Goat Lodge

Also within

Staffordshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Birds & fish recorded

Birds

Description

Area, 12.02 ha. 29.70 ac. Description Goat Lodge comprises the only part of the once extensive Bagot Forest that has not been planted with conifers and a meadow thought to be a former deer lawn within the forest which is notable for its population of wild daffodils Narcissus pseudonarcissus. The woodland consists of an even aged stand of pedunculate oak Quercus robur and sessile oak Q. petraea with occasional silver birch Betula pendula and alder Alnus glutinosa. It is primarily of interest for the heronry (heron), but provides a refuge for a range of oak woodland flora and fauna in a locality where extensive re-afforestation with conifers has occurred. The heronry is the largest in the county, supporting a nationally important concentration of breeding grey heron Ardea cinerea. The adjoining grassland is of some antiquity as evidenced by the vigorous population of wild daffodil. This locally rare plant has declined nationally through the cultivation of old grassland. The present practice of late hay cutting and aftermath grazing favours this species and other spring flowers.

Species mentioned