Address
Monkmead Lane
West Chiltington
RH20 2PG
United Kingdom
PARKING: Park and meet in the car park at the junction of Monkmead Lane and Nyetimber Lane, West Chiltington. The postcode is RH20 2PG and the OS map reference is TQ07861 16970. Parking is limited so it’s a good idea to be early!
The wood borders the West Sussex Golf Course and is crossed from NW to SE by the course of a Roman Road. It forms part of the South Downs National Park.
The River Chilt, a tributary of the River Arun, flows through the wood and floods often occur after heavy rain.
Himalayan Balsam (see image below)
The river helps to spread the seeds of the invasive Himalayan Balsam and most of the plants can be seen on its banks and the low-lying ground alongside. They can reach 2-3m (6-10ft) in height. Between June and October, it produces clusters of purplish-pink (or, rarely, white) helmet-shaped flowers. Each plant can produce up to 800 seeds. These are dispersed widely as the ripe seedpods shoot their seeds up to 7m (22ft) away.
The plant is spread by two principal means:
# Once established in the catchment of a river the seeds, which can remain viable for two years, are transported further afield by water.
# And, would you believe it? The most widespread distribution tends to be by human means where ‘friends’ pass seed to others!
Skunk Cabbage
This is another invasive plant which thrives in the soggier (and muddier) spots and is named partly due to the distinctive “skunky” odour that it emits when it blooms. With its very large leaves and rapid rate of spread, it can out-compete native plants and cause extensive damage locally. Its yellow flowers are visible above the mud in early spring. The stems remain buried below the surface of the soil with the leaves emerging later. It is best to use a spade to be able to dig deep enough to extract the whole root.
Our tasks on this site are often linked with the control of one or both of these plants.