Environment – Page 2 – Dallington Parish Website

Make the most of local rights of way

[The following article by Stella Bellem was previously published in the Messenger magazine; due to a production error the sketch map was printed in B&W so we are reproducing it here in colour (click image for larger version). You can find additional information at https://row.eastsussex.gov.uk/standardmap.aspx ]

We have plentiful public rights of way in Dallington – in other words, where people, horses, bicycles and any other mode of transport are allowed by law. These include:

- footpaths, for walking, running, mobility scooters or powered wheelchairs
- bridlepaths for walking, horse riding, bicycles and mobility scooters or powered wheelchairs
- byway open to all types of traffic including cars
- restricted byway for any transport without a motor and mobility scooters or powered wheelchairs

They are marked on Ordnance Survey maps by means of symbols. More information available at https://row.eastsussex.gov.uk/standardmap.aspx

The landowner can of course allow other users to cross their land. and we are lucky that many landowners are generous enough to allow the public to use their land to join some paths together to make circular routes.

If you notice anything amiss on your walks, such as fallen trees blocking access, or stiles or bridges which are rotten and dangerous, you can let the Rights of Way team at East Sussex County Council know via https://row.eastsussex.gov.uk/standardmap.aspx or by phone, or by letting your Parish Council know.

And finally: would you like to help produce some map guides to short walks in and around Dallington? The focus could be on nature, local history, interesting buildings, child-friendly routes, or anything else. Please send your own suggestions for points of interest (and photographs if possible) to Stella and Pauline at Dallington.messenger@gmail.com

Warmer Homes Event 29th February Brightling

Dallington residents are also welcome to attend this event taking place at Brightling Village Hall.

Warmer homes event

Please join us on Thursday 29 February at 7:00 pm in Brightling Village Hall for a helpful, informative and friendly evening looking at how to retrofit our local homes – particularly the many older buildings found in Brightling and neighbouring villages – to adapt to the future of home heating. In other words, how to stay warm, for less money and with less impact on the environment.

Our main speaker will be Joe Daly: architect, energy adviser and retrofit coordinator for Energise Sussex Coast (a not-for-profit community energy co-operative).

There will also be 3 short case studies from local people:

a local resident who installed an air source heat pump in an older property
a local resident who installed a ground source heat pump
a local resident who installed solar panels, batteries and now profits from surplus electricityPLUS a demonstration of the thermal imaging camera. The thermal imaging camera can provide a heat image of YOUR HOUSE showing where the heat is leaking out. After the demonstration, it will be possible to request a free thermal imaging visit to YOUR HOUSE (initially open to Brightling residents who come to the talk – limited availability).

The event is free but we are asking people to book tickets so that we can manage numbers. Book tickets using the button below or email brightling.environment.group@gmail.comImportant note. The button will take you to the EventBrite booking page. When you reach that page, select the number of tickets you require and be sure to click the red “Reserve a spot” button.

Book tickets to the event

There will be free refreshments including soft drinks and wine (small voluntary donation requested for wine).

Funding available to High Weald farmers and land managers

(Forwarded from High Weald AONB via Doug Edworthy):

£1 million awarded to High Weald farmers and land managers

More funding still available from the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme

Farmers and land managers across the High Weald are benefiting from advice, support and funding from the High Weald AONB team, through the Farming in Protected Landscapes grant programme.

More than £1 million has already been awarded, with more money available until March 2025. We want to get the word out to all eligible applicants, so please share this email with anyone you know who might be interested.

What can I apply for?
Full criteria can be found on our website, but successful projects so far have included:

Mobile planned grazing infrastructure (fencing, gates and mobile drinking troughs) to enable regenerative farming
High seats for deer control programmes
Deer larders and chillers
Hedge planting to connect existing hedges and woods
Habitat surveys and soil testing to inform new farm management plans.

Find more inspiration in our 2022/23 grant summary >>

What is Farming in Protected Landscapes?
The Farming in Protected Landscapes programme is funded by Defra and managed locally by the High Weald AONB team, with decisions made by a farmer-led assessment panel. It gives grants for projects in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and National Parks that:

support nature recovery
mitigate the impacts of climate change
provide opportunities for people to discover, enjoy and understand the landscape and its cultural heritage; and
protect or improve the quality and character of the landscape or place.

Interested? Click the button below to visit our website and register your interest:

Shoot dates in Purchase Wood, Deer Park, Brightling/Dallington

Message from Doug Edworthy, Tree Warden, Brightling and Dallington parishes:

“Forestry England have let me know of dates when there will be shooting on their land in Purchase Wood, Deer Park.

It’s in the North of the wood but best to avoid on those days, especially going off main tracks.

November 6,9,13, 16,20,23, 27,30
December 4,7,11,14, 18, 28,
January 8,11,15

People with nervous dogs, especially, might want to avoid the wood on those dates.”

Dallington Forest Walk 23rd April

(Posted on behalf of Brenda Booth)
Dallington Forest Walk 23rd April 11am.

For further information and to reserve a place, please contact Brenda Booth
brendaboothkent@aol.com
07730402980

Wanted: landowners’ opinions on wooded habitats

(posted on behalf of Doug Edworthy, Tree Warden, Brightling and Dallington parishes)

Land manager opinions on wooded habitats
I’ve recently taken part in a survey of land managers’ opinions on wooded habitats, being run as part of a research project by a PhD student, Sam Aizlewood, at University of Kent, Canterbury. He would welcome input to the survey from other landowners or managers of woodlands of any size in Brightling and Dallington parishes. The survey takes the form of an online Teams interview with Sam and lasts around an hour. Your data is respected and dealt-with in confidence. Please contact him directly at sa2034@kent.ac.uk, he would be delighted to hear from you. More details below:

Text of enclosed flyer:
Participants needed for study on wooded habitats and land management
We would like to hear from you if:

- You are 18 or over
- You own or manage land in Kent, East & West Sussex, Surrey or Hampshire with a property of at least 1 hectare
- You do not need to have woodland or trees on your property

We want to hear any opinions you may have

What you will be asked to do:

An interview over video call or in person with the researcher
This should take no more than an hour

For more information email: sa2034@kent.ac.uk
Prize draw for 2 x £100 Amazon vouchers

Dallington Forest Walk 26th March 2023

(Posted on behalf of Brenda Booth)

Dallington Forest Walk led by Doug Edworthy (Tree Warden Dallington and Brightling)

26th March Meet at top of Bakers Lane – main road end – at 11am (and don’t forget that the clocks go forward the night before).

Walk will be approx. 2 to 3 hours

Please contact Brenda Booth (co-ordinator)

Email Brendaboothkent@aol.com Text 07730402908

Book now for the Wild About Dark Skies Festival February 2023

(Posted on behalf of Doug Edworthy) December 2022

Poster showing two people pointing up at night sky. Text in blog post Bookings are now open for the Wild About Dark Skies Festival

Wild About Dark Skies Festival events – 18 – 26 February 2023 – across the High Weald are free to attend. These include planetarium shows, astronomy demonstrations, special guest speakers, dark skies walks, light pollution workshops, dark skies storytelling for children, and much more. But to make sure we can accommodate you all, it is important you book in advance to secure your place, for you and your family.

So, check out the Wild About Dark Skies events in your local area and book your place on Eventbrite – see the High Weald AONB website (www.highweald.org/wildaboutdarkskies)

If you would like to print off and display this newsletter please download via this link wild_about_dark_skies_festival#2

Wild About Dark Skies Festival 2023 – in association with High Weald AONB and kindly supported by Sussex Lund.

The Wild About Dark Skies Festival is a collaboration between local Wild About groups in Battle, Burwash, Crowhurst, Ticehurst and Wadhurst; East Sussex and Wadhurst Astronomical Societies; High Weald AONB Partnership; International Dark Skies and Dark Sky Lighting. It is kindly supported by Sussex Lund.

New Survey of Plants in Dallington Forest SSSI finds two species missing

(Posted on behalf of Doug Edworthy)

During 2022 a survey of vascular plants was conducted in the beautiful Dallington Forest Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), which straddles the parishes of Brightling and Dallington.

Originally surveyed and designated a SSSI way back in 1953 when regionally and nationally rare species: Wood Fescue, Hay-scented Buckler-fern, Cornish Moneywort, and Ivy-leaved Bellflower were found, there had been no systematic survey or recording since then.

So, funded by the Peter Smith Charitable Trust, this last Spring and Summer three separate surveys were undertaken to discover how many species were still present. The results were interesting in that a total of 48 ancient woodland indicator species were found, but disappointing in that two of the rare species now appear to be extinct in the SSSI.

Visit the Dallington Forest Project website to learn more. The survey report and data can be found at https://dallingtonforest.uk/plants/

“Tree-hugger”

TPO432 LAND AT WOODS CORNER

Following on from my previous post about the Tree Preservation Order 432 land at Woods Corner (owner Westridge Construction), see link below –

Click on this link to see the post referred to above

In order that this TPO is confirmed, we are asking you to contact Legal Services for Wealden and Rother District Councils with letters of support. This must be done by 22nd August 2022.
These letters of support must be made in writing and posted to:
Wealden and Rother District Councils
Joint Legal Service
Town Hall
Bexhill-on-Sea
East Sussex TN39 3JX

It is vital that as many letters of support are received as it is entirely possible that the landowner may object/appeal the TPO.

Letters of support have been sent by Doug Edworthy (Dallington Tree Warden), who has done sterling work on this and Dallington Parish Council, you can see these on the link below.
Please contact me if you need any more information.

Letters of support for TPO432

Irene – Parish Clerk
01424 838414/07711 224150
clerk@dallington.org.uk