Wildlife

The Green provides a mixture of semi-natural and re-colonised man-made habitats including wetland, grassland and wooded areas. Some of the less easily accessible parts of the Green, especially the old clay pits, support rich flora characteristic of unimproved grasslands whilst the hedgerow network surrounding the Green has evidence of being derived from ancient woodlands. The deep clay pits themselves are categorised by Wealden District Council as a Site of Nature Conservation Importance (SNCI).

The Green is good for beetles and supports diverse bird life including the Green Woodpecker featured in our logo. A colony of Marbled White butterflies, Glow worms and Great Crested Newts (below) have all been recorded on the Green.

 

Some of the grassland areas are extremely herb rich and Self-heal, Black Medick and Rough Hawkbit can all to be found. Much of this Flora and Fauna can be observed with only a small diversion off the gently slopped path that winds through the site.

Sympathetic replanting has been carried out on some parts of the Green utilising species traditional found in the Weald. Once these new planted areas become established the Green will again become a tranquil place covering up the scars from its brief industrial phase. As pressure for building space increases in the Southeast it could well become a "Breathing Space" in an otherwise developed area.