Yesterday on Harting Down, there were beautiful skies; the sun with showers forecast turned out to be mostly sunny. The sky was deep blue, and the sun’s beams lit up the gold, yellow, green and red colours of the autumn leaves.
The bostal path up to Harting Down
Probably Quercus faginea, Portuguese Oak; a non-native introduction to a small estate on the escarpment south of South Harting.
On/From the South Harting SSSI summit/plateau
De Stijl Neo-Plasticism. South of South Harting. Green diagonal stripes: Ivy growing up dying Ash. White diagonal stripes: Old Man’s Beard growing up Hawthorn.
This is the follow up to my post of 28.10.25 Large-leaved Lime and Wych Elm at Casey’s Copse and Rook Clift, nr. South Harting, West Sussex. Part I Today I visited the group of Large-Leaved Limes at Rook Clift at SU821182 that I didn’t have time to visit on 28.10.25; listed in the Sussex Rare Plant Register as ca. 80-100 stool and maidens, at SU 822183, in agreement with Rose’s 1991 enumeration. They are to the east of the main path. But it is necessary to walk nearly to the the top of the main path, then walk east then north above the main path. There is a large ditch with a very steep slope between the main path and where the cluster of Large-leaved Limes are.
The pin shows the location of the cluster.
I could not find anywhere near 80-100 Large-Leave Limes; I found far less. There may have been much change since they were first recorded, or may be I didn’t see the extent of the stand
It is worth quoting all of what Francis Rose says of Large-leaved Lime in The Habitats and Vegetation of Sussex (1991) Booth Museum of Natural History, Borough of Brighton
Tilia platyphyllos is now known to occur in at least 16 separate populations along the lower part of the escarpment of the western South Downs, from the Hampshire border (where one ancient tree exists on the actual bank of the ancient county boundary at the Miscombe) east to Springhead Hill southwest of Storrington (TQ 070127), in ten tetrads. It occurs always in ancient, former coppice woodlands, within ancient boundary banks along the lower part of the scarp, never in the (often quite mature) secondary woodland on what was former opensheepwalk. Most of the trees are ancient coppice stools, though on a few sites, what look like ancient pollards occur. Dr Donald Pigott, the authority on Tilia, has visited several of the populations with me, and says that the trees have the characters of the native form of T. platyphyllos, and some of the huge stools may be upwards of 1000 years old. Tilia cordata appears to be absent from the Sussex Chalk scarp in natural situations (though it does occur further west on the Hampshire Chalk).
The best locality so far discovered for T. platyphyllos is at Rook Clift, south of Treyford (SU 822183) where between 50 and 80 trees occur in an almost pure stand, alongside Wych Elm (Ulmus glabra), Field Maple (Acer campestre), Hazel (Corylus avellana) and Whitebeam (Sorbus aria). There is little Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) and Beech and Yew are rare and marginal. This type of Tilia-Ulmus-Acer-Corylus woodland was possibly the dominant tree cover of the South Downs escarpment and of other Chalk scarps in southern England in early, perhaps pre-Neolithic times, though then of course, as high forest not coppice; pollen evidence strongly suggests that the present abundance of Beech is comparatively recent and much of it on the Chalk scarps today may derive from earlier plantings.
Whilst there was little Ash, Beech and Yew within the stand of Long-leaved Lime, Wych Elm, Field Maple; there is much Ash, Beech and Yew within the wider area of Rook Clift. I saw no Whitebeam within the stand. From my experience there is little Whitebeam in the lower parts of ancient scarp-face woodland; it is now mostly towards the top of scarp-face woodland and as isolated trees or small groups on the short-grass pasture on the summit areas of the west South downs.
I have visited Casey’s Copse and Rook Clift several times this year; in the Spring, the Summer and now the Autumn. Theses sites were new discoveries for me this year. They will join my list of favourite sites in Sussex, that I love so much, I visit them every season every hear e.g. The Mens, Ebernoe Common, Eridge Rocks, Eridge Park, Newtimber Holt. I first visited Casey’s Copse with a friend who knew the site.
I reached these woods by bus and train. I get the train to Chichester and then the 54 bus to South Harting. The South Harting bus only goes 5 times a day; so careful planning is needed! It is about an hour walk from South Harting to the bottom of Rooks Clift; I walk along the footpaths and trackways along the flat arable fields of the scarp foot (from road just before Knightsfield). It is possible to reach Rooks Clift along he South Downs Way, but that takes about three hours as the walk is extremely undulating. The 54 bus will drop you off where the B2141 crosses the South Downs Way; whilst it is not an official stop most drivers will drop you off there.
These sites are west South Downs escarpment ancient woodland. Some of these western scarp wood appear to be very old, possibly primary, from such evidence is available. South-East of East Harting ancient woodland (with Ash, Wych Elm and Large Leaved Lime …) occur. Francis Rose (1995) The Habitats and Vegetation of Sussex. The Booth Museum of Natural History, Brighton Borough Council p.9
Rose’s comment that these scarp woods are possibly primary, suggested that this woodland may have been part of the “wildwood” that covered the Downs until the dip slope woods were cleared for sheep farming, from the neolithic (ca. 5000-4000 BCE) onwards. see: Peter Brandon (1998) The South Downs
Until the late 1980s Large-leaved Lime was regarded as introduced in Sussex, but is now thought by Francis Rose and others to be native on the downland scarp in West Sussex. … Since 1987, when coppiced T. platyphyllos stools were discovered at Springhead as detailed in Briggs (1990), around 30 sites have been found on the scarp in Hampshire and W. Sussex. Most trees are within ancient copses surrounded by wood banks towards the foot of the scarp. Some border old tracks and a number perch upon ancient parish boundaries. The Sussex Rare Plant Register of Scarce & Threatened Vascular Plants, Charophytes, Bryophytes and Lichens (2001) Mary Briggs, Paul Harmes and Alan Knapp et. al pp. 100-101 Available on line Sussex Botanical Recording Society
List of native Large-Leaved Limes from the Sussex Rare Plant Register:
Casey’s Copse is within the Harting Down SSSI; Rook Clift is its own SSSI, just to the east of Harting Down SSSI near Treyford
The SSSI citation for Harting Down does not mention the presence of Large-Leaved Lime; but the citation was last revised in 1980; 45 years ago. Many SSSI specifications are very old now, and don’t represent current knowledge of sites. The Rooks Clift citation is much more accurate, and is more recent (1997); although it misses out the huge amount of Solomon’s Seal on the slopes of the stream valley.
From South Harting SSSI specification: Longer-established woodland occurs throughout the site, with a varied composition according to soil type and aspect. Beech Fagus sylvatica is common and becomes dominant on the scarp-face and valley sides. Oak Quercus robur and ash occur with yew on the deeper valley loams. The ground flora is quite sparse beneath the densest canopies, but elsewhere includes bramble Rubus fruticosus, ivy Hedera helix, dog’s mercury Mercurialis perennis and false-brome Brachypodium sylvaticum.
From the Rook Clift SSSI specificationRook Clift is a small wooded combe on the scarp slope of the South Downs. The soils are predominantly calcareous in nature, overlying the chalk of the Downs. Deeper soils occur at the foot of the slope, and also the course of a stream, arising within the wood. This site is an ancient woodland which remains in a semi-natural condition. Large leaved lime Tilia platyphyllos dominates the canopy, together with ash Fraxinus excelsior and some beech Fagus sylvatica. Large leaved lime is a nationally scarce tree, with its natural range concentrated on the limestones of the Wye Valley and Peak District. Thus the high concentration of mature coppice stools, occurring on chalk, make this site nationally important and unique within West Sussex and the South Downs Natural Area. The canopy of large leaved lime, together with some beech casts a heavy shade, and as a result the shrub layer is poorly developed with scattered whitebeam Sorbus aria and yewTaxus baccata.
The field layer is dominated by vernal species such as ramsons Allium ursinum and bluebell Endymion non-scripta, or shade tolerant species including dog’s mercury Mercurialis perennis, spurge laurel Daphne laureola and sanicle Sanicula europaea. The steep sided valley around the steam is more open with a canopy dominated by ash and wych elm Ulmus glabra. Here the field and ground layers are more developed with stands of hart’s tongue fern Phyllitis scolopendrium and soft shield fern Polystichum setiferum abundant, and opposite-leaved golden-saxifrage Chrysosplenium oppositifolium common along the stream side.
Both Casey’s Copse and Rooks Clift are designated by Nature England as ancient and semi-natural woodland. Looking at the Nature England ancient woodlands maps, it is clear that ancient woodland on the South Downs is mostly confined to the escarpments. There is much woodland in the Harting Down SSSI, but the dip slope woodland is not ancient.
Looking up to the scape-slope woodland before reaching Casey’s Copse, green-orange Beech and dark green Yew stand out from the dying Ash.
Casey’s Copse
The boundary bank at the scarp foot of mostly coppiced Ash. Scarp foot coppiced Ash seems to be less effected by Ash dieback than the maidens on the scarp slopes. Features like this tell us that most ancient woodland included much human intervention
Some of the coppiced Large-Leaved Limes:
Looking through dead/dying Ash maidens toward Beech:
Coppiced lime with a maiden Ash next to it
Looking though Soft Shield Fern at Beech
A Fox Skull next to a Long-leaved Lime leaf. In English folklore Long-Leaved Limes are associated with love, fertility, and justice. I hope the fox had lots of cubs!
A seemingly very ancient coppiced Long-Leaved Lime
Some of the lichens on this lime: Pertusaria leioplaca, Graphis scripta s.l. (Writing Lichen); Pertusaria pertusa (Pepper Pot Witing). All of these are common on smooth-barked trees like Beech, Sweet Chestnut and Lime
Walking along a hollow-way trackway at the foot of the downs, on gault clay. Trees: Hawthorn, Field Maple, Hazel
Hedgerow, from when the hollow-way ends.
One of a flock of about eight Yellow Hammers in the hedgerow
Path to the base of the bostal up Rooks Clift
Coppiced Ash along the path
Rooks Clift
Trackway up the north side pf the clift (variant of cleft, geographical: meaning a fissure or break)
Beech on the edge of the steep slope into the valley (clift) formed by a stream fed by a chalk spring
Yew
Soft Shield Fern
Beech
False Brome
Dogs Mercury
Fungus (probably Armillaira sp.) in the process of deliquescing
Going down the south side of the clift
Solomon’s Seal – extremely abundant
At this point if I had turned south and walked on I would have come to the grove of ca. 80 Long-Leaved Limes; but if I had done that I would have had to have walked back to South Harting as it got dark; that did not feel safe, so I am returning to Rook Clift on Saturday – watch out for Part II of this post!!!
Wych Elm
young Wych Elm tree (leaves to left; leaves on right, Hazel))
View from the south side f Rooks Clift to the north side: Beech and dying Ash
Hazel
Sunken trackway bedside the path on south side of clift
full of Harts-tongue Fern; extremely abundant, as in many South Downs hanger woods
Bank of sunken trackway with coppiced Beech
Back to the scarp foot path
White Poplar
Getting dark – back along the hedged trackway
Getting darker -past a field of Sunflowers
Terrible photo of a Raven at dusk
For most of the afternoon I had heard Ravens kwaaking overhead; it gave Rooks Clift a more Poe-like Ravens Clift feel!
Newtimber Holt is a small but very biological interesting area of ancient woodland on Newtimber Hill. It is owned by the National Trust and managed by Saddlescombe Farm. It is probably the most interesting chalk scarp face ancient wood along the eastern South Downs. It is easily reachable by Stagecoach bus 17 stops Newtimber, Redhouse Farm or Newtimber, Beggar’s Lane Stagecoach 17 Timetable
When we think of ancient woodland, many people may think about our Temperate Rain Forest (Atlantic Woodland) in northwest Scotland, north Wales of the West Country. Or we may think of our nationally famous medieval royal deer parks, e.g. the New Forest, Hatfield Forest, or Windsor Great Park (pasture woodland).
Or if we’re in Sussex, we may think of our High Weald ancient Ghyll Woods, which have microclimates similar to Atlantic woodland; or Sussex’s medieval deer parks (pasture woodland) e.g. Parham Park, or the (very rare) chalk dry valley woods, e.g., East Dean Park Wood (itself once a Medieval deer park) or the very rare dip slope ancient woodland of Pad’s Wood. Or perhaps we may think the numerous small ancient woods, some tiny, relict stands, of the Sussex Low Weald; although much ancient woodland in the Low Weald has been lost to development, especially new housing, especially in the Brighton to Crawley corridor of Hassocks, Burgess Hill and Haywards Heath.
The ancient woodland of the scarp slopes of the South Downs relicts of the former wider woodland that covered the South Downs, which was cleared and then grazed by sheep in the distant past, are probably least known ancient woodland in the UK. When we think of the Down’s we think of its historic sheep gazed short calcareous grassland that supports rare vascular plants and invertebrates; it is biologically magnificent and of national ecological importance, and itself rare now that business arable and pastoral farming has taken so much of the short grassland. But “23% of the South Downs National Park is covered by woodland, [but only half of this [11.5%] has been there for over 400 years [ancient woodland]. “Trees of the South Downs
Only 4% of the South Downs is calcareous short grassland; almost exactly the same percentage as when the national park came into being. When we think of the South Downs we think of rolling hills of short calcareous grassland; but very little of it is that; most of it is farmed arable land, and 23% is woodland (with only half of that being ancient woodland).
It is important to separate ancient woodland from ancient trees. Woodland classed as Ancient Semi-Natural Woodland, which are mainly made up of trees and other vascular plants native to the site, that have constantly regenerated for over 500 years, some have very few or no ancient trees; they are just areas that have been wooded continuously since at least 1600. Very few trees in ancient woodland are themselves ancient; although some might be.
Many notable, veteran, and ancient trees can be found not in ancient woods but in pasture, former deer parks or hedges. For example, many of the most ancient Pendunculate Oaks, Quercus robur, of the Low Weald are in grazing pasture, probably relicts of former woodland that was cleared for pasture and left for shelter for livestock, or planted as field, parish or other boundaries in hedgerows
At Newtimber Holt there are some magnificent ancient trees in ancient Woodland
This post attempts to refocus our attention on the ancient woodland of the scarp faces of the South Downs. There are areas of ancient woodland on the dip slopes of South Downs in West Sussex; but most of these are replanted ancient woodland, replanted with conifers or Sweet Chestnut. There are a few notable exceptions, such as Pads Wood (private), which is still ancient and semi-natural woodland.
Ancient Woodland Indicator Vascular Plants at Newtimber Halt
Ancient Woodland Indicator Vascular Plants are listed in Francis Rose Indicators of ancient woodland – the use of vascular plants in evaluating ancient woods for nature conservation, British Wildlife 10.4 April 1999
Acer campestre Field Maple
Allium ursinum Ramsons
Asplenium scolopendrium Hart’s-tongue Fern
Hyacinthoides non-scripta Bluebell
Ilex aquifolium European Holly
Lamium galeobdolon Yellow Archangel
Melica uniflora Wood Melick
Mercurialis perennis Dog’s Mercury
Polystichum setiferum Soft Shield Fern
Sanicula europaea Sanicle
Ulmus glabra Wych Elm
Veronica montana Wood Speedwell
Other vascular plants
Fragaria vesca Wild Strawberry
Primula veris Cowslip
Rosa canina Dog-Rose
Silene dioica Red Campion
Cardamine flexuosa Wavy Bittercress
Geum urbanum Wood Avens
Ajuga reptans Bugle
Geranium robertianum Herb Robert
Genus Rubus Brambles
Lithospermum officinale Common Gromwell
Veronica chamaedrys Germander Speedwell
Sanguisorba minor Salad Burnet
A view of a woodland glade in Newtimber Holt
Arum maculatum Cuckoo-Pint
Viola riviniana Common Dog-Violet
Carex sylvatica Wood Sedge
Poa trivialis Rough Meadow-Grass
Rumex sanguineus Wood Dock
Ranunculus repens Creeping Buttercup
Creeping Buttercup, Wood Dock and Rough Meadow Grass
Trees
Tilia platyphyllos Large-leaved Lime
Large leaved lime is the rarest [of the Limes] and although planted for several hundred years most ancient trees are confined to woodland coppice on chalk or limestone soils. Woodland Trust Ancient Tree Inventory
The Woodland Trust Ancient Tree Inventory, shows these veteran (green flags) at Newtimber Hold.
To search the Ancient Tree Inventory for you area, click here.
Sambucus, nigra Elder and Hawthorn, Crataegus monpgyna
Corylus avellana Hazel
Taxus baccata English Yew
Fagus sylvatica Beech There are several veteran Beech at Newtimber
144ft beech in Sussex named Britain’s tallest native tree
A beech tree on the South Downs in West Sussex is thought to be almost 200 years old and beat the previous champion by 3ft
A beech tree standing 144ft (44 metres) high has been declared the tallest native tree in Britain.
The tree, which is thought to be almost 200 years old, stands in Newtimber Woods on the National Trust’s Devil’s Dyke Estate in West Sussex, in the South Downs landscape.
The discovery of a new record for the tallest native tree title was made by Owen Johnson, the honourable registrar for the Tree Register, a charity which holds records of more than 200,000 exceptional trees in Britain and Ireland.
He was alerted to the possible new champion, one of a clump of trees planted together which has achieved its great height by continued competition to reach the light and being allowed to grow unmanaged for 90 years, by dendrologist Peter Bourne.
The full height of Britain’s champion native tree. Photograph: John Miller/National Trust/PA
Dr Johnson said: “I didn’t quite believe Peter when he said the tallest tree in the woods could be 44 metres tall as I know the South Downs so well. When I finally got around to visiting I found my scepticism entirely unjustified. Guardian 15.04.2915 Press Association
Lichens
On Large Leaved Lime
Lepraria finkii Fluffy Dust Lichen
Phlyctis argena Whitewash Lichen
On Beech
Enterographa crassa
Enterographa crassa is often found in the bases of old beech trees, but it is very difficult to see as it is very small. Their Apothecia (fruiting bodies, in this species, tiny black dots are usually very numerous, brown-black, deeply immersed, without a rim, minutely punctiform or ± broadly elliptical in surface view, 0.1–0.25 × 0.05–0.1 mm, often in dotted or thread-like linesBritish Lichen Society Enterographa crassa
Cladonia caespiticia Stubby-stalked Cladonia
Fuscidea lightfootii
Lecidella elaeochroma Lecidella Lichen
Xanthoria parietina Golden Shield Lichen
On Ash
Flavoparmelia caperata Common Greenshield Lichen
Parmotrema perlatum Black Stone Flower
Punctelia jeckeri Powdered Speckled Shield Lichen
Hypotrachyna afrorevoluta
Parmelia sulcata Netted Shield Lichen
On Hazel
Probably Graphis scripta Common Script Lichen; very common on Hazel and other smooth-barked trees. The Graphidaceae (script lichen) family can only be definitively identified to species level with microscopy of spores.
This is the most beautiful area of downland ancient woodland I have ever visited. It is a “hanger wood”; a wood of the steep slopes of an escarpment. Ancient woodland is much rarer on the South Downs than in the Low and High Wealds of Sussex, due to historic sheep gazing; although the short calcareous grassland that supports rare vascular plants and invertebrates because of that grazing is biologically magnificent and of national ecological importance. Sadly, short calcareous grassland makes up only 4% of the South Downs.
Most of the remaining ancient woodland of the South Downs is on the scarp face of the Downs; such as at Newtimber Holt, and the scarp from Steyning to just south of Washington, and Rooks Clift. Although there are some very rare examples of chalk dry valley ancient woodland e.g. East Dean Park Wood SSSI (in the Goodwood Estate, private) and dip slope ancient woodland e.g. Pads Wood SSSI (in the Uppark Estate, private)
The extent of the coppiced Large-Leaved Lime, and ground flora including abundant Solomon’s Seal and Ramsons was extraordinary.
Large Leaved Lime, Tilia platyphyllos
Ramsons, Allium ursinum, and Solomon’s Seal, Polygonatum multiflorum
Rook Clift is a small wooded combe on the scarp slope of the South Downs. … This site is an ancient woodland which remains in a semi-natural condition. Large leaved lime Tilia platyphyllos dominates the canopy, together with ash Fraxinus excelsior and some beech Fagus sylvatica. Large leaved lime is a nationally scarce tree, with its natural range concentrated on the limestones of the Wye Valley and Peak District. Thus the high concentration of mature coppice stools, occurring on chalk, make this site nationally important and unique within West Sussex and the South Downs Natural Area.
… The field layer is dominated by vernal species such as ramsons Allium ursinum and bluebell Endymion non-scripta, or shade tolerant species including dog’s mercury Mercurialis perennis, spurge laurel Daphne laureola and sanicle Sanicula europaea.
The steep sided valley around the steam is more open with a canopy dominated by ash and wych elm Ulmus glabra. Here the field and ground layers are more developed with stands of hart’s tongue fern Phyllitis scolopendrium and soft shield fern Polystichum setiferum abundant, and opposite-leaved golden-saxifrage Chrysosplenium oppositifolium common the stream side. Helicodonta obvoluta and several which are indicative of ancient woodlandRooks Clift Nature England SSSI specification
There are many ancient woodland indicator species in Rooks Clift. Aside from Large-Leaved Lime, Ramsons, and Solomons Seal, I saw Yellow Archangel, Wood Spurge, Wych Elm, and Enterographa Crassa (a relatively common lichen in old Southern woodlands, but on the indices of Ecological Continuity for Scotland). The wood also has Spurge-Laurel; but I didn’t find any.
Yellow Archangel, Lamium galeobdolon
Wood Spurge, Euphorbia amygdaloides
Wych Elm, Ulmus glabra
Enterographa crassa lichen
on Large Leaved Lime
Dog’s Mercury, Mercurialis perennis
Eld Ear Lichen, Normandina pulchella, on the liverwort Forked Veilwort, Metzgeria furcata. Elf Ear lichen always grows on bryophytes (mosses and liverworts)
Looking up at Rooks Clift from the Greensand fields of the Low Weald.
This wood also supports a rich mollusc fauna including the Red Data Book species Helicodonta obvoluta and several which are indicative of ancient woodland. [SSSI specification]. On a visit the week before, focussed on molluscs, with a friend and mollusc expert, we didn’t find Helicodonta obvoluta, but we did find these common snails:
Hairy Snail, Trochulus hispidus Genus Hemicycla; Round-mouthed Snail Pomatias elegans
Possibly Macrogastra ventricosain the family Clausiliidae, the door snails
Looking up to Rooks Clift from the farmland at the bottom (lower greensand of the Low Weald)
Looking down the footpath, with native Yew Taxus baccata, a native South Downs Tree. The path follows a ancient bostal, a Sussex dialect word referring to medieval track running up the scarp slops in the South Downs, typically diagonally to reduce the gradient.
Location: near South Harting, West Sussex, between Chichester and Petersfield
I got to Rook Clift by public transport. Train to Chichester then Stagecoach bus to South Harting 54 Bus Timetable It is a very irregular bus service with only 5 busses a day; so plan carefully!
Sim's Nature Notes 