Spring 2026
From our Chair, Peter Chowney
Spring is here: fresh, green leaves on the trees in Speckled Wood and our gardens on Church Street and behind Ore Village Green have burst into life. Blossom on the fruit trees has been spectacular.
Recently, we have campaigned against the proposal to include land in Speckled Wood as a housing development site in Hastings Council’s draft local plan. We will know the outcome later in the summer when the next draft of the plan is published. Work has been continuing in the woodland, community garden (see over) and village green, through well-attended volunteer sessions. At our land on Church Street, we’ve installed a small pond, which will help to attract wildlife. One of our volunteers has cleared an area by the community garden to build structures to house invertebrate and small vertebrate species. Our next project, funded by High Weald Nature & Community Fund, is to restore an old well on Church Street, to provide water for the gardens and pond there.
We have been successful at attracting grants to fund specific projects but raising money for our day-to-day activities is harder. You can help by joining Ore Community Land Trust, via our website — you’ll receive a regular newsletter about our activities and new developments or you can just donate what you can to enable us to maintain Speckled Wood for local people to enjoy.
The Community Garden
As temperatures rise and the days lengthen, plants in the community garden are growing fast with a wonderful show of daffodils this year. As always, we struggle to keep on top of weeding, as do all gardeners!
One exciting development has been the clearing, landscaping and planting of a previously scrubby site of nettles and brambles. This has been backbreaking but rewarding work, thanks to the commitment of our volunteers. We have now planted over forty shrubs and trees with a grant from High Weald Nature & Community Fund to increase diversity and interest in our garden. By ‘our garden’ we genuinely mean a garden for all of us in the community of Ore and beyond. It will take a few years to flourish; have a look at what’s been done, and watch the progress. Having a water supply installed has made it much easier to keep new plantings alive, particularly given the dry weather.
The connection to our volunteer centre was installed last year, again with a
grant from the High Weald Fund. We hope you continue to enjoy the community garden throughout the coming year. Stopping and listening to birdsong is another delight on offer a way of calming the mind in this busy world. It will always be pleasure to pass the time of day with you, when we’re there. But if we’re not, just take a moment to pause and relax, and enjoy.
Join our Volunteers in Speckled Wood
We run volunteer sessions from 10.00am—12pm every Thursday and also on the first Saturday in the month from our volunteer base, which is below Ore Village Green next to the Salvation Army Hall in Old London Road. Everybody is welcome to come and do whatever they can, with tea, biscuits and chat afterwards. Why not join us?
Broomgrove Woodlands and a Greenway Route to Ore Station
We are taking over the woodlands and green spaces in the Lower Ore Valley (see map below) to manage and enhance for community use, including amenity projects to protect wildlife habitat, encourage biodiversity and improve access. One aim is to recruit volunteers from the Broomgrove Estate and surrounding area to help to carry out this work and to engage with local communities to develop our plans and organise activities for all ages. Funding that should soon be transferred from Hastings Borough Council will also allow us to employ a project worker.
One significant project is the construction of a direct ‘Greenway’ route from Chiltern Drive to Ore Station and the College Annex, for walking, cycling and wheeling, including disability access – as shown in blue on the map below. This project, which will involve collaboration with Hastings Greenway Trust, will provide a direct and attractive route for a large residential area to increase travel by rail, reduce car use and provide health benefits. The Conservation Volunteers (TCV), have cleared the Greenway route corridor shown on the map and have created an informal footpath. This will enable surveys and detailed route design work to be carried out leading to funding applications to get the Greenway constructed. We have also installed a tool store, leafleted the whole Broomgrove estate, held several information events and recruited local volunteers to continue the work to clear existing paths, open up new ones and help with other projects.
Download our Spring 2026 Newsletter
Save Speckled Wood
Spring 2025
News from our Chair, Peter Chowney
Ore Community Land Trust has purchased Ore Village Green from Hastings Council, for £1. This sale includes land immediately behind the village green, connecting the green to land already owned by the trust, where our volunteer centre is sited. The land includes a covenant that requires the owner to maintain it as public open space and protects it from any potential future development. The sale was agreed after no objections were received to an advertisement proposing the sale last year.
Chair of OCLT, Peter Chowney, said:
“ When Hastings Council approached us asking us if we wanted to take on ownership of the land, we were of course immediately interested. This increases our ownership of land in and around Speckled Wood and will help to ensure the woodland is preserved as public open space in the future. As well as tidying up overgrown shrubs, we’ll be exploring new ways to maintain the land in a way that maximises biodiversity as well as continuing its use as a public open space that local people and their families can enjoy. We will be carrying out a consultation exercise soon on how the green should best be maintained in future.”
Special Event
Saturday 22nd February starting at 2pm.
The official handover of Ore Village Green to Ore Community Land Trust will take place at an event to be held on the Green (or in the Salvation Army portacabin if wet).
Come along and meet the team as well as the leader of Hastings Borough Council, Julia Hilton.
Find out how you can get involved!
Aubrey Ingleton 1936-2024
It was with great sadness that we learned of the death of Aubrey Ingleton late last year. He was involved with the local community in campaigning against development in Speckled Wood with the Ore Valley Action Group and SADOWLS and became a member and trustee of Ore Community Land Trust when it was founded in 2009. He contributed significantly to the maintenance of the woodland as a volunteer as long as he was physically able.
He didn’t restrict his campaigns to Speckled Wood but was a regular petitioner at HBC Planning Committee meetings opposing developments that he felt would cause harm to the natural environment.
Our thoughts and condolences are with his family and friends after their loss.
Community Garden
As winter draws to a close our Community Garden has the power to inspire and challenge. It is inspiring to see early signs of life. Our spring bulbs are braving the cold with the prospect of a great show of daffodils in the Spring. In the late Autumn we planted over 200 bulbs donated by one of our volunteers. During the Summer and Autumn, we planted a variety of perennials donated by Great Dixter, volunteers and local people. The photograph shows vibrant asters in full bloom last autumn. A big thank you to our volunteers and donors.
There are many challenges. It’s been hard to keep on top of weeding. We have worked to manage the spread of creeping buttercups. Whilst attractive and great pollinators, they have the power to smother and outcompete many other plants. This was hard work but worth it to increase diversity throughout the garden. Due to heavy rain and winds many of our weekly volunteer sessions have been cancelled but we will catch up!
Join our Volunteers in Speckled Wood
Would you like to join our volunteer team or come along to help when you have time? We run regular volunteer sessions every Thursday morning from 10.00 am and also on the morning of the 1st Saturday in the month. Sessions start from our volunteer base, which is below the Green next to the Salvation Army Hall in Old London Road.
Now that spring is nearly here, we have a lot of varied work to tackle and volunteers can help with a range of tasks including: litter picking, clearing paths and the stream, dealing with fallen trees and branches, repairing steps, planting trees and work in our Community Garden. If you would like to join us, come along to one of the volunteer sessions or email info@OreCLT.org.
Become a Trustee
Physical labour in the woodland may not suit everybody but you can still contribute massively by becoming a trustee and using your skills to help us run the Trust. We would be particularly pleased to welcome anybody with financial, legal and other “back office” skills to join us. If this is you, please contact us by email or speak to one of our volunteers. We are a friendly bunch and meet monthly.
Membership Renewal
Membership runs from January to December, but you can still renew your membership for 2025. If you’re not already a member, please join via our website. The more members we have, the louder our voice and more likely we will be to achieve our aims to ensure Speckled Wood remains accessible as open green space for all to enjoy.
Spring 2024
- Annual General Meeting
- Join our Volunteers
- Forest School
- Spring Open Day
- Visit the Community Garden
- News from the Chair
- Membership Renewal
- Download Spring 2024 Newsletter
Spring 2023
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- Spring Open Day
- Speckled Wood Action Day
- Parent and Child Forest School
- Tool store in Church Street Broken Into…
- We Need More Volunteers
- Clearance of Blocked Stream Culvert …
- News from the Chair
- Membership Renewal
Download Spring 2023 Newsletter
Autumn 2022
- New Chair elected
- Stream bridge replacement work now complete
- Progress with eradication of Japanese knotweed
- Forest School
- Cabin painting
- Lots going on in Speckled Wood
- We need more volunteers
- Membership renewal
Download Autumn 2022 Newsletter
Spring 2022
- Why not come and join us?
- New leaflet
- Annual General Meeting
- Forest School
- Volunteer sessions
- Support us while you shop
- Our supporters
Download Spring 2022 Newsletter
Autumn 2021
- Volunteers
- Volunteers maintaining the Wood
- Volunteer Saturday
- Searching for your stories in Speckled Wood
- Award winning!
- Help us while you shop
- Our supporters
Download Autumn 2021 Newsletter
Spring 2021
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- Volunteer sessions in Speckled Wood
- New land acquisition
- Free gardening micro courses
- Protecting our footpaths
- Speckled Wood open day
- Would you help us with your time and skills?
- Continue to help OCLT while you shop
Download Spring 2021 Newsletter
Autumn 2020
- Volunteers maintaining the Wood
- Eradication of Japanese Knotweed
- Site volunteer base unit
- Land purchases
- Realisation of Ore Valley Greenway moves closer
- Would you help us with your time and skills?
- Community garden and tree planting
- Continue to help us while you shop
Download Autumn 2020 Newsletter
Spring 2020
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- Ore CLT Volunteer Team Working in Speckled Wood
- Funding for community edible garden awarded
- Lower Ore Valley Green Spaces
- Help Ore Community Land Trust while you shop
- The Woodland Trust is donating 30 trees
Download Spring 2020 Newsletter
Summer 2019
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- OCLT Volunteer Team Working in Speckled Wood
- Very Successful Litter Pick
- Volunteer Information Day
- Land Purchase
- Uncertain Future for the Old Power Station Site
- Volunteer Activity
- Would You Like to Join our Speckled Wood Volunteer Team?
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Download Summer 2019 Newsletter
February 2019
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- Review of 2018
- Our new committee
- Volunteer base and tool store – Church Street
- Would you like to volunteer?
- Speckled Wood Wordsearch
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Download February 2019 Newsletter
July 2018
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- OCLT land in Speckled Wood
- Volunteers needed for clearance work
- Residents’ Survey
- AGM 29th September
- Big Local North East Hastings funding for OCLT projects
- Membership Subscriptions
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December 2017
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- Land now owned by OCLT
- Speckled Wood base and Volunteer project
- Xmas tea, coffee and cake – 9th December
- Frederick Road site – controversial proposals
- Ore Valley Action relaunched
- Membership subs due
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Download December 2017 Newsletter
November 2017 – Bulletin
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- Speckled Wood Land Acquisition Plan
- Transfer of Hastings BC Land to Ore CLT for Volunteer Base
- Church Street and Plot clearance
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Download November 2017 Bulletin
September 2017
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- We are now a Charitable Incorporated Organisation
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- Community Land Ownership
- Land Acquisition Plan – Phase 1
- Site Office Base and Volunteer Project
- Hastings BC Plans for the Transfer of Green Spaces in the Ore Valley
- The old Power Station Site – A Community led Regeneration Project
- Small Housing Development – Clifton Road end of Church Street
- Woodland Work, Volunteer Co-ordination & Speckled Wood Newsletters – a thank you to Derek and Karen
- Speckled Wood – Footpaths and Information Leaflet & Ore Trails
- AGM – Saturday 30 September – 10.30am
- Membership Subscriptions Due
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Download September 2017 Newsletter
June 2017
Newsletter of all things Speckled Wood
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- Record-making in the Wood
- Opportunities in the Wood
- Activities in the Wood
- Herbs in the Wood
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May 2017
Newsletter of all things Speckled Wood
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- Ladybirds
- Developing canopy
- Present activities
- Ecology walk
- Other wildlife
- Tales from the Wood
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April 2017
Newsletter of all things Speckled Wood
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- Ecology in the Wood
- Present activities
- A walk in the wood
- Geometry in the Wood
- A spring poem
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Download April 2017 Newsletter
March 2017
Newsletter of all things Speckled Wood
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- Spring! Spring! Spring!
- Rubbish clearance
- Wildlife in the wood
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Download March 2017 Newsletter
February 2017
Newsletter of all things Speckled Wood
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- Present Activities
- Spring Clean in the Wood
- Wildlife in the Wood
- Photography in the Wood
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Download February 2017 Newsletter
January 2017
Newsletter of all things Speckled Wood
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- birds
- trees
- Ore Valley Greenway Walk
- Lots more fungi!
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Download January 2017 Newsletter
December 2016
Newsletter of all things Speckled Wood
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- More on the concrete brench
- footpath clearing
- lizards
- butterflies
- fungi
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Download December 2016 Newsletter
November 2016
Newsletter of all things Speckled Wood
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- Rubbish clearance
- Recycled concrete bench
- Wood pile fence
- Wildlife
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Download November 2016 Newsletter
December 2015
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- Speckled Wood allotments project
- Woods report
- Autumn wildlife in the woods
- Victoria Avenue development refused
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May 2015
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- AGM 13th June
- New volunteers needed
- Ore Valley Greenway – progress report
- Summer Wildlife
- Tribute to Jeremy Birch
- Growing up in Speckled Wood
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October 2014
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- New Committee elected
- Big Local funding
- Frederick Road – A memory of the past
- Local Plan proposal for Speckled Wood
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April 2014
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- Annual General Meeting
- Ore Centre improvements
- Ore Trails
- Ore Valley Greenway
- Ore Village Green
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October 2013
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- Volunteer team woodland work
- Clifton Road/Church Street site clearance stopped
- Victoria Avenue – Site Planning Application
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April 2013
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- Volunteer working parties to clean up Speckled Wood
- Details of the OCLT Annual General Meeting
- Ore Village Fair 2013
- Green Space protection for Speckled Wood
- Ore Walking Trails Project
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December 2012
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- Hastings Local Plan to protect large part of Speckled Wood
- Speckled Wood as a community woodland
- Village Green and Allotment Project
- New notice board
- Members and supporters meeting
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June 2012
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- News from the AGM
- Clear up mornings
- Shaping Hastings – the new Hastings Local Plan
- Ore Village Fair 2012
- Details about the Big Local fund
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February 2012
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- Hastings Development Management Plan
- Every village needs a village green
- Ore Village Fair 2012
- Dates for your diary
- Footpath Improvements and New Steps
- Clearance and Conservation Work update
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