Rock Wood

Also within

East Sussex County High Weald Scenic Area

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Ancient woodland, Coppiced woodland, Fast flowing river and stream

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Sandstone

Landscape processes: Fluvial

Description

Area, 10.3 ha. 25.5 ac. Description Rock Wood is a small ancient woodland lying on Tunbridge Wells sandstone and Wadhurst Clay. A number of different broadleaved woodland types are represented and there has been some underplanting with conifers. A small stream and its tributary have cut through the sandstone in places creating steep sided ghylls which contain various uncommon 'Atlantic' bryophytes mosses and liverworts and ferns. The western part of the site is predominantly hornbeam Carpinus betulus coppice, with scattered oak Quercus robur standards and some coppiced hazel Corylus avellana. An ancient bank with hornbeam coppice marks the eastern edge of this type beyond which oak is the dominant tree, with holly Ilex aquifolium and coppiced birch Betula spp. and hazel. In the south east beech Fagus sylvatica is co-dominant with oak. Ash Fraxinus excelsior is also present, while coppiced alder woodland occurs along the main stream. In the north spruce Picea sp., Douglas fir Pseudotsuga menziesii, Scot's pine Pinus sylvestris have been planted underneath the mixed broadleaved canopy. Ground flora is sparse under the hornbeam coppice, beech and dense holly while under the oak and hornbeam bramble Rubus fruticosus, ground ivy Glechoma hederacea, wood sorrel Oxalis acetosella and dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis are found. wild daffodil Narcissus pseudonarcissus and broad leaved helleborine Epipactis helleborine are also recorded from Rock Wood. The ghylls feature a small waterfall which has developed where the smaller stream flows over one of several sandstone outcrops occurring throughout the wood. These ghylls have a moist, mild microclimate which is suitable for a number of 'Atlantic' plant species uncommon in south east England. These include the mosses Tetraphis browniana and Diphyscium foliosum and the liverwort Marsupella emarginata. Hay scented buckler fern Dryopteris aemula and Tunbridge filmy fern Hymenophyllum tunbrigense are also present on this site.

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