Project Name

West Weald Woods

Country

England

Current land designations

Two reserves lie within SAC, INR, SSSI

Specific location

Sussex

Year rewilding started

2001

Grid reference

SU990280

Location

Latitude: 51 02 34 N Longitude: 00 35 21 W

Altitude

Project Management

Ownership: Mainly Sussex Wildlife Trust reserve land, but also working on land outside the reserves owned by private landowners and tenant farmers

Management: Partnership

Area under rewilding (hectares)

80ha

Project funding

Heritage Lottery Fund, English Nature, Environment Agency

Rewilding methods

Drain blockage to create wetland; Creation of pasture woodland through leaving native woodland to a process of natural regeneration and allowing scrub to invade; Intensive cattle grazing; Hedgerow management and creation of buffer strips

Habitats present

Native woodland of dense beech and yew, European designated for the protection of bat habitats, semi-natural vegetation, wetland

Target species

Barbastelle bat (flagship species)

Species reintroductions

None. Allowing species to find their own way back.

Access to the area

Open public access

Links to further information

West Weald Landscapes Project: www.westweald.org.uk/index.html