I’ve recently discovered ‘Notable Road Verges’. It’s slightly worrying that I now have an interest in roadside vegetation, but let’s move on!
Notable Road Verges exist all over West Sussex and marked by wooden posts with a red and white circular sign, marked ‘Wildlife Verge’. These verges are mini nature reserves, home to a wide range of notable and rare species of plants. In many cases they are all that remain of old meadows and habitats, many of which have disappeared over time. The posts have been put up by West Sussex County Council to ensure the verges are managed appropriately – which usually means they are cut during autumn and winter, rather than summer months.
As luck would have it, Bepton has a Notable Road Verge! It’s an important site for Bog Violets and Sedges, and a collection of other beauties ranging from Cotton Grass, Speedwell, Common Spotted Orchid and Ragged Robin.
Plenty to see in a couple of hundred yards. Including this really groovy Common Blue Damselfly (sucking the guts out of a mosquito) and a Labyrinth Spider in its funnel web…
Bepton Ranger 