Wayland Wood, Watton

Also within

Norfolk County

Condition (Natural England)

Unit	Feature	Condition	Area (ha)	Assessed
TL925996	—	Unfavourable Recovering	31.7	2011-07-05

Habitats

Ancient woodland, Coppiced woodland

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Glacial Till

Landscape processes: Glacial

Birds & fish recorded

Birds

Species	Season
woodcock	Breeding

Description

Area, 33 hectares 81 ac Description Wayland Wood is one of the largest woods in South Norfolk, containing entirely semi-natural stands and is still managed under a traditional coppicing system. The structure is coppice, with standards on wet calcareous boulder clay and a rare stand type, bird cherry–alder wood is present. The diverse flora is typical of ancient woodland and includes one national rarity. Oak Quercus robur is the dominant standard tree with scattered ash Fraxinus excelsior and silver birch Betula pendula. The coppice under an open canopy consists of hazel Corylus avellana, bird cherry Prunus padus, sallow Salix caprea, ash, hornbeam Carpinus betulus and field maple Acer campestre. Some very large coppice stools are present. Yellow archangel Lamiastrum galeobdolon is very abundant with water avens Geum rivale, bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta, wood anemone Anemone nemorosa, early purple orchid Orchis mascula, common twayblade Neottia ovata and the rare yellow star of Bethlehem Gagea lutea. The rides are generally narrow and overshadowed but where the light penetrates, a variety of species occur, including bugle Ajuga reptans and tufted hair grass Deschampsia cespitosa. A wide variety of birds breed in the wood, including woodcock, lesser spotted woodpecker and nuthatch. The wood has historical and legendary associations and a recorded history going back to the Domesday Book.

Species mentioned

Show the 20 species mentioned in the description, with red-list status ▾

Insects to look out for

These moths, butterflies and beetles are known to feed on plants recorded at this site, and carry a notable UK conservation status — but a host-plant being present doesn't mean the insect has actually been recorded here. Treat this as "worth watching for," not a confirmed sighting.

Grouped by host-plant — open a plant to see its insects. Some insects feed on more than one of these plants, so they appear under each.

Goat willow Salix 20

The lappet Gastropacha quercifolia	Endangered	any Salix
Scarce vapourer Orgyia recens	Endangered	any Salix
Mouse moth Amphipyra tragopoginis	Vulnerable	Salix caprea
The sprawler Asteroscopus sphinx	Vulnerable	any Salix
Scarce chocolate-tip Clostera anachoreta	Vulnerable	any Salix
Mottled umber Erannis defoliaria	Vulnerable	any Salix
Satyr pug Eupithecia satyrata	Vulnerable	any Salix
The lackey Malacosoma neustria	Vulnerable	any Salix
Pale brindled Phigalia pilosaria	Vulnerable	Salix caprea
Pale eggar Trichiura crataegi	Vulnerable	any Salix
Flounced chestnut Agrochola helvola	Near Threatened	any Salix
Beaded chestnut Agrochola lychnidis	Near Threatened	any Salix
Grey chi Antitype chi	Near Threatened	Salix caprea
Purple emperor Apatura iris	Near Threatened	Salix caprea
Minor shoulder-knot Brachylomia viminalis	Near Threatened	Salix caprea
The sallow Cirrhia icteritia	Near Threatened	any Salix
Dingy mocha Cyclophora pendularia	Near Threatened	Salix caprea
Large thorn Ennomos autumnaria	Near Threatened	any Salix
Grey pug Eupithecia subfuscata	Near Threatened	any Salix
Double dart Graphiphora augur	Near Threatened	any Salix

Common oak Quercus 19

Oak lutestring Cymatophorina diluta	Endangered	Quercus robur
Scarce vapourer Orgyia recens	Endangered	any Quercus
The sprawler Asteroscopus sphinx	Vulnerable	any Quercus
Mottled umber Erannis defoliaria	Vulnerable	any Quercus
The lackey Malacosoma neustria	Vulnerable	any Quercus
Pale brindled Phigalia pilosaria	Vulnerable	any Quercus
Early moth Theria primaria	Vulnerable	any Quercus
Pale eggar Trichiura crataegi	Vulnerable	any Quercus
Oak hook-tip Watsonalla binaria	Vulnerable	Quercus robur
Flounced chestnut Agrochola helvola	Near Threatened	any Quercus
Light crimson underwing Catocala promissa	Near Threatened	Quercus robur
Dark crimson underwing Catocala sponsa	Near Threatened	Quercus robur
Heart moth Dicycla oo	Near Threatened	Quercus robur
Large thorn Ennomos autumnaria	Near Threatened	any Quercus
September thorn Ennomos erosaria	Near Threatened	any Quercus
Double dart Graphiphora augur	Near Threatened	any Quercus
Clay fan-foot Paracolax tristalis	Near Threatened	any Quercus
Common fan-foot Pechipogo strigilata	Near Threatened	Quercus robur
Frosted green Polyploca ridens	Near Threatened	Quercus robur

Birch Betula 15

Scarce vapourer Orgyia recens	Endangered	any Betula
The sprawler Asteroscopus sphinx	Vulnerable	any Betula
Broom moth Ceramica pisi	Vulnerable	any Betula
Mottled umber Erannis defoliaria	Vulnerable	any Betula
The lackey Malacosoma neustria	Vulnerable	Betula pendula
Pale brindled Phigalia pilosaria	Vulnerable	Betula pendula
Pale eggar Trichiura crataegi	Vulnerable	any Betula
Oak hook-tip Watsonalla binaria	Vulnerable	Betula pendula
Flounced chestnut Agrochola helvola	Near Threatened	any Betula
Kentish glory Endromis versicolora	Near Threatened	Betula pendula
Large thorn Ennomos autumnaria	Near Threatened	any Betula
September thorn Ennomos erosaria	Near Threatened	any Betula
Autumnal rustic Eugnorisma glareosa	Near Threatened	any Betula
Double dart Graphiphora augur	Near Threatened	any Betula
White prominent Leucodonta bicoloria	Regionally Extinct	any Betula

Hazel Corylus avellana 7

Scarce vapourer Orgyia recens	Endangered	Corylus avellana
The sprawler Asteroscopus sphinx	Vulnerable	Corylus avellana
Mottled umber Erannis defoliaria	Vulnerable	Corylus avellana
The lackey Malacosoma neustria	Vulnerable	Corylus avellana
Pale brindled Phigalia pilosaria	Vulnerable	Corylus avellana
Pale eggar Trichiura crataegi	Vulnerable	Corylus avellana
Large thorn Ennomos autumnaria	Near Threatened	Corylus avellana

Bird cherry Prunus 6

Figure of eight Diloba caeruleocephala	Endangered	any Prunus
The lappet Gastropacha quercifolia	Endangered	any Prunus
The sprawler Asteroscopus sphinx	Vulnerable	any Prunus
Mottled umber Erannis defoliaria	Vulnerable	Prunus padus
The lackey Malacosoma neustria	Vulnerable	any Prunus
Large thorn Ennomos autumnaria	Near Threatened	any Prunus

Ash Fraxinus excelsior 3

The sprawler Asteroscopus sphinx	Vulnerable	Fraxinus excelsior
Pale brindled Phigalia pilosaria	Vulnerable	Fraxinus excelsior
Dusky thorn Ennomos fuscantaria	Near Threatened	Fraxinus excelsior

Field maple Acer campestre 2

Maple pug Eupithecia inturbata	Endangered	Acer campestre
Mottled umber Erannis defoliaria	Vulnerable	Acer campestre

Tufted hair grass Deschampsia cespitosa 2

Grayling Hipparchia semele	Vulnerable	Deschampsia cespitosa
The anomalous Stilbia anomala	Vulnerable	Deschampsia cespitosa

Hornbeam Carpinus betulus 1

Mottled umber Erannis defoliaria

Vulnerable

Carpinus betulus

Bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta 1

Autumnal rustic Eugnorisma glareosa

Near Threatened

Hyacinthoides non-scripta

Host-plant data: Cook et al. (2025), Traits data for the butterflies and macro-moths of Great Britain and Ireland, 2024, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology / Butterfly Conservation; and Padovani et al. (2020), Database of Insects and their Food Plants (DBIF), UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (both Open Government Licence). Contains data supplied by UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.