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• Railway land project

Railway Land, Lewes

This site in the heart of Lewes was designated a Local Nature Reserve in 1995, saving it from development.

Nestling on the flood plain of the River Ouse, the Lewes Railway Land Nature reserve consists of 25 acres of mixed habitats, including wet woodland, floodplain grassland, ponds and species rich drainage ditches, former fruit orchards and allotments and scrub areas.

The site extends to 60 acres if including the adjacent flood plain grassland meadows that owned by a local farmer and managed under Countryside Stewardship.

Until 1989 the site was occupied by extensive railway sidings and the embankment of the former Lewes to Uckfield railway line.

Woodlands

In the woodland once stood a large Victorian town house; the Leighside Estate. This contained formal gardens and landscaped fishponds.

This area has now succeeded into a diverse woodland habitat, consisting of mainly Willow, Alder and Sycamore.

These are interspersed with large railway Poplars and some exotic specimens, including a fantastic Holm Oak and Swamp Cyprus.

Wildlife

The range of habitats represented in this site makes it a rich resource for both biodiversity and opportunities for educational visits and research.

We have a large variety of bird, mammal, terrestrial and aquatic plant species and a nice variety of trees.

We have a restored signal box overlooking the flood plain meadows, which doubles as a bird hide and a small class room.

Access

There is a network of footpaths across the site including a disabled access path running from the main entrance on railway lane to the signal box.

The riverside footpath runs along the Ouse to Newhaven. Some of it is a permissive right of way. We therefore request dogs are kept under control and gates closed.

Management

This site is managed by us and the Railway Land Wildlife Trust. This includes a Junior Management Board of young people between the ages of 8 and 15 from local schools.

The Junior Management Board made a film in May 2008 as part of a Heritage Lottery Funded Project. They were involved in restoring a derelict pond on the site and created a water conservation campaign aimed at other young people.

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