Berrick Trench

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 51.5891, -0.9829

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Also within

Oxfordshire County Chilterns Scenic Area

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SU705882 — Favourable 2.1 2024-03-21

Habitats

Ancient woodland, Beech wood, Coppiced woodland

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Chalk

Description

Area, 2.0 hectares 5.0 ac Description This small site is an ancient semi natural calcareous beech woodland with a structure and composition now rare in the Chilterns. It contains at least 34 plant species which are normally confined to ancient woodland, some of which are uncommon in the Oxfordshire Chilterns. Berrick Trench lies on a moderately steep north east facing slope of a dry valley in the Upper Chalk. The parent rock has weathered to produce well drained silty soils of the Andover 1 association containing lumps of chalk. The woodland contains two variants of the calcareous pedunculate oak ash beech stand type namely maple and dry lime wych elm. These are rare habitats in Britain and occur primarily on the central southern chalk and in South Wales. They are scattered throughout the Chilterns on the drier soils of the chalk slopes, but there are few examples remaining where the coppice with standards structure has not been promoted to high forest following the extensive replanting of the woods in the late 18th and 19th century for the furniture industry of High Wycombe. Beech is dominant in the canopy with frequent cherry, oak and, more rarely, birch. Large old coppice stools of ash, oak, beech, white beam, field maple and hazel are scattered throughout the wood and indicate former management practices. The diversity of shrubs is remarkable in a relatively small site and includes goat willow, holly, buckthorn, spindle, guelder rose, occasional spurge laurel and regenerating wych elm, an uncommon species in the Chilterns. Climbing shrubs such as honeysuckle and traveller's joy are present. The field layer is dominated in places by dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis and ivy Hedera helix and contains a wide variety of typical woodland herbs such as bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta, wood anemone Anemone nemorosa, woodruff Galium odoratum, sanicle Sanicula europaea and early dog violet Viola reichenbachiana, as well as the less common early purple orchid Orchis mascula. Of particular note is the presence of some plant species of restricted distribution in the Chilterns. Berrick Trench contains four colonies of herb paris Paris quadrifolia which is extremely rare outside ancient woodland. Lily of the valley Convallaria majalis, another plant associated with ancient woods and found mainly on dry, calcareous soils in the eastern counties of Britain is found in two sites within the wood. There is a large population of Solomon's seal Polygonatum multiflorum, which has a British distribution concentrated in the southern counties, especially on chalk soils.

Species mentioned

English name
search for this in other sites		 Latin name
search with Google		 IUCN / Red List Type Family
wood anemone Anemone nemorosa LC herb ranunculaceae
lilly of the valley Convallaria majalis LC herb liliaceae
woodruff Galium odoratum LC herb rubiaceae
bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta LC herb liliaceae
dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis LC herb euphorbiaceae
early purple orchid Orchis mascula LC herb orchidaceae
herb paris Paris quadrifolia VU herb melanthiaceae
Soloman's seal Polygonatum multiflorum LC herb liliaceae
sanicle Sanicula europaea LC herb apiaceae
early dog violet Viola reichenbachiana LC herb violaceae
ivy Hedera helix LC woody climber araliaceae

Plant communities

W12 — Beech wood

Fagus sylvatica-Mercurialis perennis woodland

Hedera helix, Acer pseudoplatanus, Ilex aquifolium, Betula pendula, Betula pubescens, Carpinus betulus, Corylus avellana, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Aesculus hippocastanum, Fraxinus excelsior, Prunus avium, Sorbus aria, Taxus baccata, Ulmus glabra, Buxus sempervirens, Sambucus nigra, Viburnum lantana, Viburnum opulus, Euonymus europaeus, Cornus sanguinea, Ligustrum vulgare, Clematis vitalba, Crataegus monogyna, Daphne laureola, Carex flacca, Carex sylvatica, Mnium hornum, Plagiomnium undulatum, Fissidens taxifolius, Brachythecium rutabulum, Kindbergia praelonga, Thamnobryum alopecurum, Tamus communis, Anthriscus sylvestris, Heracleum sphondylium, Sanicula europaea, Arum maculatum, Arctium minus, Mycelis muralis, Solidago virgaurea, Cynoglossum officinale, Alliaria petiolata, Campanula trachelium, Lonicera periclymenum, Silene dioica, Euphorbia amygdaloides, Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Hypericum hirsutum, Iris foetidissima, Ajuga reptans, Glechoma hederacea, Lamiastrum galeobdolon, Stachys sylvatica, Teucrium scorodonia, Allium ursinum, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Chamerion angustifolium, Circaea lutetiana, Epilobium montanum, Cephalanthera damasonium, Neottia nidus-avis, Neottia ovata, Veronica chamaedrys, Rumex sanguineus, Anemone nemorosa, Ficaria verna, Ranunculus bulbosus, Fragaria vesca, Geum urbanum, Rosa canina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Galium aparine, Galium mollugo sens.lat., Galium odoratum, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Anisantha sterilis, Arrhenatherum elatius, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Bromopsis ramosa, Dactylis glomerata, Deschampsia cespitosa, Melica uniflora, Milium effusum, Poa nemoralis, Poa trivialis, Asplenium scolopendrium, Dryopteris dilatata, Dryopteris filix-mas

W14 — Beech wood, Wood pasture

Fagus sylvatica-Rubus fruticosus woodland

Hedera helix, Salix caprea, Acer pseudoplatanus, Ilex aquifolium, Betula pendula, Betula pubescens, Corylus avellana, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Fraxinus excelsior, Pinus sylvestris, Prunus avium, Sorbus aria, Sorbus aucuparia, Taxus baccata, Ulmus glabra, Sambucus nigra, Ruscus aculeatus, Ligustrum vulgare, Carex remota, Carex sylvatica, Luzula pilosa, Mnium hornum, Dicranella heteromalla, Dicranum scoparium, Fissidens taxifolius, Brachythecium rutabulum, Hypnum cupressiforme, Isothecium myosuroides, Kindbergia praelonga, Plagiothecium denticulatum, Plagiothecium undulatum, Pseudotaxiphyllum elegans, Thuidium tamariscinum, Atrichum undulatum, Polytrichum commune, Polytrichum formosum, Arum maculatum, Lonicera periclymenum, Moehringia trinervia, Stellaria media agg., Euphorbia amygdaloides, Mercurialis perennis, Hypericum pulchrum, Lamiastrum galeobdolon, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Circaea lutetiana, Epipactis helleborine, Oxalis acetosella, Digitalis purpurea, Anemone nemorosa, Ranunculus repens, Geum urbanum, Rubus fruticosus agg., Rubus idaeus, Galium odoratum, Galium verum, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Agrostis capillaris, Agrostis stolonifera, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Bromopsis ramosa, Dactylis glomerata, Deschampsia cespitosa, Deschampsia flexuosa, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Melica uniflora, Milium effusum, Poa nemoralis, Poa trivialis, Schedonorus giganteus, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris dilatata, Dryopteris filix-mas

W15 — Beech wood, Wood pasture

Fagus sylvatica-Deschampsia flexuosa woodland

Hedera helix, Acer pseudoplatanus, Ilex aquifolium, Betula pendula, Betula pubescens, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus hybrid, Quercus petraea, Quercus robur, Pinus sylvestris, Sorbus aucuparia, Taxus baccata, Calluna vulgaris, Rhododendron ponticum, Vaccinium myrtillus, Ruscus aculeatus, Carex pilulifera, Luzula pilosa, Luzula sylvatica, Mnium hornum, Orthodontium lineare, Dicranella heteromalla, Dicranum scoparium, Leucobryum glaucum, Hylocomium splendens, Hypnum cupressiforme, Kindbergia praelonga, Plagiothecium undulatum, Pseudotaxiphyllum elegans, Rhytidiadelphus loreus, Thuidium tamariscinum, Polytrichum formosum, Tetraphis pellucida, Calypogeia fissa, Diplophyllum albicans, Gymnocolea inflata, Lepidozia reptans, Cladonia fimbriata, Cladonia squamules, Lonicera periclymenum, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Chamerion angustifolium, Oxalis acetosella, Rubus fruticosus agg., Melanpyrum pratense, Agrostis capillaris, Deschampsia flexuosa, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Molinia caerulea, Poa nemoralis, Blechnum spicant, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris dilatata