Oxford Ragwort; from Sicily to Tide Mills via the Oxford Botanic Garden

Oxford Ragwort, Senecio squalidus, growing in the shingle beside the ruined Marine School for disabled children at Tide Mills, Newhaven,

next to the shoreline railway spur used to transport building materials for Newhaven harbour breakwater

The coming of the railway to Tide Mills was the main cause of its ruin. The railway enabled farmers to send their grain to larger mills which ground the grain more cheaply; leading to the the Mill’s closure and the villagers destitution. But it may have been the arrival vector of Oxford Ragwort

The old Bishopstone station, which served Tide Mills, is now closed, although the Newhaven to Seaford single-track rail line still passes through it.

On 26 September 1938 the original station closed when a new Bishopstone railway station opened further to the east. In April 1939 it was reopened as Bishopstone Beach Halt to handle summer holiday traffic. But between 1940–1942 when nearby village of Tide Mills was evacuated and demolished during World War II, the station's permanent closed on 1 January 1942.

Oxford Ragwort “escaped” from the Oxford Botanical Garden, where it had been introduced from Sicily. In the early 20th century it spread along the limestone ballast of railway lines and liked waste places like the relict Chailey Maritime School for disable children, that simulated its volcanic Sicilian habitat. Ruined Tide Mills; a sad Sicily simulacrum.

The 1873 OS map showing the railway.

View map: Ordnance Survey, Sussex Sheet LXXVIII (East Blatchington; Newhaven; Peacehaven; Piddinghoe) - Ordnance Survey Six-inch England and Wales, 1842-1952

A wander round the Great Mullein "forest" of the west part of Tide Mills; an old saltern. 18.09.26

The west part of Tide Mills is signed "Newhaven Port Nature Reserve"; but this appears to be historic green-washing by the Port of Newhaven in response to proposed development; there appears to be no funding and no active conservation in this part of Tide Mills. This part of the Tide Mills is not predominantly "pure" vegetated shingle put poor quality soil (probably derived from dredging silt) on shingle. Unlike the rest of the area, which is flat, there are many hillocks probably made of dredged spoil. The area is south of the Mill Creek, the former course on the Ouse.  

National Library of Scotland on-line collection of historic Ordnance Survey maps shows that in 1873 this area was salt pans (salterns) called "The Salts". View map: Ordnance Survey, Sussex Sheet LXXVIII (East Blatchington; Newhaven; Peacehaven; Piddinghoe) - Ordnance Survey Six-inch England and Wales, 1842-1952

The soil of the westerly part of Tide Mills appears to contain dredged silt from Newhaven Harbour and shingle. This “poor” quality soil has produced abundant Great Mullein, Verbascum thapsus. 

A biennial herb of open scrub and hedgebanks, waysides, railway banks and sidings, rough grassy places, waste ground and quarries. It prefers well-drained soils, especially those over a sand, gravel or chalk substrate. It produces copious quantities of long-lived seed and may become an abundant colonist. It is cultivated in gardens and frequently escapes, becoming established on refuse tips or where thrown out. Verbascum thapsus - Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland 

On the vegetated shingle to the east (where the relict mill pond lies) there is also much Mullein, but here it is mostly Orange Mullein Verbascum phlomoides,

A winter-green biennial herb, occasionally grown in gardens and found as an escape on roadsides, hedgebanks, open rough ground, refuse tips, old pits, active and disused railways and along field margins, generally on sandy or stony soils. It is sometimes naturalized in central and southern Britain. Verbascum phlomoides - Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland

 

Verbascum phlomoides Orange Mullein

on the vegetated shingle to the east of the relict mill pond

Great Mullein, Verbascum thapsus

on the dredged silt to the west of the relict mill pond

There is Sea Kale routed in shingle but growing through a layer of grass growing in humus on shingle. An unusual habit for Sea Kale, Crambe maritima,

Pastinaca sativa Wild Parsnip

Geranium robertianum Herb Robert

Picris hieracioides Hawkweed Oxtongue was very abundant.

An hour walk around Tide Mills. 13.09.26

It was good to see that the Orange Mullein was still in flower, brightening up a dull morning.

Verbascum phlomoides Orange Mullein

A winter-green biennial herb; a neophyte naturalized in central and southern Britain; at Tide Mills it is long established as a naturalised 

Rhizocarpon reductum and Xanthoria calcicola (orange)

Rhizocarpon reductum forma fimbriata with a small thallus fringed by a conspicuous thread-like, black prothallus, and occurring more often on pebbles

Cladonia pyxidata

Limonium cf minutum 

Sea Lavender pointed out to me recently by a member the Twiglets, Botanical Recording Society Friday group. "Although samples have been examined by Limonium experts, its identity remains uncertain" 

Treasures from Tide Mills - highlights from trips to Tide Mills before I started this blog!

 Numenius phaeopus Eurasian Whimbrel 24.04.24

Linaria cannabina Linnet 26.0626

Ophioglossum vulgatum Adder's-Tongue 03.04.24

Charadrius hiaticula Ringed Plover 03.05.22.

This is a still from an MP4 video of the Broken Wing Display; to see the display go to my post

The Broken Wing Display; a Ringed Plover at Tide Mills draws a predator away from its nest. 03.05.22. – Sim's Nature Notes