Tag: Woodland

The Gallops, Findon Valley

Posted on by Michelle

The Gallops is an open greenspace that features several important habitats on its fringes, including chalk grassland and semi-natural woodland, as such it is listed as a West Sussex Area of Nature Conservation Importance and is a part of the South Downs National Park. Good access to the site is located between Bost Hill and Vale Drive in Findon, wheelchair users and the walking impaired may need support in accessing the site.

  • Common Spotted Orchid
  • The Gallops

Findon Valley Residents’ Association work in partnership with their local park rangers to enrich The Gallops with a patch of pollinator friendly wildflower mixes. As part of this partnership, in the Autumn local school children, volunteers and park rangers clear the ground and then begin sowing seeds in the Spring, an area approximately 60m2 is used for this purpose.

Among the various species found here you can spot Common Spotted Orchids, Eyebright and Field Scabious, the best time to see the wildflowers in full swing is during the summer months. 

To find out more about the volunteering opportunities with Findon Valley Residents’ Association and the work that they do, visit: Welcome to the FVRA (findonvalley.org)

Lancing Ring Local Nature Reserve

Posted on by Michelle

Lancing Ring is a 23.5 hectare nature reserve, located to the north of Lancing and situated within the South Downs National Park. It is owned by Adur District Council and maintained in partnership with the Friends of Lancing Ring.

  • Wood anenomes in spring
  • Cowslips in the chalk pit
  • The woodland in spring

The reserve is comprised of many different habitats that support wildflowers, for instance: woodland areas that support species such as violets, early purple orchid and wood anemones; chalk grassland that supports round-headed rampions, cowslips, small scabious, birdsfoot trefoil, and pyramidal orchids; and meadows where you can find knapweed, yellow rattle, various vetches, eyebright and many more…

The site is open countryside and not really suitable for wheel chair users. Paths are generally dirt or grass and can be uneven, so may not be suitable for people with walking difficulties, depending on impairment.  It can get muddy during very wet periods. There are flowers at most times of the year, but the greatest concentration of flower are in the summer months. Access is via Mill Road through the main car park situated there and also at Halewick Lane, which also has parking located beside the play area at the foot of the hill.

During the summer, Friends of Lancing Ring host guided flower walks, although currently these are on hold due to coronavirus restrictions.

Volunteer sessions run on the 3rd Sunday of the month between 10am and midday when a variety of tasks are undertaken. For insurance purposes, new volunteers are asked to become members at a cost of £3 for the year and 50p for children. Members also receive 3 newsletters a year to keep them informed of what is happening and growing on the reserve.

Find out more about the work being undertaken by the Friends of Lancing Ring at their website: Friends of Lancing Ring | Your local nature conservation group (wordpress.com)