Darwell Wood

Darwell Wood
Site of Special Scientific Interest

Shown within East Sussex
Area of Search	East Sussex
Grid reference	TQ710202
Coordinates	50°57′22″N 0°26′10″E / 50.956°N 0.436°E / 50.956; 0.436Coordinates: 50°57′22″N 0°26′10″E / 50.956°N 0.436°E / 50.956; 0.436
Interest	Biological
Area	37.6 ha (93 acres)
Notification	1966 (1966)
Natural England website

Darwell Wood is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (biological), since 1966 in the county of East Sussex, England. ^[1]

The site is a broadleaved woodland, with a number of streams flowing into Darwell Reservoir.

Species

Most of the wood is made-up of coppices of hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) with oak (Quercus robur) standards. Under the dense tree canopy, mosses mainly grow with a few patches of bluebells (Hyacinthoides nonscripta),also blackberry (Rubus fruticosus) and wood sorrel (Oxalis acetosella) can be found. On the higher grounds, the woodland becomes a more open, with silver birch (Betula pendula) and hazel (Corylus avellana) and some sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) coppice areas. The ground flora of the woodland has wood sage (Teucrium scorodonia), bracken (Pteridium aquilinum) and sanicle (Sanicula europaea). On the west of the site, calcareous (chalky) soils help support an ash (Fraxinus excelsior) grow. Underplanted by moses, ramsons (Allium ursinum), bee and pyramidal orchids (Ophrys apifera) and (Anacamptis pyramidalis). The streams which pass through the site have eroded deeply into the rock layer to produce steep sided valleys. These valleys have alder (Alnus glutinosa), with local abundances of grey willow (Salix cinerea) above a ground flora of pendulous sedge (Carex pendula), water mint (Mentha aquatica), opposite-leaved golden saxifrage (Chrysosplenium oppositifolium) and ragged robin (Lychnis flos-cuculi).^[1]

References

1 2 "SSSI name: Darwell Wood" (PDF). www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk. 1966. Retrieved 12 November 2013.

Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) in East Sussex, South East England

Arlington Reservoir Asham Quarry Ashburnham Park Ashdown Forest Bingletts Wood Blackhorse Quarry Bream Wood Brede Pit and Cutting Brighton to Newhaven Cliffs Burgh Hill Farm Meadow Buxted Park Castle Hill Chailey Common Clayton to Offham Escarpment Combe Haven Dallington Forest Darwell Wood Ditchling Common Dungeness, Romney Marsh and Rye Bay Eridge Green Eridge Park Firle Escarpment Folkington Reservoir Fore Wood Hastingford Cutting Hastings Cliffs to Pett Beach Heathfield Park Hemingfold Meadow Herstmonceux Park High Rocks High Woods Houghton Green Cliff Kingston Escarpment and Iford Hill Leasam Heronry Wood Lewes Brooks Lewes Downs Lower Dicker Lullington Heath Maplehurst Wood Marline Valley Woods Milton Gate Marsh Northiam Offham Marshes Paines Cross Meadow Park Corner Heath Penn's Rocks Pevensey Levels Plashett Park Wood River Line Rock Wood Rye Harbour Sapperton Meadows Seaford to Beachy Head Southerham Grey Pit Southerham Machine Bottom Pit Southerham Works Pit St. Dunstan's Farm Meadows Stockland Farm Meadows Waldron Cutting Weir Wood Reservoir Willingdon Down Willingford Meadows Wilmington Downs Winchelsea Cutting

List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest by Area of Search

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