The Woodland.
46 acres of beautiful broadleaved coppiced woodland near the village of Flimwell.
Be inspired by nature.
Set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Flimwell is an ideal location for cycling and easy walking amongst a mixture of mature trees and other plants. Our extensive conservation work to improve and protect the habitats of native species is opening up the woodland again for people to enjoy.
Our woodland management plan aims to put the land to a variety of new and innovative uses while increasing biodiversity and productivity in a changing climate. We have mapped and zoned the site and are restoring habitats for mammals, birds, insects and wildflowers — hopefully even reptiles and fish.
A crucial part of the project is opening up areas for visitors, timber production, woodland learning and creative projects. Our hope is that by establishing diverse uses for the site, we will offer a more resilient and sustainable future, which can be an exemplar of mixed-use woodland development.
One of the UK’s rarest plants is thriving at Flimwell Park.
The Heath Lobelia (Lobelia Urens) is an extremely rare species of wild flower, so rare in fact that it’s considered virtually extinct. With grant funding and botanical expertise from Sussex Lund and the Species Recovery Trust, we are part of a national conservation drive by Natural England and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew to protect the Heath Lobelia and better understand its preferred habitat.
The plants are monitored regularly along with habitat management to ensure they thrive in their location. At this time the area on site where the Heath Lobelia flourishes is a highly protected conservation area and cannot be visited. Once the Flimwell Park Woodland is open come and see the plant for yourself. We are one of only six locations in the UK where the Heath Lobelia is known to exist.
History of the site.
Once part of the Seacox Heath Estate, the woodland is part of what is known locally as Ringden Wood. This gives us strong clues about the history and previous uses of the site and its surrounding areas. Place names ending with the suffix “den”, which are common in this part of England, are thought to have been settlements that started life as clearings within woodland — probably used for pig enclosures leading to the building of farm buildings and eventually developing into hamlets, villages, and even towns.
From historical maps and surveys, we can see that the site has had a wide range of uses, including timber production, stone and sand quarrying, orchards and livestock grazing. It has also long served as a trail for walkers, horses, and vehicles, many passing through on their way to and from the local coastal towns.
Much of the site is described as “Ancient Woodland”, but there have been many changes over the past few decades and the vegetation, although largely semi-natural and native to the High Weald, is dominated by relatively few species. Much of it is relatively young, natural regeneration. A few remnants of historic veteran trees remain, largely along the old ride on the southern boundary of the site linking the Lodge, on the A21, and Seacox House.
