Park Corner Heath
Encyclopedia
Park Corner Heath is a 3.5 hectares (8.6 acre) nature reserve in East Sussex
, England
. It is situated about 1.2 miles (2 km) south of East Hoathly, adjacent to the A22
main road between Uckfield
and Eastbourne
. The reserve is part of Vert Wood, which was once a woodland and heath noted for its rich wildlife.
The reserve is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest
, first notified in 1953 under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949
and re-notified in 1988 under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
. It was originally established to protect the Lewes Wave Moth Scopula immorata
, now extinct.
The reserve consists of grassy heath, woodland
and scrub lying on sand over Weald Clay
. Large parts of the woodland were planted with conifers in the latter part of the 20th century. As well as the main area of heathy grassland and a pond, it contains broad-leaved woodland of oak, birch and hornbeam, much managed as coppice. The reserve is the remnant of the more extensive heathland of Vert Wood.
The reserve supports an outstanding assemblage of moths and a varied butterfly fauna including several nationally scare species. Notable butterflies that may be seen are the Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary
, Silver-washed Fritillary
, Grizzled Skipper
and White Admiral
. Notable moths include the Broad-bordered Bee Hawk-moth
, Eyed Hawk-moth, Elephant Hawk-moth, Pine Hawk-moth and Cream-spot Tiger
.
The two areas of woodland in the reserve are Lower Vert Wood and Upper Vert Wood. The former is a bluebell wood
and the latter has a well-maintained bracken
-covered heath at its centre, as well as a large pond. Next to this expanse of water is a small hut owned by Butterfly Conservation
, an organisation that saved several local species from extinction at the hands of Victorian
butterfly collectors. A book inside the hut is open for people to document what species they have seen. The heath is vital for several reptile
species - if one is quiet one can see or hear adder
s slithering about or common lizards basking in the sun. In mammal
terms, a family of red fox
es has an earth and fallow deer
can even be seen from a car as they dart across the road cutting through the trees. The nests of dormice in hibernation are dotted about the place in winter, and grey squirrel
s live in the trees. There are a lot of woodpigeons. Buzzards
fly over the heath preying on the many songbird
s that sing in the hedgerows and over the heath (including chiffchaff
s) and leaving their distinctive messy grey pellets
.
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is situated about 1.2 miles (2 km) south of East Hoathly, adjacent to the A22
A22 road
The A22 is one of the two-digit major roads in the south east of England. It carries traffic from London to Eastbourne on the East Sussex coast...
main road between Uckfield
Uckfield
-Development:The local Tesco has proposed the redevelopment of the central town area as has the town council. The Hub has recently been completed, having been acquired for an unknown figure, presumed to be about half a million pounds...
and Eastbourne
Eastbourne
Eastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
. The reserve is part of Vert Wood, which was once a woodland and heath noted for its rich wildlife.
The reserve is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
, first notified in 1953 under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949
National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949
The National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which created the National Parks Commission which later became the Countryside Commission and then the Countryside Agency, which became Natural England when it merged with English Nature in...
and re-notified in 1988 under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom and was implemented to comply with the Directive 2009/147/EC on the conservation of wild birds...
. It was originally established to protect the Lewes Wave Moth Scopula immorata
Scopula immorata
The Lewes Wave is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found throughout Europe and the Near East.The wingspan is 20–27 mm. The moth flies in two generations from the end of June to mid August ....
, now extinct.
The reserve consists of grassy heath, woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
and scrub lying on sand over Weald Clay
Weald Clay
Weald Clay is a Lower Cretaceous sedimentary rock underlying areas of South East England. It is part of the Wealden Group of rocks. The clay is named after the Weald, an area of Sussex. It varies from orange and grey in colour and is used in brickmaking....
. Large parts of the woodland were planted with conifers in the latter part of the 20th century. As well as the main area of heathy grassland and a pond, it contains broad-leaved woodland of oak, birch and hornbeam, much managed as coppice. The reserve is the remnant of the more extensive heathland of Vert Wood.
The reserve supports an outstanding assemblage of moths and a varied butterfly fauna including several nationally scare species. Notable butterflies that may be seen are the Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary
Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary
The Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary , called the Silver-bordered Fritillary in North America, is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family...
, Silver-washed Fritillary
Silver-washed Fritillary
Argynnis paphia is a common and variable butterfly found over much of the Palaearctic ecozone – Algeria, Europe, temperate Asia and Japan.-Subspecies:*A. p. butleri Krulikovsky, 1909 Northern Europe, Central Europe...
, Grizzled Skipper
Grizzled Skipper
The Grizzled Skipper Pyrgus malvae is a butterfly of the Hesperiidae family.-Appearance, behaviour and distribution:With its characteristic chequered black and white pattern this butterfly is quite distinctive although old, faded individuals can be mistaken for the Dingy Skipper or the Sideridis...
and White Admiral
White Admiral
-Butterflies:These butterfly species are commonly called as White Admirals:*In America it refers to two of the three subspecies of Limenitis arthemis*In Europe and Asia it refers to the White Admiral: Limenitis camilla...
. Notable moths include the Broad-bordered Bee Hawk-moth
Hemaris fuciformis
Hemaris fuciformis, known as the Broad-bordered Bee Hawk-moth, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. It is found in North Africa, Europe and Central and Eastern Asia.The wingspan is...
, Eyed Hawk-moth, Elephant Hawk-moth, Pine Hawk-moth and Cream-spot Tiger
Arctia villica
The Cream-spot Tiger is a moth of the family Arctiidae. It is found in Europe, Anatolia, western and northern Iran, West Siberia and North Africa.The wingspan is 60–68 mm...
.
The two areas of woodland in the reserve are Lower Vert Wood and Upper Vert Wood. The former is a bluebell wood
Bluebell wood
A bluebell wood is a woodland that in spring-time has a carpet of bluebells underneath a newly forming leaf canopy...
and the latter has a well-maintained bracken
Bracken
Bracken are several species of large, coarse ferns of the genus Pteridium. Ferns are vascular plants that have alternating generations, large plants that produce spores and small plants that produce sex cells . Brackens are in the family Dennstaedtiaceae, which are noted for their large, highly...
-covered heath at its centre, as well as a large pond. Next to this expanse of water is a small hut owned by Butterfly Conservation
Butterfly Conservation
Butterfly Conservation is an insect conservation organisation in the United Kingdom. It is one of the largest insect conservation organisations in the world.-History of the Organisation:...
, an organisation that saved several local species from extinction at the hands of Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
butterfly collectors. A book inside the hut is open for people to document what species they have seen. The heath is vital for several reptile
Reptile
Reptiles are members of a class of air-breathing, ectothermic vertebrates which are characterized by laying shelled eggs , and having skin covered in scales and/or scutes. They are tetrapods, either having four limbs or being descended from four-limbed ancestors...
species - if one is quiet one can see or hear adder
Adder
Adder may refer to:Snakes:* Any of several groups of venomous snakes of the Viperidae family including Vipera berus, the common European adder, found in Europe and northern Asia...
s slithering about or common lizards basking in the sun. In mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
terms, a family of red fox
Red Fox
The red fox is the largest of the true foxes, as well as being the most geographically spread member of the Carnivora, being distributed across the entire northern hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, Central America, and the steppes of Asia...
es has an earth and fallow deer
Fallow Deer
The Fallow Deer is a ruminant mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. This common species is native to western Eurasia, but has been introduced widely elsewhere. It often includes the rarer Persian Fallow Deer as a subspecies , while others treat it as an entirely different species The Fallow...
can even be seen from a car as they dart across the road cutting through the trees. The nests of dormice in hibernation are dotted about the place in winter, and grey squirrel
Eastern Gray Squirrel
The eastern gray squirrel is a tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus native to the eastern and midwestern United States, and to the southerly portions of the eastern provinces of Canada...
s live in the trees. There are a lot of woodpigeons. Buzzards
Common Buzzard
The Common Buzzard is a medium to large bird of prey, whose range covers most of Europe and extends into Asia. It is usually resident all year, except in the coldest parts of its range, and in the case of one subspecies.-Description:...
fly over the heath preying on the many songbird
Songbird
A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds . Another name that is sometimes seen as scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin oscen, "a songbird"...
s that sing in the hedgerows and over the heath (including chiffchaff
Chiffchaff
The Common Chiffchaff, or simply the Chiffchaff, is a common and widespread leaf-warbler which breeds in open woodlands throughout northern and temperate Europe and Asia....
s) and leaving their distinctive messy grey pellets
Pellet (ornithology)
A pellet, in ornithology, is the mass of undigested parts of a bird's food that some bird species occasionally regurgitate. The contents of a bird's pellet depend on its diet, but can include the exoskeletons of insects, indigestible plant matter, bones, fur, feathers, bills, claws, and teeth...
.