This lovely local amenity is maintained and improved by a small group of volunteers who work for the benefit of the whole community of Chichester.

If you have not visited the Copse, why not come and see what a special area it is.

The Copse offers local residents:

• A place to walk and enjoy peace and quiet
• A place to study our rich flora and fauna
• Significant archaeological remains
• A resource for families, local schools and the community

The FRIENDS OF BRANDY HOLE COPSE desperately needs your support and the backing of the people of Chichester to survive and to ensure that their work to protect and conserve the Copse as a Local Nature Reserve can continue.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?

• Become a member of the Group
• Make a donation to the work of the Group
• Offer a small amount of your time to help out as:
  • conservation worker
  • helping with raising public awareness of the Copse
  • helping with membership recruitment
  • acting as an occasional warden
  • anything else you feel able to do

For more information, please  find our contact details by clicking on contact us

Children from Parklands Primary School visited the Copse several times during the Summer Term 2009. Year 1 and 2 took photos and wrote what they thought of the place:

[View with PicLens]

If you would like to arrange a school visit please contact us.

In celebrating their 40th Wedding anniversary, they kindly decided to forgo personal presents and instead encourage their guests to donate to the Friends. As a result our coffers are now over £500 to the good.

The couple regularly walk their dog in the Copse and it is a great encouragement that they so generously wished to give something back. They hope that others may be inspired to do the same whilst celebrating some happy event!

Bluebells in the Copse

Committee member Judi Darley asked ecology enthusiast Dr Mike Perry of the Chichester Natural History Society for his top 6 spring flowers to be seen in Brandy Hole Copse. Mike said “it’s a bit like selecting records for Desert Island Discs”! After some careful thought Mike came up with the following 6 wild flowers to look for in the Copse this spring:

Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) voted Britain’s most popular wild flower in a recent Plantlife poll. The Natural History Society recently made a count of about 250,000 flowering stems in the main body of the Copse. Mike is concerned that these native bluebells are protected from the Spanish Bluebell, a species often planted in gardens and now seen along Brandy Hole Lane and by the west end entrances. Mike said “it appears to hybridise freely with the native bluebell … I’d like to see the Spanish Bluebell removed from the Copse”.

Wood Anemone (Anemone nemorosa) low growing, with white flowers sometimes flushed with pink. It does very well in the sweet chestnut coppiced area, where the trees have been cut down to let the light in before they grow to maturity again.

Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris) a stunning display of shiny bright yellow flowers, found around the edges of the ponds and in the damp area between Brandy Hole Pond and Centurion Way.

Common Dog Violet (Viola riviniana) low growing with violet flowers, like the sweet violet but it has no scent. This plant is important because it is the food plant for the caterpillars of the uncommon Silver-washed Fritillary butterfly.

Wild Arum (Arum maculatum) also known as Cuckoo Pint and Lords and Ladies. The large fleshy leaves appear in December and January and tiny flowers appear, surrounded by a green ‘hood’, in April-May time.

Germander Speedwell (Veronica chamaedrys) Bright blue flowers with a pure white ‘eye’, they are small but spectacular in large numbers. Mike said “I’ve included this one because it is one of my all time favourite flowers”.

Do you agree with Mike’s list? Do let us know which are your favourite spring flowers in the Copse!

• Voluntary Wardens agree to visit the copse on a regular basis. The frequency of the visits is a matter for the individual to determine and to notify the Group. Once a week would be very helpful, but if individual wardens want to agree a more or less frequent arrangement, that is still very helpful. Occasional visits are still very important.
• Wardens should report back to the Secretary or Chairman the following types of issues:
  • damage to trees, fences etc. in the Copse
  • acts of vandalism
  • fires (urgently)
  • unacceptable conduct by members of the public (and dogs)
  • interesting observations of wildlife
  • ideas on maintenance required to the Copse
  • incidents of cycling in the Copse (which is not permitted)
  • issues raised by members of the public visiting the Copse
  • any other information that may be helpful to the Group
• Leaflets about the Copse are normally available from the leaflet boxes within the Copse. However, Wardens may wish to carry a supply of these to give out to interested visitor. These are available from the Secretary.
• Carrying a mobile phone in case of emergencies is useful, if you have one.
• Wardens should deal with the public in a courteous and friendly manner. You must avoid getting into confrontational situations with visitors. It is appropriate to ask politely what someone is doing if, for example, their activities seem suspicious. Most people will react reasonably to this. However, if confrontational situations develop, you must withdraw and report the issue to the group or, in extreme cases, the police.
• People do, unfortunately, light fires in the Copse. Do not attempt to put these out on your own. If they are minor they will probably extinguish themselves in time. However, if in doubt contact the Group or in more serious cases, phone the fire brigade.
• We suggest you read the booklet on the history and natural history of the Copse (available from the Secretary) to ensure you can answer routine questions from the public. However, if you can’t answer specific questions, do not worry. Refer them back to us and we will make sure that the person asking the question is provided with an answer. You can’t be an expert on everything (and many of us are not experts on anything!).
• Enjoy your time as a warden in the Copse. Much of this work will be enjoyable, relaxing and pleasant. It is important that people realise that we do have a regular presence in the Copse and that the area is being conserved and protected.

For more information, please contact us

Highgate House
West Broyle Drive
Chichester
PO19 3PP

Tel: 01243 538585

email: brandyhole@btinternet.com

Wandered through Brandy Hole Copse today – hoping to see some butterfles. Only saw one – but what a butterfly! A Queen of Spain Fritillary resting on a fleabane flower. A migrant, the QoS is a real rarity – a preliminary check of Sussex records suggests it was last seen here in 1969 so it’s a bit special.

One up to Brandy Hole – knocks all those Silver-washed Fritillaries into a cocked hat!

Images of Brandy Hole’s very own Queen of Spain Fritillary.

The Copse never ceases to amaze me!

The County Lepidopterist Colin Pratt has now confirmed the identification. He also says that no Queen of Spain was found in Sussex from 1969 to 2007 when one was found in Storrington and there were two unconfirmed reports from Kingley Vale. If numbers are increasing we may not have to wait 50 years to see the next one!

See the UK Butterflies website for more details and pictures of this butterfly.

The potential for housing development on the large field adjoining the copse is still of concern to us. Despite the loss of the field to cultivation- many of you will have seen the maize- we wish to continue pressure to ensure it remains available to support the copse in its entirety.

You will be aware that CDC have been obliged to reschedule the production of the Core strategy for their local development framework. Consultation will restart in November. The document which deals with large areas of land for housing development (delivering development opportunities) has also had to be rescheduled. However, it is important that we all make our views known about the damaging effect on the copse of housing in the fields next to it at every opportunity.

We will try to keep you informed, but if you are interested, you can visit the CDC web site and find out more through the LDF link on the Planning page of the web site.

Yes, I’m afraid I am asking for more volunteers again. The challenge that we have as a group is that the huge success we have had and the current level of practical events and campaigning is totally down to a small handful of great people who give up some of their spare time on a regular basis to make it all happen. They are a fantastic group and I am hugely grateful to them.

BUT ….. we cannot assume that they can necessarily continue with that level of commitment, and we are constantly in need of new volunteers who can give up just a small amount of time to help us plan events, run events, help to administer the processes that are required to keep the Reserve as good as it is. Please, please, please think about whether you could spare a little time to help, in any way at all. Tell us what you could do and we will find a role for you!!!!

The problem was well highlighted by events at the AGM. It was a really good meeting with lots of valuable contributions and ideas from members. Thank you for that. This included issues about campaigning against housing development . Our problem is very simple. We cannot deliver these things because we do not have the additional help to make it happen, so please join in and help our existing committee members . call me on 538585 or email tonydignum@btinternet.com

Even if you have only half an hour a month, you can do something valuable to help. Contact the Chairman or the Secretary with your interests and ideas.