Hollingbury Woods

Devastated in ‘Great Storm’

These woods are five minutes walk from our house and we are members of ‘Friends of Hollingbury Woods’ helping out on various woodland tasks and clearing litter. I lived south of the woods in the 1980s and after the Great Storm of October 1987 they were devastated. Brighton Council schemes to ‘tidy it up’ met with huge opposition from us ‘natives’ and the Friends were set up.

Haven for wildlife

The woods appear on the 1842 Patcham Tithe map and are a link with a much earlier landscape. Considering they are hemmed in on three sides by housing they have remained a haven for wildlife and are one of the hidden gems of the city. Constant work on the management of the woods has seen a fall off in their prior use as a destination for joy-ridden cars and fly-tipping.

A peaceful spot

We have created steps to reduce erosion on steep slopes, planted native bulbs and new native trees, opened up glades and erected bat and bird boxes and created new hedges. All very satisfying and a very peaceful spot in a busy city