Many of us appreciate the Sussex Downs for the stunning walks and iconic views but they are also home to Britain’s most ancient grasslands which host multiple iconic wildlife such as the Adonis blue and Chalkhill blue butterflies and one of Britain’s most endangered insects, the Wart-biter bush-cricket. This rare calcareous (chalky) grassland dates back some 6,000 years when people first began clearing forests and has been formed by grazing from both livestock and wild animals.
Chalk grassland is one of the richest habitats of Western Europe and around half of it is here in the UK. The thin downland soil sits upon limestone, formed from the remains of tiny marine organisms from seas which covered much of Britain around 70 to 100 million years ago.
Limestone is relatively alkaline and it is this, together with the warmer, drier climate of the South Coast, which supports such a rich and diverse range of plants and insects that it’s sometimes referred to as ‘Europe’s tropical rainforest’.
However, due to intensive farming and urban development, this ecosystem is now very rare and fragmented which is a concern given how its unique flora supports the whole food chain.
Incredible biodiversity
Last Summer, through my work at Brighton and Hove Food Partnership, I had the good fortune to take part in a biodiversity survey with National Trust rangers on Newtimber Hill just north of Brighton. The Trust surveys sites periodically to monitor the condition of priority habitats.
So while butterflies flitted across the landscape and skylarks trilled around us, my colleagues and I found many exciting wild plants.
We recorded wild marjoram (Origanum vulgare), also known as oregano, a herb widely used in Mediterranean cooking and an excellent food source for multiple insects. We saw red bartsia (Odontites verna), a spectacular and important plant popular with carder bees and wasps. In fact, one species of solitary bee feeds on nothing else.
We also saw birds foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), a member of the pea family also known as ‘Eggs and Bacon’ because of the red streaks on the yellow flowers. One of most common grassland flowers, it gets its name from the seed pods that are shaped like bird’s feet and is an important source of food for the caterpillars of the common blue, silver-studded blue and wood white butterflies.
The nectar of Devil’s-bit scabious (Succisa pratensis) attracts a host of butterflies and bees, including the painted lady butterfly that arrives here in summer from Europe and Africa. Its name comes from its truncated roots; they look as if they’ve been bitten off, as legend has it, by the Devil.
Wildflowers have been important to humans for centuries
As well as supporting rare pollinators, wildflowers have been important to humans for centuries. Take Viper’s bugloss (Echium vulgare), for example. This pretty blue flower from the borage family takes its name from ancient times when the plant’s root was used to treat snake bites.
The ‘frothy’ yellow flowers of Lady’s bedstraw (Galium verum) have a sweet, honey-like scent. The name is probably derived from the tradition of stuffing straw mattresses with it, particularly those of women about to give birth. Not a bad choice of bedding because as well as being soft and aromatic, it is also thought to have repelled fleas!
Until the 18th century, the flowers were used in cheese-making. Its leaves and stems both curdled and sweetened milk and gave cheese its yellow colour. Traditional Cheddar and Double Gloucester cheeses were once made in this way.
It won’t surprise you to know that Eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis), a dainty, white-petalled plant with purple veins and yellow centres, was traditionally used for eye disorders. But it is also semi-parasitic, feeding off the nutrients from the roots of nearby grasses and this makes it very useful for suppressing vigorous grasses and allowing more delicate wildflowers to thrive.
Among the most spectacular of our wildflowers is the Round-headed Rampion (Phyteuma orbiculare), now overwhelmingly localised, and nationally scarce. This deep blue/purple flower is known as the ‘Pride of Sussex’ and, as our county’s flower, gives its name to the Rampion offshore wind farm.
After an afternoon bent over peering inside this treasure trove of biodiversity, we almost missed the magnificent Red Kite swooping over our heads, a reminder that the tiny, often ignored plants we were studying support a much wider ecosystem. The Horseshoe vetch (Hippocrepis comosa), for example, is the sole food source for caterpillars of the Chalkhill blue and Adonis blue butterflies.
This unique grassland also supports ground-nesting birds such as skylarks and meadow pipits while solitary bees and wasps make use of the bare chalk to create burrows and lay their eggs.
Growing and multiple threats to the biodiversity of the Downs
As I think is widely known now, pollinator insects, on which much of our food depends, face multiple threats including habitat loss, climate change and the effects of fertilisers and pesticides used in farming.
Looking across the distinctive ridge of the South Downs, one of the rangers pointed to the bright green fields, where fertiliser had been applied, and declared them too rich for plants that sustain our wildlife. By contrast, the areas that were a brownish green were sure to be teeming with life.
One way to maintain the rich biodiversity of the Downs is through conservation grazing which can help ensure fragile grassland habitats are kept in good condition.
Grazing sheep and cattle in a way that replicates wild herbivores encourages biodiversity of wildlife and plants. It reduces the demand for chemicals, improves the soil quality and supports the chalklands, which for decades have filtered and protected our water supply.
It’s why my organisation, through the Changing Chalk Partnership, created Sussex Grazed, a meat box scheme sourcing high quality, grass-fed animals from the Sussex Downs.
Operating between Shoreham and Eastbourne, the scheme allows local people to enjoy sustainably reared meat from the surrounding countryside while giving farmers involved a fair price.
It’s also important to note that, as well as boosting biodiversity, species-rich grasslands, like these ones on our doorstep, are huge carbon stores and, when managed carefully, can lock in carbon for years.
So next time you’re out on the Downs, as well as enjoying the stunning views, be sure to look down and marvel at the tiny wonders beneath your feet.
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