Saddlescombe Farm and Newtimber Hill
A hidden hamlet nestled in the downs
Which places are open and what you need to know before you visit
We’ve opened more than 100 gardens and parks in England and Northern Ireland through advanced booking. From Monday 6 July, we’re gradually opening gardens and parklands in Wales. Tickets are released on Friday for the following week. More than 200 coast and countryside car parks are open across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. All National Trust houses remain closed for now. Read this article to find out what's open and what to expect from your visit.
Saddlescombe Farm in July
Pyramidal orchid
The pyramidal orchid has bright pinky-purple, densely packed pyramid of flowers. It can be found across the South Downs and is attractive to a range of butterflies and moths.
Green hairstreak
The metallic green-coloured is a small, fairly shy butterfly that spends most of its time perched on vegetation or sunbathing. The caterpillars feed on a variety of plants, including gorse, broom and bilberry.
Ladies bedstraw
These frothy yellow flowers have a sweet, honey-like scent. It past times it was traditionally dried and used to stuff straw mattresses of monied ladies.
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.
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.
Marbled white
The striking black-and-white checks of the marbled white are unmistakeable. The adults can often be seen feeding on purple flowers, such as common knapweed and wild marjoram.
Adders
The adder is easily recognised by a dark 'zig-zag' stripe along its back. It hunts lizards, small mammals & ground-nesting birds. It prefers woodland, heathland and moorland habitats.
