Botanical Survey 2025 - Buxted

For 2025, I decided to continue "square bashing" - finding all the wild plant species I can in two "tetrads", which are 2km squares on the ordnance survey map. My squares are

• TQ42W, which covers Buxted Park
• TQ52B, which includes Buxted Village

I did my surveys on 36 runs, covering 257 km (159 miles). I ran through Buxted Park, which is a Site of Scientific Interest, and explored the village, farmland and woodland.

Optimistically searching for plants in the frost.

I compared the species I found to the BSBI lists for the tetrads so I could see if/when they had been recorded and verified previously. Below, I will mention some of those that were not previously listed and those that had an old listing (1966). I think this represents a range of recording from 1966 to 1999. Either way, it is at least a quarter of a century since the species has been recorded in the tetrad.

Manor Park Estate

As always, the twittens and roadside paths of the Manor Park estate could be relied on to yield some unexpected treasure:

• Malva sylvestris (Common Mallow) - 1966 listing
• Verbena officinalis (Vervain) - Not previously listed

Malva sylvestris (Common Mallow)

Views wood

The wood lies between the Manor Park estate and Buxted Park. I found:

• Lysimachia nemorum (Yellow Pimpernel) - 1966 listing

Stream between Views Wood and Buxted Park (TQ42W)

There is a stream and damp area between the Wood and the Park. The banks of the stream contain various treasures such as Common Valerian as well as:

• Blechnum spicant (Hard Fern) - 1966 listing
• Dryopteris affinis (Scaly Male Fern) - not previously listed

Dryopteris affinis (Scaly Male Fern) 

Buxted park

Buxted Park has many splendid trees including some non-natives that are new to the list.

• Pinus nigra (Corsican Pine) - not previously listed 
• Quercus rubra (Red Oak) - not previously listed

Pinus nigra (Corsican Pine) 

I also found:

• Barbarea vulgaris (Wintercress) - 1966 listing
• Nymphaea alba  (White Waterlily) - not previously listed 

Hurstwood Road and surroundings

The Hurstwood Road opposite the Buxted Park entrance leads to farmland. One field had many wild flowers as well as nesting Yellowhammers.

• Fumaria officinalis (Common Fumitory) -  1966 listing
• Sinapis arvensis (Charlock) - not previously listed

Fumaria officinalis (Common Fumitory)

Church Road and surroundings

Nearer to the village, Church Road has many interesting buildings including an Oast house. At the roadside I found:

• Viola reichenbachiana (Early dog violet) - not previously listed
• Erophila verna (Common Whitlowgrass) - not previously listed 

Erophila verna (Common Whitlowgrass)

Buxted Road/Station/High Street

The road that bounds the North side of Buxted Park and leads into the village gave me a number of firsts.

• Barbarea vulgaris (Wintercress) - 1966 listing
• Malva sylvestris (Common Mallow) - 1966 listing
• Fallopia baldschuanica (Russian Vine) - not previously listed 
• Avena satvia (Oat) - not previously listed
• Viola odorata (Sweet Violet) - not previously listed
• Medicago arabica (Spotted Medick) - not previously listed

Viola odorata (Sweet Violet) 

Pound Green area 

For some reason Comm Orache is missing from many local lists but I managed to find it in a few sites in and around Buxted including one at the furthest edge of one of my tetrads.

• Atriplex patula (Common orache) - not previously listed

Atriplex patula (Common orache) 

Lanes

The lanes to the South of Buxted included my most exciting find.

• Gnaphalium lutoalbum (Jersey Cudweed) - Neville Hutchinson noted that this is a "new tetrad record and 18th this century for East Sussex!"

Gnaphalium lutoalbum (Jersey Cudweed) 

Tickerage Stream and Woodland

There is a lovely little area of woodland, with the Tickerage Stream running through. It contains all sorts of wild flowers such as Wood Anemones, Bluebells and Red Campions. 

• Lysimachia nemorum (Yellow Pimpernel) - 1966 listing
• Ranunculus auricomus (Goldilocks Buttercup) - 1966 listing

Ranunculus auricomus (Goldilocks Buttercup) 

Finally

The impact of Monad recording

This time, the Sussex Botanical Recording Society asked us to record the species in each 1km square (monads). To be honest, the change caught me on the hop so rather than planning to do monads from the start, I crudely adapted my tetrad (2km square) plans so that I recorded in 8 small squares rather than 2 big ones.

I can't directly compare numbers of species ticked off per square with last year because of the change from tetrads to monads but:

• In 2025, I ticked off an average of 83 species per square (8 monads), total = 667, average per km = 2.5
• In 2024, I ticked off an average of 225 species per square (2 tetrads), total = 451, average per km = 3.8

The "efficiency" in terms of average per km is easily explained by me needing to go further to get into all four quarters of a tetrad rather than just cherry-picking the parts closest to home. To be honest, I bit off more than I could chew with 8 monads. The effect was that I focussed on the most easily found and identified plants. So the promises that I made to myself about learning more about identification of grasses, docks and willowherbs fell by the wayside. I also found it difficult to recall what I had seen where even with the help of my trusty spreadsheet.

In 2026, I intend to give myself space to learn more about my awkward squad by reducing the number of monads to about 5.

Finding "new" species

These tables show the number of species I found in each monad, how many were new to the square and how many were recorded for the first time since "1966"

Buxted Park TQ42W

Buxted village TQ52B 

This year, I have fewer species new to the tetrad or not recorded since 1966. 

Botanical Survey - Hempstead Lane

 For my 2022 botanical survey, I decided to explore Hempstead Lane, Uckfield. 

• The lane is about 2km (1 and a quarter miles) runs from the town centre, over the river and flood plain, over the railway, through ancient woodland and between fields over a relatively short distance.
• It runs through two "tetrads" - i.e. squares on the map:
• TQ42Q for the first two sections, nearest the town centre
• TQ42V for the rest.
• I wanted to get a snapshot of what's in these different habitats and I've been rewarded by finding a wonderful range of plants including some I have never encountered before and a few that don't seem to have been recorded for the relevant tetrad. 
• I was aware that the part of the lane furthest from the town was old and runs alongside ancient woodland but I've been surprised at how close the ancient woodland species indicators come to the town. There are areas with these plants scattered along this old lane as far as Lime Tree Avenue. 
• The Flora, referred to below, is the Sussex Botanical Recording Society's The Flora of Sussex.

I divided the lane into a number of sections and recorded what I found in each on iRecord.  A huge thank you to the people who verified my records and to those in the SBRS Facebook group who helped me with identifications.

Section 1 - Near Town Centre

From the start of Hempstead Road to Lime Tree Ave.

Common Millet - 9 Jul 2022

In this section I found 47 species, most of which were opportunistic weeds and plants/grasses on a couple of small verges.  Common Millet (Panicum miliaceum), presumably from a bird feeder, was a new species for my records and, in the Flora, had not been recorded for TQ42Q up to 2015.

Section 2 - School Boundary

From Lime Tree Avenue to the start of the shaded path.

Creeping Yellow Cress - 12 June 2022

In this section I found 73 species. On the school side of the lane, there is a wooded verge with Bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) and other ancient woodland indicators. On the other side, there are grass verges. A couple of these had "weeds" that I had not noticed before. These included Slender Trefoil (Trifolium micranthum), American Willowherb (Epilobium ciliatum), Nipplewort (Lapsana communis) and Creeping Yellow Cress (Rorippa sylvestris). According to the Flora, the latter had not been found in TQ42V between 2000 and 2015 although it was present previously.

Section 3 - Shaded Path

This part of the lane is not open to motor vehicles and is very shady. 

Wood Anemones - 26 March 2022

I found 34 species, many of which would look at home in an ancient woodland, including a Common Cow-wheat (Melampyrum pratense), Bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta), Ramsons (Allium ursinum) Wood Anemone (Anemone nemorosa), and Hart's-tongue fern (Asplenium scolopendrium)

Section 4 - Between the Estates

Footpath skirting the bottom of a green area and running past the substation to Hempstead Mill.

Turkey Oak - 7 July 2022

I found 43 species - Many typical of hedgerows and I think some of these are old hedges with traditional planting such as Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) and even a Cherry Plum (Prunus cerasifera). The main surprise was a couple of  good-sized Turkey Oaks (Quercus cerris), one each side of the lane, near the new houses. Their history is a mystery to be solved!.

Section 5 - River and Flood Plain

From Hempstead Mill to just before the track separating the enclosed area with a big pond from the open field.

Alder - 27 February 2022

I found 40 species in this section.  The River Uck runs through the Mill's property and is associated with some wetland species such as Alder (Alnus glutinosa). The grassland, newly planted with hedge plants, is not that special but I did find Meadow Barley (Hordeum secalinum), which is a species that I have not noticed before.

Section 6 - Hedgerow

Between the hedges alongside the enclosed area with the big pond and old Horse Rescue buildings.

Upright Hedge Parsley - 31 July 2022

I found 56 species - mostly those associated with hedgerows. These included Upright Hedge Parsley (Torilis japonica), which I was particularly pleased to find because my previous favourite spot for it, right next to the railway, had spoil from railway work dumped on it, eliminating the more delicate wildflowers.

Section 7 - Railway

The trackbed and the little pieces of land immediately outside the level-crossing gates influenced by dumped "spoil" etc.

Tall Melliot - 10 Aug 2022

I found 37 species in this tiny area including some unusual weeds on the railway trackbed.  These included a new find (not in the Flora) for tetrad TQ42V - Tall Melliot (Melilotus altissimus),

Section 8 - Between Fields

From the railway to the beginning of Hempstead Wood.

Giant Horsetail - 2 June 2022

I found 41 species in this shaded and damp area. Oddly, there were more damp-loving species here than near the river. Species that I had not encountered before included Spiked Sedge (Carex spicata), Great Horsetail (Equisetum telmateia) and Square-Stalked Saint John's wort (Hypericum tetrapterum). According to the Flora, the latter has not been found in TQ42V between 2000 and 2015 although it was present previously. 

Section 9 - Alongside Hempstead Wood

Pendulous Sedge - 17 April 2022

I found 38 species along the part of the lane that borders ancient woodland. These included  plenty of ancient woodland indicators - Enchanters Nightshade (Circaea lutetiana), Field Maple, Holly (Ilex aquifolium), Red Currant (Ribes rubrum), Wild Cherry (Prunus avium), Wood Spurge (Euphorbia amygdaloides), Yellow Archangel (Lamiastrum galeobdolon )  and Pendulous Sedge (Carex pendula). The latter dominates the path area and trickles back towards the town.

Section 10 - Holloway

Between the ancient woodland and the end of the lane.

Primroses - 17 April 2022

I found 27 species in this ancient, deep trackway. Some of the species are the same as the ancient woodland with the welcome addition of Primroses (Primula vulgaris) and Broad Buckler ferns (Dryopteris dilatata).