergy House – the first property acquired by the National Trust back in 1896!

There are market towns a-plenty across the county, with narrow cobbled streets, half-timbered houses from the Middle Ages, Norman churches and Georgian dwellings. Horsham is a good example, with some fine medieval and Tudor buildings and a historic tree-lined causeway; Lewes was perhaps the birthplace of English democracy; Midhurst has been voted as the most pleasant town on England in a Country Life poll; Petworth is renowned today as the antique centre of the south; and medieval Rye has a unique collection of old pier slot machines. Throughout the county you’ll also find quaint villages adorned with thatched cottages, village greens and duck-ponds!

The seaside towns along the coast are largely traditional, with popular resorts like Worthing, Eastbourne, Bognor Regis and Littlehampton. Brighton provides the bright lights, with its Royal Pavilion, pier and bars, whilst surfers prefer the waves at West Wittering. Cuckmere Haven, once used by smugglers, now has an award-winning trail, and the remote shingle beach here is a must for bird-watchers. Be sure to check out the magnificent Seven Sisters chalk cliffs, some of which are to be found at a 700-acre country park near Seaford. The coastline runs from the Camber sands in the east round to Chichester harbour to the west, and not surprisingly, boat trips are a popular way of seeing this beautiful coastline.

Other attractions in the county include the Wildfowl and Wetlands Centre in Arundel, King’s Mill at Shipley (used in the TV series Jonathan Creek), the Look & Sea Visitor Centre, Amberley Working Museum, the races at Fontwell and Goodwood, and the bluebell railway.

So, where will we find Sussex’s finest ancient trees, ancient woodland and treescapes? Well, if you want to see some of Britain’s oldest trees, then visit the yew forest at Kingley Vale, a designated NNR. This is one of the finest yew forests in Western Europe. There’s a waymarked nature trail, and you’ll come across 14 scheduled ancient monuments. The largest yews are at the foot of the valley, and you’ll see some weird and wonderful shapes, caused by old-age and by the elements. Some of these are thought to be more than 1,000 years old. Look out for butterflies too – 39 of our 58 breeding butterflies have been recorded here!

Next, take a tour around the county’s estates. Arundel Castle (TQ0108) is the seat of the Duke of Norfolk and is set in 40 acres of grounds and gardens. The castle dates back to the late 11th century. The motte was constructed in 1068, and there’s a medieval keep too. It’s a stately home as well as a castle. It’s been open to visitors for some 200 years and is renowned for its fine collections of paintings and other works of art, including items belonging to Mary, Queen of Scots. Look in the old deer-park for the last remaining ancient trees. Sadly, most were destroyed or badly damaged by the 1987 storm. Ashburnham Place (TQ6915) was home to the Ashburnham family for almost eight centuries. Today, it is owned by Ashburnham Christian Trust, which runs a centre for Bible study and religious training. There are 220 acres of grounds, landscaped in the mid-18th century by Capability Brown and including three large lakes. In the Middle Ages there was a deer-park, and a number of ancient oak pollards are still standing today. This is a designated SSSI, and public access is limited. Open days do, however, provide an opportunity to visit and to see this wonderful parkland. Bignor Park lies at the foot of the South Downs and is open to the public on certain days each year. The land was once used to fatten deer for its owner, the Arundel Estate. In the 19th century a tin-miner, John Hawkins, bought the estate to supplement his home in Cornwall. He built the present house before selling to Lord Mersey. Renovations were made to both the house and the garden during the last century. Don’t miss the cedar summer house made from trees felled by the 1987 storm, and Peter Logan’s Duet of Two Flutes. The county council’s Buchan Park (TQ2434) comprises 170 acres of woodland, heath and meadow, and was once part of the Wealden Forest. Here you’ll find sculptures, all carved from fallen trees. In the Middle Ages trees were cleared for timber and livestock grazing. In Victorian times the park was owned by the Saillard family. Their mansion was eventually turned into a school. Whilst walking across the park, look out for the surviving ancient oak and beech trees. Set in 312 acres of gardens, lakes and parkland, the magnificent Georgian mansion at Buxted Park (TQ4823) was built in 1725 and restored in 1940 following a serious fire. Ironically, it was fire that destroyed the original house in the early 18th century. Fallow deer roam in what was a 12th century deer-park. Renowned for its trees, including avenues of pines and lime trees, many of its oldest trees were destroyed in 1987, but a small number remain standing today. The house is now a country hotel and its grounds are private. Also, in the nearby 13th century church, you’ll find a yew tree dating from the late 12th century.
 
Cowdray Park (SU9022) is a sizeable estate, belonging to Viscount Cowdray. More than a third is woodland, and it’s managed today as a commercial timber enterprise. This was once home to the Montague family. The 16th century mansion burnt down in the late 18th century, and its ruins are preserved today by a charitable trust. The woodland is mainly coniferous but around a quarter is broadleaf high forest, with oak, ash and beech dominant. Sweet chestnut coppice is also evident. As you walk the public footpath, look out for a number of ancient beech pollards. Goodwood House is set within 12,000 acres of wonderful Sussex downland. It was designed by James Wyatt and has been the seat of the Duke of Richmond for over 300 years. The house is renowned for its collections of paintings, porcelain and furniture. The estate is probably best known for its horse racing and motor racing, but it’s also home to the Goodwood Forest. In the 18th century the second and third Dukes planted a substantial number of trees on the estate, and this is still evident today. The former deer-park at East Dean Park (SU8811) is also owned by the Goodwood Estate, and you’ll find both ancient oaks and ancient beech trees here. Eridge Park (TQ5735) is a country estate, which it’s claimed has the oldest enclosed deer-park in England, being mentioned in the Domesday book. William the Conqueror’s brother was its owner at the time. Since the mid-15th century the Nevill family has lived here, and they’ve acted as hosts to royal visitors including Henry Vlll and Elizabeth l. Eridge Castle was built in the 18th century, along with a number of follies. It was demolished, however, in the late 1930s, and a neo-Georgian mansion was built, where the Marquess of Abergavenny lives. The 3,000-acre parkland straddles the borders of Sussex and Kent, and incorporates lakes, caves, woodland and farmland. There are over 1,000 acres of woodland including both open parkland and ancient woodland, the latter located on the site of an iron age hillfort called Saxonbury Hill. There’s a good number of ancient trees here, with beech most notable.
 
The estate at Knepp Castle (TQ1521) covers some 3,500 acres. Most of it has been devoted to farming over the centuries, but there are significant amounts of woodland here. The original castle was built on land given by William the Conqueror to the de Braose family after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Built as a defensive fortification, it became a hunting venue for the surrounding deer-park. In the 16th century the deer-park was abandoned, and the site was used for a furnace for the iron industry. It’s been owned by the Burrell family now for over 200 years. The present castle was built by architect John Nash for Sir Charles Burrell in 1812. The Repton parkland, pleasure grounds and gardens were further developed in the 19th and 20th centuries. Keep a sharp eye open for fallow deer and for the remaining ancient oaks. Parham House (TQ0615) is a 16th century Elizabethan manor house, which was listed in the top 10 of Simon Jenkins’s ‘England’s Thousand Best Houses’. It’s famed for its long gallery and its collections of portraits, needlework and furniture. The surrounding 875-acre estate includes 18th century pleasure gardens, a walled garden and 300 acres of deer-park. It’s thought that there might have been a deer-park here in the Middle Ages. The fallow deer you see today are apparently direct descendants of the original herd, first recorded in 1628. Look in the parkland for some fine ancient oak trees. Sedgewick Park House stands on the site of an old Norman castle. The estate comprises some 100 acres of parkland, woodland and meadows. The first house was built in the early 17th century. The current house was completed in 1886, and Harold Peto was responsible for the formal gardens. The estate has changed hands many times, and Alice Liddel – Lewis Carroll’s inspiration for Alice - honeymooned here.

Now, the National Trust is always a good place to look for ancient trees, and of course it cares for large areas of the South Downs, as well as historic properties. Petworth House (SU9721) is an impressive 17th country house, surrounded by 700 acres of beautiful parkland. It incorporated a deer-park in the Middle Ages and was later landscaped by Capability Brown. This lovely setting was used by Turner in his paintings, and fittingly the house contains one of the NT’s largest collections of pictures. Visit the pleasure grounds in spring for a delightful display of bulbs, and be sure to search out the excellent variety of ancient and veteran trees – oak, sweet chestnut, beech, lime, horse chestnut and sycamore, plus a solitary field maple. Nymans (TQ2629) is one of the great Sussex Weald gardens. Home to the Messel family, the estate includes a historic garden, a pinetum and woodland, where you can enjoy some super walks. Look for the small number of very old oaks which survive here today. Sheffield Park (TQ4124) is a famous landscape garden with four lakes. Once again Capability Brown was responsible for a re-design in the 18th century, and owner Arthur G. Soames developed it further in the early 20th century. Visit in spring for a great display of daffodils and bluebells, or in the autumn for an incredible array of colour from the wide variety of trees and shrubs, some of which are unusual or rare. Look out for a number of ancient sweet chestnut trees, quite possibly a legacy from the 15th century deer-park which used to be here. Uppark (SU7717) is a late 17th century house, set high on the South Downs, with views out to the sea. H.G. Wells’ mother was once housekeeper here, and the servants’ quarters are kept as they were in those Victorian days. The garden is in the early 19th century picturesque style, in a picture-book downland and woodland setting.

You’ll find a number of ancient oak and ash pollards on the wood pasture at Ashcombe Bottom (TQ3711). Harting Down (SU7918) was common wood pasture too, and here you’ll see a small number of surviving ancient beech, yew, oak and ash trees. It’s also a good place for downland flora. Similarly, the common land at Black Down (SU9230) still has a few remaining ancient beech trees. The Slindon Estate (SU9608) near Bognor Regis is home to some fine 17th century flint cottages. It also includes small areas of ancient woodland and wood pasture. Keep an eye open for the ancient beech trees, typically pollarded, which can be found here. Wakehurst Place (TQ3331) is an Elizabethan mansion with a 500-acre garden, administered by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The Millennium Seed Bank is housed here. The grounds include walled gardens, wetland, lakes, ponds and woodland. Standen (TQ3835) is where Philip Webb, friend of William Morris, designed a house to be a showpiece for the Arts and Crafts Movement. The gardens provide far-reaching views over the surrounding High Weald AONB countryside, and the woodland here lends itself to a pleasant stroll. Bateman’s (TQ6723) is a lovely 17th century house, where Rudyard Kipling lived in the early 20th century. The grounds run down to the River Dudwell and a watermill. There are some fine trees here, and you may picnic in the copse by the car-park. The 14th century Bodiam Castle (TQ7825) provides some fine views across the Rother Valley from its towers, whilst the grounds provide some lovely walks.

Let’s turn next to the Sussex Wildlife Trust and highlight a number of its finest woodland reserves. The pick is the beech forest at Ebernoe Common (SU9727). Around half of this huge site is ancient woodland, and it’s designated a SSSI and a NNR. You’ll find wood pasture, meadows, streams and ponds here. Some farmland is now being converted back to woodland. Watch out in particular for around two dozen ancient beech pollards. Beech, oak and holly are prevalent here, with some yew. It’s a fine location to hear nightingales and to see adders-tongue ferns, devil’s bit scabious and purple emperor butterflies. Of the 16 species of British bat 13 have been recorded here, including barbastelle and Beckstein. West Dean Woods (SU8415) is another SSSI, accessed only by permit. You’ll see oak standards here amongst the hazel coppice, and if you time your visit, the large display of wild daffodils at the northern end is just wonderful. The Mens (TQ0223) is an expansive area of wild, ancient woodland in the Low Weald. It’s easy to get lost in this vast site, so take care! Look for meadow flowers in the spring and fungi in the autumn. Woods Mill (TQ2113) provides a lovely combination of woodland and water, including reedbeds and a lake. It’s a great place for dragonflies and warblers. Withdean Woods (TQ2907) is a designated LNR, located on a hillside not far from the centre of Brighton. Selwyns Wood (TQ5520) comprises mixed woodland with grassy glades and heathland. Visit in late spring for bluebells and listen out for cuckoos. For something a little different, try Eridge Rocks (TQ5535), an imposing sandstone outcrop amid mixed woodland. Gillham Wood (TQ7106) is a good example of urban woodland. Mainly oak, this small site is good for fungi, including parasitic bolete. Powdermill Wood (TQ7314) is mainly alder carr woodland and has ancient origins. Easily visible from the nature trail, the swamp is a good place to see marsh marigolds, tussock sedge and golden saxifrage. The wooded Marline Valley (TQ7812) is a super location, comprising woodland, meadows, pond and scrub, above a gill stream. Look for hornbeam coppice, primroses, orchids and wasp spiders. Flatropers Wood (TQ8623) combines woodland, with heath and streams. You might spot a palmate newt, and wood club-rush and tiger beetles are also found. Lastly, there’s some splendid ancient oak woodland at Hundredhouse Copse, part of the Binsted Woods complex. Please note, however, that this wood is not open to the public.

The Woodland Trust similarly manages some fine Sussex locations. Lake Wood (TQ4621) was once part of the Rock House Estate. The ancient woodland was included in work carried out by landscape gardeners in the 19th century, and consequently azaleas and rhododendrons are now prevalent. Exotic tree species are also evident, especially near the lake, and muntjac and fallow deer still roam the woods, which consist mainly of mixed coppice (birch, hornbeam and hazel). Views Wood (TQ4822) stands adjacent to Buxted Park. Also known as The Williams Wood after a generous benefactor, the woodland here is mainly sweet chestnut but look too for spindle and guelder rose. Kiln Wood (TQ5220) is fine, mature oak woodland, with an area of rough pasture. In 1699 it was part of an estate called Brownings, and by 1843 it was shown on the Tithe Map as coppice. Look in the western section for wild service trees and midland hawthorns, and throughout for wooden sculptures, created from trees blown down in the 1987 storm. The ancient woodland at Bewl Water Woods (TQ6532 & TQ6633) stands on the western banks of a reservoir within the High Weald AONB. It’s well worth combining a walk around the reservoir with a visit to the three woods here. Pig Wood is mixed woodland with larch in the southern section and birch, hazel and alder coppice dominant in the northern section. You’ll also find some oak, ash and cherry standards. The woodland at Combewell Wood and Frogwell Wood consists mainly of sweet chestnut coppice. Guestling Wood (TQ8614) is also sweet chestnut coppice located within the High Weald AONB. Records of this ancient woodland, once part of the Ashburnham Estate, date back to the Norman Conquest. Mature oak and ash were felled in the past for local industries, including shipbuilding. Visit in spring for a carpet of bluebells and wood anemone. Look too for bugle, yellow archangel and common centaury. The strange pits in the wood are believed to have been dug during World War II, although their purpose is not clear. Locals say that it was connected to work by a resistance movement preparing for an invasion! Other Woodland Trust woods of interest within the High Weald AONB include a large area of woodland at Hargate Forest (TQ5737); the ancient semi-natural woodland at William’s Wood (TQ2426), Old Lodge Warren (TQ5431), Brock Wood (TN6425) and Rushlye Wood (TQ6036); and the woods at Church Covert (TQ2527), Little Foxes Copse (TQ5426) and Springfield Wood (TQ7424). In the South Downs AONB, there’s Butcher’s Wood Hassocks (TQ3014), and elsewhere in the county there’s designated ancient semi-natural woodland at Costell’s Wood (TQ3623), Beechland Mill Wood (TQ4120) and Moat Wood (TQ5115).

Finally, here’s a few more treescapes which you might like to visit: the bluebell woodland at Blunts Wood, a designated LNR; the award-winning Borde Hill Garden including champion trees and woodland gardens; the woodland and water gardens at High Beeches Gardens; the very old pedunculate oak and the specimen trees at Hobbs Barton in Framfield; Forest Enterprise’s beech woodland at Eartham Wood; the beech woodland at Friston Forest also managed by Forest Enterprise; the splendid municipal Horsham Park; the 100 acres of ancient woodland at Leechpool and Owlbeech Woods near Horsham; the woodland walks at Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens; the award-winning Pashley Manor Gardens with its fine old trees; the woodland at Shalford House in Kingsley Green; the ancient oaks at Warnham Nature Reserve, a 92-acre site of woodland, meadows and marshes; and Wilderness Wood in Hadlow Down with its trails and exhibitions.

If you know of other ancient trees in Sussex or if you wish to suggest a site for inclusion in next month’s article, Focus on Warwickshire, we’d love to hear from you! Please e-mail us, providing as much information as possible and preferably including an Ordnance Survey map reference. We’re also very keen to build up a library of photographs of ancient trees and ancient tree sites. Can you help? If you’re willing to share your treescapes and tree portraits, please e-mail them to us, remembering to provide location details for each photo, with an Ordnance Survey map reference if possible. We’d love to include them in a future article!