Tilley's Copse

Tilley’s Copse is an ancient woodland surrounded by a new housing development, owned and managed by Hurstpierpoint and Sayers Common Parish Council.  In 2021, the Lost Woods team surveyed the woods and found it was blighted with the presence of invasive ground flora, as well as green fly tipping and unmanaged access.  

The team recommended that the woodland was thinned so that the best trees would have more space to grow.  This had the additional benefit of allowing more light to reach the flowers and shrubs, providing more food and shelter for wildlife including birds, bats and small mammals, and the invertebrates they feed on.  

The Lost Woods team also recommended that the vast majority of invasive periwinkle was removed by hand and this was completed thanks to the hard work and effort from local volunteers.  

A representative from the parish council said:

“The advice and funding provided by the Lost Woods Project has been vital in improving our knowledge and understanding of our small ancient woodlands, giving us direction and providing funds that are otherwise unavailable to meet long-term management targets."

“Without the project funding we would not have been able to action the capital work required to undertake the woodland management that can only be undertaken by professional arborists. We are now in a much better position to deliver well-informed small-scale management through our volunteer group and smaller scale capital works.  With Lost Woods help we are also in a better position to train these volunteers in good woodland management practices.”