West Wood, Little Sampford

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 51.9743, 0.3585

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Essex County

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
TL620332 — Favourable 23.8 2012-03-12

Habitats

Ancient woodland, Mixed scrub, Montane scrub

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Glacial Till

Landscape processes: Glacial

Description

Area,23.6 hectares 58.3 ac Description West Wood is an ancient wood situated about 1½ miles north east of Thaxted on soils composed of Chalky Boulder Clay and sandy loam. Formerly dominated by elm which has since died, the wood is now mostly ash as a result of a natural regeneration. The ill drained clay areas give rise to wet conditions that favour a rich and varied flora, including oxlip. There is an open canopy of ash Fraxinus excelsior with a small proportion of field maple Acer campestre and hornbeam Carpinus betulus. There are oak Quercus robur standards in the eastern end of the wood. The underwood consists of hazel Corylus avellana, Maple, hornbeam, some recently planted Oak and include ash which is regenerating from seed over large areas. Bramble Rubus spp. and dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis dominate the herb layer, with tufted hair grass Deschampsia cespitosa and pendulous sedge Carex pendula in the wetter areas. Oxlip Primula elatior, bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta and wood forget-me-not Myosotis sylvatica are locally abundant. Other plants include herb paris Paris quadrifolia and five species of orchid, notably greater butterfly Platanthera chlorantha and broad leaved helleborine Epipactis helleborine. There are colonies of bush grass Calamagrostis epigejos, a decreasing plant in Essex and wood barley Hordelymus europaeus one of only two sites for the grass in the County. The wood has wide rides which support a varied flora including damp loving species such as meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria, Corn and water mints Mentha arvensis and M. aquatica. Two ponds and a small area of secondary scrub on the eastern corner of the wood, are included within the boundary of the site. There is a small Norway Spruce plantation.

Species mentioned

English name
search for this in other sites		 Latin name
search with Google		 IUCN / Red List Type Family
wood small-reed Calamagrostis epigejos LC grass poaceae
tufted hair grass Deschampsia cespitosa LC grass poaceae
wood barley Hordelymus europaeus VU grass poaceae
broad-leaved helleborine Epipactis helleborine DD herb orchidaceae
meadow sweet Filipendula ulmaria LC herb rosaceae
bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta LC herb liliaceae
corn mint Mentha arvensis VU herb lamiaceae
dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis LC herb euphorbiaceae
wood forget-me-nots Myosotis sylvatica LC herb boraginaceae
herb paris Paris quadrifolia VU herb melanthiaceae
greater butterfly orchid Platanthera chlorantha NT herb orchidaceae
oxlip Primula elatior LC herb primulaceae
pendulous sedge Carex pendula LC sedge cyperaceae
field maple Acer campestre LC tree aceraceae
hornbeam Carpinus betulus LC tree betulaceae
hazel Corylus avellana LC tree corylaceae
ash Fraxinus excelsior LC tree oleaceae
common oak Quercus robur LC tree fagaceae

Plant communities

W20 — Montane scrub

Salix lapponum-Luzula sylvatica scrub

Salix arbuscula, Salix cinerea, Salix lapponum, Salix myrsinites, Salix phylicifolia, Salix reticulata, Empetrum nigrum, Calluna vulgaris, Salix lanata, Vaccinium myrtillus, Vaccinium uliginosum, Carex atrata, Carex bigelowii, Carex binervis, Carex flacca, Luzula multiflora, Luzula sylvatica, Huperzia selago, Selaginella selaginoides, Aulacomnium palustre, Mnium hornum, Philonotis fontana, Plagiomnium undulatum, Rhizomnium punctatum, Dicranum bonjeanii, Dicranum majus, Dicranum scoparium, Fissidens adianthoides, Racomitrium lanuginosum, Calliergonell cuspidatum, Ctenidium molluscum, Hylocomium splendens, Hypnum callichroum, Hypnum cupressiforme, Palustriella commutatum, Plagiothecium denticulatum, Plagiothecium undulatum, Pleurozium schreberi, Ptilium crista-castrensis, Rhytidiadelphus loreus, Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus, Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus, Sanionia uncinata, Scorpidium revolvens, Thuidium tamariscinum, Atrichum undulatum, Polytrichastrum alpinum, Sphagnum capillifolium, Sphagnum fallax, Sphagnum girgensohnii, Sphagnum palustre, Sphagnum russowii, Sphagnum squarrosum, Sphagnum subnitens, Sphagnum teres, Barbilophozia barbata, Chiloscyphus polyanthos, Diplophyllum albicans, Lophocolea bidentata, Plagiochila porelloides, Ptilidium ciliare, Scapania undulata, Cladonia squamosa, Peltigera canina, Angelica sylvestris, Caltha palustris, Hieraclium spp., Saussurea alpina, Solidago virgaurea, Campanula rotundifolia, Succisa pratensis, Valeriana officinalis, Rhodiola rosea, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Thymus praecox, Epilobium anagallidifolium, Dactylorhiza viridis, Euphrasia officinalis, Rhinanthus minor, Oxalis acetosella, Oxyria digyna, Polygonum viviparum, Rumex acetosa, Anemone nemorosa, Ranunculus acris, Thalictrum alpinum, Alchemilla alpina, Alchemilla glabra, Filipendula ulmaria, Geum rivale, Galium boreale, Galium saxatile, Saxifraga aizoides, Saxifraga hypnoides, Saxifraga oppositifolia, Saxifraga stellaris, Viola riviniana, Agrostis canina, Agrostis capillaris, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Deschampsia cespitosa, Deschampsia flexuosa, Festuca ovina, Festuca rubra, Nardus stricta, Dryopteris dilatata, Phegopteris connectilis

W21 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub

Crataegus monogyna-Hedera helix scrub

Hedera helix, Salix cinerea, Acer pseudoplatanus, Ilex aquifolium, Betula pendula, Corylus avellana, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Fraxinus excelsior, Malus sylvestris, Sorbus aria, Taxus baccata, Ulmus glabra, Ulmus procera, Sambucus nigra, Viburnum lantana, Euonymus europaeus, Cornus sanguinea, Juniperus communis, Ligustrum vulgare, Clematis vitalba, Rhamnus cathartica, Crataegus laevigata, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Juncus effusus, Plagiomnium undulatum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Kindbergia praelonga, Rhynchostegium confertum, Tamus communis, Heracleum sphondylium, Torilis japonica, Arum maculatum, Arctium minus, Cirsium arvense, Lonicera periclymenum, Moehringia trinervia, Silene dioica, Stellaria graminea, Stellaria holostea, Stellaria media agg., Calystegia sepium, Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Iris foetidissima, Glechoma hederacea, Lamium purpureum, Origanum vulgare, Stachys sylvatica, Teucrium scorodonia, Allium ursinum, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Circaea lutetiana, Rumex sanguineus, Anemone nemorosa, Ranunculus repens, Fragaria vesca, Geum urbanum, Potentilla sterilis, Poterium sanguisorba, Rosa arvensis, Rosa canina, Rubia peregrina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Galium aparine, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Anisantha sterilis, Arrhenatherum elatius, Brachypodium pinnatum, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Bromopsis erecta, Dactylis glomerata, Elytrigia repens, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Asplenium scolopendrium, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris filix-mas

W22 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub

Prunus spinosa-Rubus fruticosus scrub

Hedera helix, Acer campestre, Corylus avellana, Ulex europaeus, Prunus spinosa, Plagiomnium undulatum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Eurhynchium striatum, Kindbergia praelonga, Thuidium tamariscinum, Atrichum undulatum, Lophocolea bidentata, Achillea millefolium, Cardamine flexuosa, Lonicera periclymenum, Moehringia trinervia, Silene dioica, Silene uniflora, Stellaria media agg., Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Stachys sylvatica, Teucrium scorodonia, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Oxalis acetosella, Digitalis purpurea, Plantago lanceolata, Veronica chamaedrys, Armeria maritima, Rumex acetosa, Filipendula ulmaria, Geum urbanum, Rosa canina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Rubus idaeus, Galium aparine, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Agrostis capillaris, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Asplenium scolopendrium, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris borreri, Dryopteris filix-mas