Overview
The Mens is a 160ha Sussex Wildlife Trust reserve near the town of Petworth and a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
The reserve covers seven pockets of ancient woodland and a meadow and was once commonland. This has meant that unlike most of the woodlands in southern England, grazing rights prevented coppicing and so the result was the development of "high forest".
Although some tree-felling has taken place the woodlands remain relatively unmanaged and trees range from saplings to tall forest specimens. Oak and Beech are common here with an understorey of Holly and rarer species such as Midland Hawthorn and Wild Service Tree.
Birds
Notable Species
The birdlife of the Mens includes a range of species typical of a southern English woodland although the range here is somewhat greater than many similar-sized woods. Tawny Owl and Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Eurasian Woodcock, Stock Dove and European Turtle Dove and all three British woodpeckers occur.
Eurasian Nuthatch and Common Treecreeper are present along with five species of tit and warblers such as Garden Warbler and Blackcap, Common Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler. Other species include Goldcrest and Common Nightingale, Lesser Redpoll, Common Bullfinch and Yellowhammer.
Check-list
Birds you can see here include:
Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Kestrel, Common Pheasant, Eurasian Woodcock, Stock Dove, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, European Turtle Dove, Common Cuckoo, Tawny Owl, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Common Wren, Dunnock, Eurasian Robin, Common Nightingale, Eurasian Blackbird, Fieldfare, Song Thrush, Redwing, Mistle Thrush, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Common Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit, Marsh Tit, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Eurasian Nuthatch, Common Treecreeper, Common Jay, Common Magpie, Eurasian Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Common Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Brambling, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Eurasian Linnet, Lesser Redpoll, Common Bullfinch, Yellowhammer
Other Wildlife
Roe Deer, Badger and Fox are present on the reserve and Fallow Deer and Muntjac may also be seen on occasion.
Scarce butterflies such as White Admiral and Purple Emperor are also present.
Wood Anemone, Bugle and Bluebell are abundant in spring and ancient woodland indicator plants such as Butcher's Broom can be found.
As an ancient woodland with a varied age-structure of the trees, the Mens is nationally famous for its invertebrate fauna and particularly the beetles that are found on decaying wood. The woodland of the Mens is also well-known as one of the best sites for fungi in Britain with a huge number of species identified.
Site Information
History and Use
To do
Areas of Interest
To do
Access and Facilities
The reserve lies to the east of Petworth on the A272 road to Billingshurst and the easiest way to explore the woodland is to park in the car-park on the minor road from the A272 to Hawkhurst Court.
Contact Details
To do
External Links
Content and images originally posted by Steve
