← Back🌲 Conifer forest

Commons Wood

✦ Ancient woodland8 ha

WildlifeSeasonalBirds

Free entryDogs welcome8 ha

Getting here

50.97293, 0.59116

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Visiting this summer

Seasonal nature notes and what to look for now

🌞Midsummer — early morning visits most comfortable; look for deer fawns in quieter clearings
✦Historic character is a year-round quality here — summer brings its own atmosphere to the setting
🐕Dogs welcome — bring water in summer; the site has enough space to find shade on hot days

🌤️ Visiting this summer

🌞Midsummer — early morning visits most comfortable; look for deer fawns in quieter clearings
✦Historic character is a year-round quality here — summer brings its own atmosphere to the setting
🐕Dogs welcome — bring water in summer; the site has enough space to find shade on hot days

Good to know

£Free to visit — no entry charge
🐕Dogs welcome
🌿Ancient woodland — rare wildlife habitat

Best for

6 activities

Wildlife

Very strong match

Multi-group wildlife — Amphibians, Birds, Mammals, Reptiles; Multi-group wildlife — Amphibians, Birds, Mammals, Reptiles

Free

Seasonal nature

Strong match

Ancient woodland — bluebells, fungi and autumn colour; Plants — Early-purple Orchid, Mistletoe, Common Cow-wheat +18 more · last seen 2026

Free

Bird watching

Strong match

Birds — Tawny Owl, Marsh Tit, Blackbird +37 more · last seen 2026; Birds — Tawny Owl, Marsh Tit, Blackbird +37 more · last seen 2026

Free

Insect spotting

Strong match

Insects — Azure Damselfly, Emperor Dragonfly, Large Red Damselfly +352 more · last seen 2025; Insects — Azure Damselfly, Emperor Dragonfly, Large Red Damselfly +352 more · last seen 2025

Free

Heritage

Good match

Ancient woodland — historic landscape

Free

Forest walks

Moderate match

Public woodland

Free

Trails nearby

Within roughly 5 km

🚶

Walking

1 signed route nearby

Signed route nearby

Sussex Border PathWalking route220 km

Named routeLength 220 kmRegional walking route

Wildlife to spot

9,726 records · National Biodiversity Network

Wildlife to spot

9,726 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds41 species

spring

2026

Tawny Owl · Blackbird · Buzzard · Goldfinch · Goldcrest +36

Tawny OwlStrix aluco2025
BlackbirdTurdus merula2025
BuzzardButeo buteo2025
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis2025
GoldcrestRegulus regulus2025
RobinErithacus rubecula2025
Red KiteMilvus milvus2025
SwallowHirundo rustica2025
Herring GullLarus argentatus2025
GreenfinchChloris chloris
Marsh TitPoecile palustris2025
NuthatchSitta europaea2025
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major2025
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus2025
WrenTroglodytes troglodytes2025
Carrion CrowCorvus corone2025
Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis2025
Stock DoveColumba oenas2025
SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus2025
CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo2025
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs2025
WoodpigeonColumba palumbus2025
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba yarrellii2025
StarlingSturnus vulgaris2025
Common RedpollAcanthis flammea flammea/rostrata2025
LinnetLinaria cannabina2025
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus2025
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus2025
Little EgretEgretta garzetta2025
Great TitParus major2025
MagpiePica pica2025
JackdawColoeus monedula2025
House SparrowPasser domesticus2025
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus2025
KestrelFalco tinnunculus2025
Song ThrushTurdus philomelos2024
DunnockPrunella modularis2024
SiskinSpinus spinus2024
Garden WarblerSylvia borin2024
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus2024
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus2024

🦌

Mammals9 species

springautumn

2025

Wood Mouse · Fallow Deer · Red Fox · Hazel Dormouse · Grey Squirrel +4

Wood MouseApodemus sylvaticus2023
Fallow DeerDama dama
Red FoxVulpes vulpes
Hazel DormouseMuscardinus avellanarius2024
Grey SquirrelSciurus carolinensis
RabbitOryctolagus cuniculus
Polecat-FerretMustela furo x putorius2024
Brown Long-eared BatPlecotus auritus2023
Yellow-necked MouseApodemus flavicollis2023

🦎

Reptiles2 species

summer

2024

Grass Snake · Common Lizard

Grass SnakeNatrix helvetica
Common LizardZootoca vivipara2023

🐸

Amphibians5 species

winter

2026

Great Crested Newt · Smooth Newt · Palmate Newt · Common Frog · Common Toad

Great Crested NewtTriturus cristatus
Smooth NewtLissotriton vulgaris
Palmate NewtLissotriton helveticus
Common FrogRana temporaria
Common ToadBufo bufo

🐝

Insects29 species

springsummer

2025

Emperor Dragonfly · Azure Damselfly · Large Red Damselfly · Broad-bodied Chaser · Common Darter +24

Emperor DragonflyAnax imperator
Azure DamselflyCoenagrion puella
Large Red DamselflyPyrrhosoma nymphula
Broad-bodied ChaserLibellula depressa
Common DarterSympetrum striolatum
Four-spotted ChaserLibellula quadrimaculata
Beautiful DemoiselleCalopteryx virgo2024
Migrant HawkerAeshna mixta2023
Blue-tailed DamselflyIschnura elegans
Southern HawkerAeshna cyanea
Glow-wormLampyris noctiluca2024
Lesser Stag BeetleDorcus parallelipipedus2024
Harlequin LadybirdHarmonia axyridis
Golden-ringed DragonflyCordulegaster boltonii
7-spot LadybirdCoccinella septempunctata
Meadow GrasshopperPseudochorthippus parallelus
Common Ground-hopperTetrix undulata
Roesel's Bush-cricketRoeseliana roeselii
White-legged DamselflyPlatycnemis pennipes
Red-tailed BumblebeeBombus lapidarius
Metylophorus nebulosusMetylophorus nebulosus2024
Peplomyza lituraPeplomyza litura2024
Wool Carder BeeAnthidium manicatum2024
Minotaur BeetleTyphaeus typhoeus2024
Alder Disc-minerHeterarthrus vagans2023
Willow Emerald DamselflyChalcolestes viridis2023
Small Red-eyed DamselflyErythromma viridulum2023
Banded DemoiselleCalopteryx splendens2023
Common Blue DamselflyEnallagma cyathigerum2023

🌿

Plants13 species

wintersummerautumn

2026

Mistletoe · Fox-and-cubs · Wood Anemone · Lords-and-Ladies · Bank Haircap +8

MistletoeViscum album
Fox-and-cubsPilosella aurantiaca2023
Wood AnemoneAnemone nemorosa
Lords-and-LadiesArum maculatum
Bank HaircapPolytrichum formosum
Heath SpeedwellVeronica officinalis2025
Common Cow-wheatMelampyrum pratense2024
Marsh WoundwortStachys palustris2024
BetonyBetonica officinalis2024
GoldenrodSolidago virgaurea2024
Musk-mallowMalva moschata2024
Corn MintMentha arvensis2024
Bitter-vetchLathyrus linifolius2024

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

9,726 records · National Biodiversity Network

🐦

Birds41 species

spring

2026

Tawny Owl · Blackbird · Buzzard · Goldfinch · Goldcrest +36

Tawny OwlStrix aluco2025
BlackbirdTurdus merula2025
BuzzardButeo buteo2025
GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis2025
GoldcrestRegulus regulus2025
RobinErithacus rubecula2025
Red KiteMilvus milvus2025
SwallowHirundo rustica2025
Herring GullLarus argentatus2025
GreenfinchChloris chloris
Marsh TitPoecile palustris2025
NuthatchSitta europaea2025
Great Spotted WoodpeckerDendrocopos major2025
Long-tailed TitAegithalos caudatus2025
WrenTroglodytes troglodytes2025
Carrion CrowCorvus corone2025
Green WoodpeckerPicus viridis2025
Stock DoveColumba oenas2025
SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus2025
CormorantPhalacrocorax carbo2025
ChaffinchFringilla coelebs2025
WoodpigeonColumba palumbus2025
Pied WagtailMotacilla alba yarrellii2025
StarlingSturnus vulgaris2025
Common RedpollAcanthis flammea flammea/rostrata2025
LinnetLinaria cannabina2025
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundus2025
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus2025
Little EgretEgretta garzetta2025
Great TitParus major2025
MagpiePica pica2025
JackdawColoeus monedula2025
House SparrowPasser domesticus2025
Blue TitCyanistes caeruleus2025
KestrelFalco tinnunculus2025
Song ThrushTurdus philomelos2024
DunnockPrunella modularis2024
SiskinSpinus spinus2024
Garden WarblerSylvia borin2024
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilus2024
Reed BuntingEmberiza schoeniclus2024

🦌

Mammals9 species

springautumn

2025

Wood Mouse · Fallow Deer · Red Fox · Hazel Dormouse · Grey Squirrel +4

Wood MouseApodemus sylvaticus2023
Fallow DeerDama dama
Red FoxVulpes vulpes
Hazel DormouseMuscardinus avellanarius2024
Grey SquirrelSciurus carolinensis
RabbitOryctolagus cuniculus
Polecat-FerretMustela furo x putorius2024
Brown Long-eared BatPlecotus auritus2023
Yellow-necked MouseApodemus flavicollis2023

🦎

Reptiles2 species

summer

2024

Grass Snake · Common Lizard

Grass SnakeNatrix helvetica
Common LizardZootoca vivipara2023

🐸

Amphibians5 species

winter

2026

Great Crested Newt · Smooth Newt · Palmate Newt · Common Frog · Common Toad

Great Crested NewtTriturus cristatus
Smooth NewtLissotriton vulgaris
Palmate NewtLissotriton helveticus
Common FrogRana temporaria
Common ToadBufo bufo

🐝

Insects29 species

springsummer

2025

Emperor Dragonfly · Azure Damselfly · Large Red Damselfly · Broad-bodied Chaser · Common Darter +24

Emperor DragonflyAnax imperator
Azure DamselflyCoenagrion puella
Large Red DamselflyPyrrhosoma nymphula
Broad-bodied ChaserLibellula depressa
Common DarterSympetrum striolatum
Four-spotted ChaserLibellula quadrimaculata
Beautiful DemoiselleCalopteryx virgo2024
Migrant HawkerAeshna mixta2023
Blue-tailed DamselflyIschnura elegans
Southern HawkerAeshna cyanea
Glow-wormLampyris noctiluca2024
Lesser Stag BeetleDorcus parallelipipedus2024
Harlequin LadybirdHarmonia axyridis
Golden-ringed DragonflyCordulegaster boltonii
7-spot LadybirdCoccinella septempunctata
Meadow GrasshopperPseudochorthippus parallelus
Common Ground-hopperTetrix undulata
Roesel's Bush-cricketRoeseliana roeselii
White-legged DamselflyPlatycnemis pennipes
Red-tailed BumblebeeBombus lapidarius
Metylophorus nebulosusMetylophorus nebulosus2024
Peplomyza lituraPeplomyza litura2024
Wool Carder BeeAnthidium manicatum2024
Minotaur BeetleTyphaeus typhoeus2024
Alder Disc-minerHeterarthrus vagans2023
Willow Emerald DamselflyChalcolestes viridis2023
Small Red-eyed DamselflyErythromma viridulum2023
Banded DemoiselleCalopteryx splendens2023
Common Blue DamselflyEnallagma cyathigerum2023

🌿

Plants13 species

wintersummerautumn

2026

Mistletoe · Fox-and-cubs · Wood Anemone · Lords-and-Ladies · Bank Haircap +8

MistletoeViscum album
Fox-and-cubsPilosella aurantiaca2023
Wood AnemoneAnemone nemorosa
Lords-and-LadiesArum maculatum
Bank HaircapPolytrichum formosum
Heath SpeedwellVeronica officinalis2025
Common Cow-wheatMelampyrum pratense2024
Marsh WoundwortStachys palustris2024
BetonyBetonica officinalis2024
GoldenrodSolidago virgaurea2024
Musk-mallowMalva moschata2024
Corn MintMentha arvensis2024
Bitter-vetchLathyrus linifolius2024

Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas

Wildlife to spot

Photos

📷 N Chadwick · Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0

Commons Wood

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Nearby places

Useful places within 5 km

✦Romano-British site S of Bodiam BridgeHistoric site4.5 km→✦A quadrangular castle and its landscaped setting, an associated millpond, medieval crofts and cultivation earthworks, and a World War II pillbox at BodiamHistoric site4.7 km→🌱Great DixterUrban park2.6 km→🌱Vegetable GardenUrban park2.6 km→🌱High GardenUrban park2.6 km→✦Brede High FarmHistoric site2.8 km→

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