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 - Framfield and Tickerage

For 2024, 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:

• TQ42V, which contains Framfield, Hempstead and part of the Manor Park Estate, Uckfield 
• TQ52A, which contains Tickerage.

I did my surveys on 26 runs, covering 119 km (74 miles). It is a fun and fairly productive way of maintaining my fitness and exploring the lanes and footpaths running through villages, farmland and woodland.  

1st Jan 2024 - Wendy with Petasites fragrans (Winter Heliotrope)

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 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.

The Uck's floodplain and old horse rescue (TQ42V)

When I head out, I often take the Weald Way across the floodplain and the old horse rescue. As you might expect, the floodplain gave me plenty of moisture-loving species such including:

• Carex leporina (Oval Sedge) - not listed
• Juncus articulatus (Jointed Rush) - 1966 listing
• Gnaphalium uliginosum (Marsh cudweed) - not listed

11 May - Barbarea vulgaris (Winter-cress)

Moving from the floodplain through the upper fields I found:

• Barbarea vulgaris (Winter-cress) - 1966 listing
• Jacobaea erucifolium (Hoary Ragwort ) - 1966 listing 
• Linaria vulgaris (Common Toadflax)  - not listed

The Railway (TQ42V)

22 June - Reseda luteola (Weld)

An alternative route out takes me over the level crossing gives me unusual finds, perhaps due to the limestone trackbed. This year has been no exception, giving me:

• Reseda luteola (Weld) - 1966 listing

Hempsted Wood (TQ42V)

21 July - Dryopteris affinis agg. (Scaly Male Fern) 

I can then run through a wonderful bluebell wood, where I spotted a Male fern that looked a bit "off". Closer inspection gave me:

• Dryopteris affinis agg. (Scaly Male Fern) - not listed

Hammonds Green (TQ42V)

3 Feb - Asplenium adiantum-nigrum (Black Spleenwort)

Veering South towards Framfield, takes me through a shady, sunken lane. Here I found various ferns including:

• Asplenium adiantum-nigrum (Black Spleenwort) - not listed

Framfield village (TQ42V)

27 July Rorippa palustris (Marsh Yellow-cress)

This is a pretty village, but I spurned the charms of the wisteria and hollyhock filled gardens in favour of the drain outside the pub, a path behind the houses and a traffic island, which gave me the following treasures:

• Rorippa palustris (Marsh Yellow-cress)  - not listed
• Viola reichenbachiana (Early dog violet) - not listed
• Torilis nodosa (Knotted Hedge-Parsley)  - not listed

Gatehouse Green Farm (TQ42V)

29 June - Jacobaea aquatica (Marsh Ragwort)

North of the village, we have Conybury Wood and Gatehouse Farm. Below the wood there is an area of marshy pasture. As I came out of the wood, I noticed a splash of yellow in an area of rushes. It looked brighter, less upright and "looser" than normal Ragwort. It was:

• Jacobaea aquatica (Marsh Ragwort) - not listed

Scantling Farm and surroundings (TQ52A)

29 June - Lepidium coronopus (Swinecress)

I remember Scantlings Farm for a buttercup field providing pasture for two lovely horses. In the lanes nearby there were many flowers and field entrances, particularly to one Potato field, were a happy hunting ground.

• Lolium multiflorum (Italian Rye Grass) - 1966 listing
• Arctium lappa (Greater Burdock)  - not listed
• Lepidium coronopus (Swinecress) - 1966 listing

Tickerage and surroundings (TQ52A)

22 June - Umbilicus rupestris (Navelwort)

At the heart of this area is a bluebell wood, and Tickerage Mill where I chatted with a lovely lady about the film star who once lived there. In nearby lanes where I found:

• Umbilicus rupestris (Navelwort) - not listed
• Odontites vernus (Red Bartsia)  - not listed
• Succisa pratensis (Devil's-bit scabious) - 1966 listing

Finally

For the two tetrads, I recorded:

• TQ42V, 248 species including 19 not previously listed and 7 with a 1966 listing
• TQ52A, 203 including 18 not previously listed and 7 with a 1966 listing.

I've found that botanising on the run is a great way of finding plants but the disadvantage is that I can't take my books with me. This means that I am relying more on photos and memorising key differences between similar plants. Lessons learnt for next year are:

• mostly, the species are inconspicuous or similar to a commoner species so I need to:
• look carefully
• pay close attention to familiar plants that look a bit "off"
• when using the phone app, to double-check each entry prior to upload as sometimes my species selection has not been as intended. I do check them but changes don't always stick
• learn more about identification of:
• grasses
• docks
• willowherbs.