Ditchling Beacon
Panoramic views from the top of world
Which places are open and what you need to know before you visit
We're starting to open some gardens and parklands in England and Northern Ireland at reduced capacity, through advance bookings every week. Most places up to 8 June have now reached capacity. New tickets are released every Friday and we'll continue to add new places over the coming weeks. More than 200 coast and countryside car parks are now open. All houses remain closed for now and all places in Wales remain closed following Welsh Government advice. Read this article to find out what's open and what to expect from your visit.
Ditchling Beacon in May
Adonis blue
The male has brilliantly-coloured blue wings, whilst the female is a rich chocolate brown. The both have a checkerboard margin to their wings. The caterpillars feed on the delicate yellow horseshoe vetch.
Hawthorn
Hawthorn was famously known as the May-Tree or may-blossom as it usually flowers in May, and once played a large part in May Day festivities. It can be seen flowering in hedges and woodlands in spring.
Swallows arrival
The arrival of swallows truly marks the start of spring. They overwinter in South Africa then make an epic flight of over 10,000km across the Sahara to return to raise a brood in spring.
Cinnabar moth caterpillar
This striped yellow and black caterpillar can be spotted munching away on toxic ragwort plants. This in turns also makes the cateprillars toxic which is a brilliant survival technique
Common blues
This is the commonest blue found in the British Isles. While the male has bright blue uppersides, the female is mainly brown with some blue markings. Caterpillars hatch from eggs to feed on bird’s foot trefoil plants.
Bugle
The deep blue flower spikes of bugle can be found carpeting most habitats. The flowers attract many insects including white-tailed bumblebees, silver Y moths and common carder bees
Buttery brimstones
These large yellow butterflies have a very characteristic leaf-shaped wing. Their colours range from a very pale green yellow in females to a rich lemon colour for males.
Skylarks
Skylarks can be spotted rising above the ground and hovering on high as they fill the air with their song of liquid sunshine. Skylarks nest on the ground, laying three to four eggs each time.
