Hollowhill and Pullingshill Woods

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 51.5685, -0.8165

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Also within

Buckinghamshire County Chilterns Scenic Area

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (2)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SU821859 — Favourable 7.7 2020-11-11
SU821863 — Favourable 15.21 2020-11-11

Habitats

Beech wood, Coppiced woodland

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Chalk

Description

Area, 23.0 hectares 56.8 ac Description A woodland site in the mid Chilterns where contrasts between the acid gravelly soils of the plateau and both shallow and deeper chalky soils of the slopes are reflected in the presence of different types of beech wood. The ground flora includes some uncommon species, of which one is a national rarity. Much of the woodland consists of mature to over mature, closely grown, even aged beech, resulting from neglected coppice, though some parts of Pullingshill Wood have recently been thinned to encourage natural regeneration. Pedunculate and sessile oaks, together with their hybrids and Quercus cerris, occur on the plateau, as do birch and rowan, the last two particularly evident in Pullingshill Wood. On the slopes holly is most abundant where the soil is shallow, whereas a greater variety of species and age classes occurs on the deeper soils of the lower slopes. Ash, wild cherry, crab apple, whitebeam, field maple, elder, spindle, hawthorn and yew have been recorded. Among the more open stands of the plateau the ground flora contains heather Calluna vulgaris as well as wavy hair grass Deschampsia flexuosa, the sedge Carex pilulifera and the rushes Juncus tenuis and Juncus bufoniusa. Towards the bottom of the slopes there is a typical range of chalk woodland species such as wood melick Melica uniflora, giant fescue fescue gigantea and the local wood barley Hordelymus europaeus, as well as wood sedge Carex sylvatica, goldilocks buttercup Ranunculus auricomus and yellow archangel Lamiastrum galeobdolon. Much of the woodland floor on the shallow soils is largely bereft of herbaceous plants and exhibits either bare ground or deep accumulations of leaves; yet here some of the more uncommon plants occur, including lesser wintergreen Pyrola minor, broadleaved helleborine Epipactis helleborine and a national rarity, the ghost orchid Epipogium aphyllum.

Species mentioned

English name
search for this in other sites		 Latin name
search with Google		 IUCN / Red List Type Family
wavy hair grass Deschampsia flexuosa Not listed in GB list grass poaceae
wood barley Hordelymus europaeus VU grass poaceae
wood melick Melica uniflora NT grass poaceae
broad-leaved helleborine Epipactis helleborine DD herb orchidaceae
ghost orchid Epipogium aphyllum CR herb orchidaceae
yellow archangel Lamiastrum galeobdolon LC herb lamiaceae
wintergreens Pyrola minor LC herb ericaceae
goldilocks buttercup Ranunculus auricomus LC herb ranunculaceae
slender rush Juncus tenuis Not listed in GB list rush juncaceae
pill sedge Carex pilulifera LC sedge cyperaceae
wood sedge Carex sylvatica LC sedge cyperaceae
bell heather or ling Calluna vulgaris NT shrub dwarf ericaceae
Turkey oak Quercus cerris Not listed in GB list tree fagaceae

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