Friends of Brandy Hole Copse

20/04/2026

Really pleased that we managed to get good enough photos to confirm ID of a Lesser Diving-Beetle from Cops pond:
https://uk.inaturalist.org/observations/350812784 .

One of the other species noticed whilst doing the Sussex Amphibian and Reptile Group - SXARG amphibian survey.

19/04/2026

David Attenborough's Secret Garden (in the Lake District) this evening showed palmate newts and the individual egg-laying, each requiring a leaf to be folded. These photos are from Cops pond yesterday where the overnight bottle-trap survey counted 20 palmate newts and just 1 smooth newt.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002sthz

18/04/2026

We found both types of tadpole in this weekend's amphibian survey (although only a couple in the bottle traps). Will put photos in comments.

18/04/2026

Really grateful to Sussex Amphibian & Reptile Group (SxARG) for this weekend's amphibian survey, taking in the western ponds that were desilted in January, and the seasonal pond in the small field.

16/04/2026

Heard the requests to stick to paths when walking through bluebell woods? Maybe think "but it's just me, it won't matter" and love the idea of a perfect in-the-bluebells photograph?
This National Trust article explains why it is important to enjoy bluebells from the path:
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/our-cause/nature-climate/nature-conservation/how-we-care-for-bluebells .

On a related subject, we've noticed more paths appearing in the Copse where people have wanted to avoid muddy sections, or just wanted to get in amongst the trees, maybe build a camp/hang out. They're visible because the footfall has squashed the air out of the soil so nothing can grow. For plants to return (and tree roots in these areas to regenerate) they'll need to be aerated again by soil organisms (worms and things). And this will take time, and people keeping off them.
So, please enjoy the Copse whilst sticking to the original paths. You may notice the start of some attempts to obscure the newer cut-through paths to allow the soil and vegetation to recover. Fingers crossed this will work.

Find out how we work to look after the UK’s bluebell population and what you can do to help us protect this much-loved wild flower.

14/04/2026

There are few wildflower displays anywhere in the world that can compete with that of a misty carpet of bluebells in the dappled light of an ancient woodland. Britain is said to be home to half of world’s Hyacinthoides non-scripta flowers. But, whilst other countries have wild bluebells, few can produce the extensive displays to rival an English woodland.

Because of the slow pace at which they spread, bluebells are an indicator species of ancient woodland (woodland that has existed continuously since 1600). Did we not have bluebell woods it is the sort of display that we would travel far across the world to see.

“There is a silent eloquence in every wild bluebell that fills my softened heart with bliss.” from The Bluebell by Anne Brontë, 1840.

Bluebells feature quite prominently in English folklore and it is believed that to step on these delicate flowers growing beneath an oak tree is to risk the wrath of the woodland fairies, whose revenge will be to cause the perpetrator to become enchanted and die soon after. It was also believed that the bells rang out to summon fairies to gatherings and that any human hearing the bell ring would also die. In some parts of the country it is thought unlucky to take bluebells into the house, although, under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 it is actually illegal to dig up the bulbs. Even in the language of flowers the bluebell stands for sorrowful regret, although on a cheerier note it also stands for constancy.

On a more practical level the sap was once used to provide glue in bookbinding and fletchers once used it to glue feathers onto the shafts of arrows. In Elizabethan times the starch contained in the plant was used to stiffen the ruffs worn around the necks of fashionable ladies and gentlemen.

05/01/2026

Update on contractor's intentions:
the western pedestrian access will mostly remain open, with limited closures for safe movement of equipment. Works expected to complete this week.

🌳 Please note that we will be carrying out pond silt removal work at Brandy Hole Copse from today (Monday 5 January) for approximately one week.

For safety, an area of the copse - near Willow and Copse ponds close to the green metal container - will be cordoned off and the entrance to this area from the western part of Brandy Hole Lane will be temporarily closed.

The ponds were originally dug by Military Police in the early 1990s and support a breeding population of frogs, toads and newts. The pond silt removal work plays an important role in the ongoing biodiversity of these ponds.

31/12/2025

The Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland's New Year Plant Hunt runs from tomorrow (New Year's Day) up to and including Sunday 4th January 2026. The instructions look easy - simply record the wild/naturalised plants you see in flower - this could be at/around Brandy Hole Copse, if you visit, or whichever part of our countryside spaces you happen to be out and about in. Do let us know how you get on - we love learning what visitors notice.
We're hoping to get more info. online about what's been spotted as and when volunteer time allows. Find what we've managed so far via https://www.treesinchi.org/wildlife-at-brandy-hole-copse .

We're T-32.5 hours from the start of our next New Year Plant Hunt, and look at all these amazing Group Hunts that are gearing up!

If you have one near you, you can find all the details on our Group Hunt page: https://bsbi.org/take-part/activities/new-year-plant-hunt/group-hunts

But of course you can also head out by yourself, with friends and family, or as an informal group. The important thing is you let us know what wild plants you find in flower from 1 to 4 January.

For full details, see our website: https://bsbi.org/take-part/activities/new-year-plant-hunt