Ashdown Forest

Ashdown Forest is one of the largest free public access spaces in the South East, covering over 6,500 acres of heathland, woodland and valleys. A designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Special Protection Area, it supports an extraordinary range of wildlife including Dartford warblers, nightjars, woodlarks, fallow deer, adders and a rich diversity of butterflies and dragonflies.

The forest is best known as the inspiration for A.A. Milne's Hundred Acre Wood, but for naturalists it's a treasure trove of lowland heath — one of Europe's rarest habitats. Below are recent wildlife sightings from the area.