Plants of Uckfield's Playing Fields

The Sussex Botanical Recording Society's (SBRS) members hunt for plants throughout Sussex so it can build up a picture of the flora in our county. This information has been published in The Flora of Sussex.

SBRS suggested that it would be a good idea to record the plants growing on neighbourhood greens and pitches because the turf has often been in place for decades or even longer giving time for an interesting community of plants and wildlife to build up. I chose four Uckfield playing/recreation fields and paid each site three visits to catch spring, early summer and late summer flowers.

Uckfield Rugby Club and Field Bindweed - 8 July 2018

The sites I chose were:

• The Uckfield Rugby Club field - 80 species including trees and grasses
• Hempstead playing fields - 69 
• The Dene - 53 
• Luxford Field - 49 

The Uckfield Rugby Club Field

This is a splendid community facility that is sandwiched between the estate where I live and the River Uck. It also borders onto ancient woodland. Before the playing fields were created, just over 50 years ago, it was a hop field.

The boundary of the rugby field is a man-made woodland edge, which is a very useful habitat for birds and other wildlife. On my April visit, while surveying the un-mown strip at the edge by the ancient woodland, I found bluebells, wood anemones as well as a variety of plants round the other edges. During my 3 visits, I found a total of 80 species.

Annual Beard Grass - 1 July 2018.

One of the most surprising was Annual Beard Grass (Polypogon monspeliensis), which is a pretty little grass with a very fluffy head.  I looked it up in my lovely new Flora of Sussex … and … oh dear.  No sign of it near Uckfield. However, a more experienced member of the society confirmed that I had identified it correctly and so we have a new dot on the map.

Hempstead Playing Fields

This playing field slopes down from Hempstead Lane to some damp ground near the river. Looking at a 1947 aerial photo, I can see a checkerboard pattern that suggests allotments.

Common Fleabane - 25 August 2918.

I found a total of 69 plant species including quite a few damp-loving flowers and trees at the bottom of the field. These included the sweet-smelling Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) and Common Fleabane (Pulicaria dysenterica).

Bog Stitchwort - 13 July 2018.

While doing these surveys, I have been noticing plants that I must have walked by dozens of times.  One of these was Bog Stitchwort (Stellaria uliginosa). Unfortunately my photo doesn't do justice to its exquisite delicacy.

The Dene

A covenant that protects The Dene dates to the 1930s, which shows that its use for recreation long pre-dates the Manor Park estate that surrounds it.

Cuckoo flower - 5 May 2018.

In my three visits, I found 53 different species of plant. In my opinion, the prettiest botanical feature is the lovely sweep of Cuckoo flowers (Cardamine pratensis) just below the Plane tree on Browns Lane.

Hawthorn - 5 May 2018.

The clumps of shrubs on the Browns Lane edge include garden escapees such as Cotoneaster as well as natives like Hawthorn and Ivy.  These provide a wonderful food source for pollinators and birds. I still remember the flock of colourful Waxwings that fed on the Cotoneaster berries in February 2009.  When I did my 15 minute Big Butterfly Count on The Dene this year, it scored higher than any of the other recreation areas I surveyed with 11 butterflies. The medium-length grass supports Gatekeepers and Meadow Browns whose caterpillars depend on grass. Docks and Sorrels in the grass feed the caterpillars of the Small Copper butterflies that I sometimes see on The Dene.

Luxford Field

To be honest, I didn't expect to find much in Luxford field because, quite rightly, the grass is kept close trimmed to allow for games and events.  However, when I looked at it more closely, I found two stretches of hedge as well as an interesting selection of trees.  These features bumped my total up to 49 species.

Common Mallow - 21 July

The brightest bloom was Common Mallow (Malva sylvestris), which was defying the odds to blossom near a litter bin.

Hoverfly on Shepherd's purse - 21 July 2018.

Tiny flowers, such as the Shepherd's purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris) pictured, at the edge of the grass were providing nectar for even tinier insects.