Bream Wood

Also within

East Sussex County High Weald Scenic Area

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Ancient woodland, Bracken scrub, Carr, Fast flowing river and stream

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Sandstone

Landscape processes: Karst

Description

Area, 7.6 ha. 18.78 ac. approx. Description Bream Wood is a typical example of a wealden ghyll woodland. The valley alder carr supports a rich 'Atlantic' flora including several locally rare ferns and mosses. The ghyll has been formed by a stream down cutting through the Lower Tunbridge Wells sandstone into the underlying Wadhurst clay. Alder Alnus glutinosa carr occupies the deep central valley and is characterised by small pools with abundant wood club rush Scirpus sylvaticus and sedges Carex species. Ash Fraxinus excelsior is more frequent in drier places with a ground flora which includes opposite leaved golden saxifrage Chrysosplenium oppositifolium. On steeper slopes ash is replaced by birch Betula pendula over a bracken Pteridium aquilinum dominated ground flora. Willows Salix species are locally frequent. The sheltered valley has a moist, mild microclimate which favours a number of ferns and mosses more commonly found in the west of Britain. Acid springs rising at the base of the sandstone produce rich flushed areas where the rare moss Dicranodontium denudatum is found at one of only two localities in the south east of England. Other uncommon species include royal fern Osmunda regalis, mountain fern Oreopteris limbosperma, hay scented buckler fern Dryopteris aemula and the mosses Chionoloma tenuirostre and Dicranodontium longirostre. The upper drier slopes carry ancient woodland dominated by oak Quercus robur and ash with an understorey of hazel Corylus avellana. Holly Ilex aquifolium is also present and the ground flora is dominated by bramble Rubus fruticosus. Small areas of conifer plantations are present on the eastern side of the valley. A small pond in the extreme south of the site supports a variety of species including rushes Juncus species and yellow iris Iris pseudacorus.

Species mentioned

Insects to look out for

These moths, butterflies and beetles are known to feed on plants recorded at this site, and carry a notable UK conservation status — but a host-plant being present doesn't mean the insect has actually been recorded here. Treat this as "worth watching for," not a confirmed sighting.

Host-plant data: Cook et al. (2025), Traits data for the butterflies and macro-moths of Great Britain and Ireland, 2024, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology / Butterfly Conservation; and Padovani et al. (2020), Database of Insects and their Food Plants (DBIF), UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (both Open Government Licence). Contains data supplied by UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.

Plant communities