Meadow

Coach Road Field, Battle

Coronation Meadow


A vibrant hay meadow since time immemorial, Coach Road Field was traditionally farmed for three generations of the Rudman family.

When the last generation - the Rudman brothers - retired in their eighties, the new (and current) owners talked to them to find out how they had managed the site. Since then that management has been replicated in order to enable its survival. Amongst the sweet vernal grass and beautiful quaking grass, the field is now awash with summer colour from swaths of oxeye daisy, common knapweed, common spotted-orchid and common bird’s-foot-trefoil, along with less often seen flowers like dyer’s greenweed. This diversity of plants provide a home to six-spot burnet moths and red-tailed bumblebees. Seed is taken every year to enhance or create more meadows on the estate.

Recipient Meadows

Species to spot



  • Common spotted-orchid

    Best time to see: June - July

    Our most common orchid enlivens many places, particularly chalk and limestone downs. Its flowers can vary from deep to light pink and the leaves are marked with spots. 

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  • Dyer’s greenweed

    Best time to see: June - August

    A low-lying member of the pea family. As its name suggests, this flower has been used to make yellow dye since ancent times and combined with woad produces a superb green hue.

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  • Six-spot burnet moth

    Best time to see: June - Aug

    Unlike many moths, the burnet moth flies during the day. Its caterpillars feed on Bird's-foot Trefoil whilst the adults feed on the nectar of knapweed, thistles and other grassland flowers. Image © Bob Coyle

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  • Oxeye daisy

    Best time to see: June - Aug.

    Large and daisy-like, the oxeye tends to bloom around midsummer and in fact is called the Sunnwendbleaml - or 'solstice flower' - in Austria. Before the 16th century it was known as the 'Moon Daisy' or 'Dog Daisy'.
     

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  • Early purple orchid

    Best time to see: April - June

    Often arriving with the bluebell, this early orchid has a wonderful scent, not dissimilar to lily-of-the-valley and is the "long purple" of Ophelia's garland, referred to by Gertrude in Shakespeare's Hamlet. 

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Memories

"I have known the site for 43 years and been responsible for its management through out that time.  It is very interesting to see how the field character changes with the seasons favouring different suits of species year on year."

- Keith Datchler OBE, Coach Road Field Manager

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Bunces Barn at the Beech Estate... the perfect spot for a picnic

Owned by

Harry & Sophie Wills