St Helen's Wood is a Local Nature Reserve in

Hastings Hastings ( ) is a seaside town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to th ...

East Sussex East Sussex is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Kent to the north-east, West Sussex to the west, Surrey to the north-west, and the English Channel to the south. The largest settlement ...

. It is owned and managed by the St Helens Park Preservation Society. The wood has many

broad-leaved helleborine ''Epipactis helleborine'', the broad-leaved helleborine, is a terrestrial species of orchid with a broad distribution. It is a long lived herb which varies morphologically with ability to self-pollinate. Description ''Epipactis helleborine'' can ...

s. There are also areas of grassland which are managed by horse grazing. Meadow flowers include

red bartsia ''Odontites vernus'', the red bartsia, is a wild flower from the family Orobanchaceae native to Europe and Asia and occurring as an alien in North America. The red bartsia is a common plant in low-fertility soils, where it lives partially as a pa ...

and

green-winged orchid ''Anacamptis morio'', the green-winged orchid or green-veined orchid (synonym ''Orchis morio''), is a flowering plant of the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It usually has purple flowers, and is found in Europe, Northern Africa and western Asia. Des ...

s. There is access from St Helen's Wood Road.

References

{{Local Nature Reserves in East Sussex Local Nature Reserves in East Sussex Hastings