Category: Uncategorized

Dallington Forest Walk #1

Posted on behalf of Doug Edworthy (Tree Champion, Dallington and Brighton): We may not be able to restart group walks for a while due to COVID-19, so I’ve started putting together self-guided walks in the forest for people to use at their leisure. This is the first of (hopefully) many so I would really value your feedback on content, presentation and whether you found it helpful in guiding your walk.

Dallington Forest Walk No. 1 Ancient Forest Ghyll, Hollow Ways and the PoW Tree

Map of walkOn this walk you will experience one of Dallington Forest’s ancient woodland ghylls full of majestic veteran Beech trees, prehistoric rippled sandstone beds and the Prisoner of War tree, and also hollow ways formed by the feet of many millennia of travellers.

In Spring the ancient woodland ghyll is full of the sight and scent of stunningly beautiful bluebells and ransoms (wild garlic).  The starting and finishing point is the end of the metalled surface of Bakers Lane, Dallington. This is also the junction of three footpaths and a bridleway. Unfortunately, there is no car park here or in Dallington Forest and the nearest public parking is the lay-by on the B2096 at Wood Corner.

Download the full walk with map and descriptions:   Dallington Forest Walk 1

Length: 3.2 km (2 mi) [includes 1.5 km round-trip from/to car-parking]
Level of difficulty for people in normal health:

      • Under 50 yrs = Easy; you’ll hardly notice it
      • 50 – 60 yrs = Good exercise; it’ll raise your heart rate
      • 60 – 70 yrs = Taxing; you’ll know you’ve done it
      • Over 70 yrs = Quite challenging

DPC Extraordinary Council Meeting 24.06.20

Dallington Parish Council are holding an Extraordinary Council meeting on 24.06.20 at 7.00pm at DALLINGTON RECREATION GROUND.
This meeting is to sign-off the Annual Governance and Accountability Return 2019-20.
Strict social distancing and hygiene rules will apply.
Click on the link below to see the agenda.

Agenda

 

Coronavirus update 3 (24.03.20)

Now more than ever we must look after each other and at the same time make sure we are keeping ourselves and our families safe.
HELP AND CONTACT IS AVAILABLE
I have a list of Dallington people who are willing and able to do a bit of shopping, collect medication, etc.  Please do not hesitate to contact me – Irene (Parish Clerk) 01424 838414/email – clerk@dallington.org.uk if you need anything.
Phone your neighbours and friends, chat over the garden fence (keeping a safe distance away from each other, (2m is the recommended safe distance).
If you’ve never tried it before, use the link below to see how you can “video talk” to your family and friends – it’s a BBC website and safe.
Click on this link to see how you can video talk to your family and friends
There will be a fair number of Dallington people who do not look at this website and do not have an internet connection.  If you know of any, can you please make sure they get this information.
Dallington Parish Council are arranging a leaflet drop for every household.

LATEST INFORMATION
The sites below are safe for current information.
Click on this link for latest NHS coronavirus information
Click on this link for latest information on coronavirus from Central Government
Click on this link for latest information on coronavirus on BBC News

BEWARE OF SCAMS
1.  Do not open your door to anyone saying they are from the “health services” and have come to test you for coronavirus.
2.  Immediately delete any email you have concerns about.  Your bank, HMRC etc., will not be contacting you about coronavirus.
3.  Keep all your devices software updated and use decent virus software.
Sometimes I despair how evil some people can be during such a crisis, but then I look at all the offers of help and how communities are looking after each other and feel a lot better.

SHOPPING
We can go out to get essential supplies and medication.  I’ve been doing (with some help from Jim Gray – Dallington Councillor) some investigation into local shops/opening hours/priorities for keyworkers, the elderly and disabled.
1.  Sainsburys – Heathfield (applies to all Sainsburys shops)
Monday to Saturday 0730-800 priority for NHS workers (will need ID).
Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays – 0800-0900 priority for the elderly, keyworkers and disabled.
2.  Co-op – Heathfield and Battle
Monday to Friday 0800-0900 priority for keyworkers, the elderly and disabled.
3.  Waitrose – Heathfield
Monday to Saturday 0700-1000 first opening hour priority for keyworkers, the elderly and disabled.  They are also giving NHS workers priority at check-outs.
4.  Netherfield Stores and Post Office – will deliver and are always very helpful.
5.  Rushlake Green Village Store – 01435 830381, email – rgvs@btinternet.com
They will deliver, minimum spend £25.00, no delivery charge, payment by cash on delivery.  They will also bring items outside the shop for you to collect.
6.  The Old Orchard Village Shop – 07969 778985, will deliver, no minimum spend, no delivery charge.  Will also bring items out to the car park for you to collect.
7.  Zero, Heathfield (unpackaged/bulk/refillable food products and household products).  See their Facebook page for more details.  Phone 07391 490098.  You can collect at the shop.
Click on this link to go to the Zero Shop home page
8.  Eggs to Apples – phone 01580 860566 –
click here to go to the Eggs and Apples home page.
I’ve been trying to find sensible information from Jempsons in Battle – I know they are doing priority orders as the other supermarkets, but cannot find any definite information at the moment.
If anyone in your household is self-isolating due to experiencing coronavirus systems – please advise the delivery driver as they will need to take extra precautions.  You are also advised to limit contact with delivery drivers, get them to leave bags outside your door, don’t use an electronic signature device and wash your hands immediately after putting shopping away.
Dallington Parish Council advise that you contact any of the organisations above before actually going there and find out from them what their current policy is – it is possible that this could change rapidly.

THE ADVENTURES OF ALFIE
He’s got a big grin on his face at the moment – he was due for grooming today, but very sensibly his groomer has shut up shop for the duration.  He’s going to look like a miniature Yeti in a few weeks!  Freddie and I will have to wrangle him into the shower or get in with him

HOW ARE YOU ALL FEELING?
It’s a very strange and anxious time for us all.  Things are so quiet, I look out of my windows and there are no lights on in the Swan, we’ve lived opposite the Swan for over thirty years and it’s so strange to see it darkened.  Things are so quiet at night – very nice in a way – but different.  Wonderful night sky and no planes to be seen.  A great website for aircraft nerds is –
Click here for the flightradar23 website
It seems much quieter than normal.
I’ve been an insomniac all my life, just think Miss Haversham in a red, fluffy dressing gown!  I’ve been wandering around the house at 3am (this is quite usual for me), making myself cups of tea, playing with my iPad (thinking seriously about playing Skyrim again).  So what am I doing – knitting socks (I’m an expert), reading (a compulsive one), so thankful for my Kindle and I’ve just re-read all the Polity series by Neal Asher – any other Sci-Fi/Fantasy fans out there?  Maybe I’ll get my embroidery out again (stealth boast again, I’m an expert).
Let me know what you are all doing, hobbies, reading – this could be a great conversation during this emergency.  I can publish them and redact all your contact details.

Look after yourselves and stay safe.
Irene (Parish Clerk)

 

 

 

Road closure – The Street 20.03.20

The Street will be closed from 9.00am to 3.00pm on 20.03.20, from Prinkle Hill to Padgham Lane for ESCC Highways to carry out work on a jammed drainage grid.
Traffic will be diverted via Prinkle Hill, B3095 Earlsdown, Rookery Lane, Colliers Green, Padgham Lane and vice versa.

Click on this link to see full details on the ESCC Highways website

December 2019 Services & News

(posted on behalf of Bobbie Steel)

Church services in December

Sunday  1st             11am                 Service of The Word
8th                            6.30pm            Evensong
15th                           11am                 Holy Communion
22nd                       6.30pm             Lessons and Carols
24th                       11.30pm     Christmas Holy  Communion
29th.                      11am.               Service of The Word
After the carol service there will be coffee and mulled wine and mince pies. The repaired heating in the church is working very effectively. One rather imagines that for years we have been heating the space under the foundations and now the heat is being directed inside. The disruption in the vestry made it a very good time to clean and paint, and a working party, led by John Day, has made a remarkable difference. A new carpet has been laid and now our Treasurer, Douglas Sewell,  is negotiating with our insurers as to the division of fiscal responsibility, or, who pays for what?

The Christmas tree will be brought into the church and decorated on Saturday December 14th. This will be after the school Nativity Service and in time for the children’s Carol Service before they break up.
Everyone is welcome to help on tree-decorating morning. It is always a very jolly time, just arrive between 10.30 and 11ish.

Dallington WI.
By the time this article is published in the magazines the W.I. here in Dallington will have held the Annual Meeting at which it will be wound up. There will be one last Christmas lunch on December 19th, in the Old School Village Hall at 12 for 12.30.

Dallington Planning Application – RR/2019/2199/P

Planning application for Dallington.
Swan Farm, Woods Corner – partial demolition and partial conversion of existing agricultural buildings and construction of two detached dwellings with associated parking.
Click on the link below for full details
http://planweb01.rother.gov.uk/OcellaWeb/planningDetails?reference=RR/2019/2199/P&from=planningSearch

This planning application will be on the agenda at the Dallington Parish Council planning meeting on 15.10.19 – agenda to follow.

 

 

 

 

New Parish Councillor for Dallington PC

Dallington Parish Councillor has a new member – he is Jim Gray who was co-opted for the casual vacancy at our meeting on 16.07.19 and we are delighted to welcome him aboard.
His contact details are phone – 07963 422008 and email – jimgrayhr@gmail.com – his details are also on the Who We Are Page.
Irene – Parish Clerk

Dallington Forest Rare Insects Found

(Posted on behalf of Doug Edworthy )

Photo of wetland cranefly
Photo ©️ J. Salmela

Dallington Forest is home to so many treasures. A recent survey – Dallington Forest Saproxylic Invertebrate Sampling report – just published, has found a number of nationally rare and endangered species including a wetland cranefly Ellipteroides alboscutellatus (pictured here)  described in the report as “a remarkable discovery”

From April through October 2018, 150 species of insect were identified from sampling in Dallington Forest; 48 of the Coleoptera species, 37 of the Diptera and 2 Hemiptera were saproxylic – dependent on decaying wood, giving a total of 87 saproxylic species; 16 of the species trapped are of special note due to their rarity across Britain, and these comprise 5 Nationally Rare and 11 Nationally Scarce species.

The report by Ecological Consultant Dr. Keith Alexander was commissioned by Dallington Forest Project. It was funded by a grant from Sussex Lund, grant application assisted by the Woodland Trust, Ancients of the Future (a Buglife project funded by the heritage Lottery Fund) provided traps and materials, and Peter Chandler identified the Diptera.

A PDF copy of the report is available here:
Dallington Forest Saproxylic Invertebrate Sampling 2018 Keith Alexander

Saproxylic invertebrates are those invertebrates that are dependent on dead or decaying wood (or dependent on other organisms that are themselves dependent on dead wood). These invertebrates may not be dependent on the wood for their entire life cycle but at least some stage is dependent on wood.

A good example of this are the larvae of some beetles that feed on decaying wood. The adults may feed on other things (such as nectar).

Dead wood is an essential component of woodland ecosystems, but one that is often overlooked and cleared away as unsightly or on the grounds of safety or neatness. As a result, invertebrate species that rely on dead wood are now some of the most threatened in Britain. It is vital to retain a variety of dead wood habitats within the woodland. This includes standing trees, dead branches, stems and snags on living trees and fallen branches and stumps. A range of dead wood at all stages of decay will provide a range of habitats for more specialist saproxylic (dead wood) invertebrates.

See the following websites for more information about saproxylic invertebrates: –

https://www.buglife.org.uk/search?combine_2=saproxylic

http://ec.europa.eu/…/spec…/redlist/beetles/introduction.htm

https://www.amentsoc.org/insects/glossary/terms/saproxylic

April 2019 Parish news

(Posted on behalf of Bobbie Steel)
St Giles Church
Services in April

  • Sunday  7th April        11 am.       Service of The Word
  • Sunday 14th              6.30 pm.      Evensong
  • Sunday 21st.              11 am.           Easter Sunday Holy Communion
  • Sunday 28th.            9.30am.       Holy Communion

The World Day of Prayer service was held at Dallington on Friday March 1st. As well as members of the congregations in our benefice we were joined by friends from Heathfield. The service, which had been prepared by the women of Slovenia, was very thought-provoking, and the title, “Come, everything is ready”, welcomed and included all present.

History Group: the last two meetings of this Spring will be:
Wednesday April 10th  Jenny Stiles will talk about Dallington after 1066.
Wednesday April 24th Douglas Sewell (postponed from March) on Dallington’s war graves
Both meetings in the Old School from 7 for 7.30pm

Flower Club Angela has written a note about the Flower Club:
I am very sorry to say that, reluctantly, it has been decided to finish the monthly meetings. This is mainly due to the lack of support and interest. Looking back, we have learned a great deal and had many happy afternoons. I think it began some 8 or 9 years ago when Dorothy Messer approached Pam Fuller with the idea of starting a flower-arranging group locally. We have made large and miniature arrangements, used a kitchen utensil and a dustpan, made Harvest and Christmas wreaths, joined in with a couple of Flower-Festivals and learned to make Christmas arrangements to use at home. I also remember trying to make crepe-paper poppies, daffodils and anemones. How hopeless we were. Pam used to tell us that the Brownies she taught were much less awkward than us! Many thanks to Pam for all her help and enthusiasm over many happy Thursday afternoons.  Angela.

Dallington WI. At our February meeting we had the pleasure of listening to our neighbour, Robin Taylor, talking about the life and work of Elizabeth Bishop, a poet of whom he is very knowledgeable. We very much enjoyed hearing Robin share his interest.
In April we look forward to a return visit from Chris McCooey, with his talk entitled, ‘News from the Home Front’. The April meeting will be in the Old School Village Hall at 7.30pm on April 18th.
Please note the summer evening time and do not get caught out by arriving in the afternoon. Visitors are always very welcome.
Bobbie

Library Cafe As usual the Library Cafe is open in the Old School village hall every Monday (except Easter Monday) from 2-4. The monthly Saturday morning openings are April 6th and May 4th 10-12. We will be including a sales table for plants and produce in all Saturday sessions throughout the season – please bring along any spare plants, seeds and garden produce to swap or sell