Homefield Wood

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 51.5744, -0.8285

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SU812868 Favourable 6.05 2009-06-18

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Chalk

Description

Area, 6.07 hectares 15.0 ac Description Most of the site occupies a south facing slope supporting a range of young plantations with abundant scrub, within which are rides and glades where herb rich chalk grassland of exceptional variety and interest occurs. The site is also notable for its invertebrate and bird life. The plantations are mainly of beech, some interplanted with Serbian spruce Picea omorika or other conifers, but all containing numerous native tree and shrub species typical of chalk, including ash, wayfaring tree Viburnum lantana, privet, dogwood, briars Rosa ssp., old man's beard Clematis vitalba and spurge laurel Daphne laureola. Yew and laurel Prunus laurocerasus are also present. There are characteristic woodlands of wood edge plants such as false brome Brachypodium sylvaticum, dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis, the more local broad leaved helleborine Epipactis helleborine and fly orchid Ophrys insectifera. The herbaceous vegetation is mainly herb rich chalk grassland reflecting various levels of shading and including the Chiltern gentian Gentianella germanica, upright brome grass Bromus erectus, glaucous and wood sedges Carex flacca and C. sylvatica, cowslip Primula veris, rock rose Helianthemum nummularium, clustered bellflower Campanula glomerata, dwarf and carline thistles Cirsium acaule and Carlina vulgaris, blue fleabane Erigeron acris, ploughman's spikenard Inula conyza, black and greater knapweeds Centaurea nigra and C. scabiosa, twayblade Neottia ovata and common spotted, bee, pyramidal, fragrant and butterfly orchids Dactylorhiza fuchsii, Ophrys apifera, Anacamptis pyramidalis, Gymnadenia conopsea and Platanthera chlorantha. Unusually for chalk, there is a small area of bracken Pteridium aquilinum. The invertebrate fauna is known to be rich, though it warrants further study. Among the thirty species of butterfly recorded in and immediately adjacent to the SSSI recently are dark green fritillary Argynnis aglaja and white-letter hairstreak Satyrium w-album, as well as green and purple hairstreaks Callophrys rubi and Favonius quercus, dingy and grizzled skippers Erynnis tages and Pyrgus malvae and white admiral Limenitis camilla. The large dragonfly Aeshna grandis is common.

Species mentioned

English name
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Latin name
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IUCN / Red List Type Family
dark green fritillary Argynnis aglaja Not listed in GB list butterfly nymphalidae
green hairstreak Callophrys rubi LC butterfly lycaenidae
dingy skipper Erynnis tages LC butterfly hesperiidae
purple hairstreak Favonius quercus LC butterfly lycaenidae
white admiral Limenitis camilla VU butterfly nymphalidae
grizzled skipper Pyrgus malvae VU butterfly hesperiidae
white-letter hairstreak Satyrium w-album VU butterfly lycaenidae
brown hawker Aeshna grandis LC dragonfly aeshnidae
bracken Pteridium aquilinum LC fern dennstaedtiaceae
wood false brome Brachypodium sylvaticum LC grass poaceae
upright brome Bromus erectus Not listed in GB list grass poaceae
pyramidal orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis LC herb orchidaceae
clustered bellflower Campanula glomerata VU herb campanulaceae
carline thistle Carlina vulgaris LC herb asteraceae
black knapweed Centaurea nigra LC herb asteraceae
dwarf thistle Cirsium acaule VU herb asteraceae
spotted orchids Dactylorhiza fuchsii LC herb orchidaceae
broad-leaved helleborine Epipactis helleborine DD herb orchidaceae
blue fleabane Erigeron acris LC herb asteraceae
Chiltern gentian Gentianella germanica VU herb gentianaceae
fragrant orchid Gymnadenia conopsea NT herb orchidaceae
rock roses Helianthemum nummularium VU herb cistaceae
ploughman's spikenard Inula conyza Not listed in GB list herb asteraceae
dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis LC herb euphorbiaceae
common twayblade Neottia ovata NT herb orchidaceae
bee orchid Ophrys apifera LC herb orchidaceae
fly orchid Ophrys insectifera VU herb orchidaceae
greater butterfly orchid Platanthera chlorantha NT herb orchidaceae
cowslip Primula veris LC herb primulaceae
glaucus sedge Carex flacca LC sedge cyperaceae
traveller's joy Clematis vitalba LC shrub ranunculaceae
spurge laurel Daphne laureola LC shrub thymelaeaceae
wayfaring tree Viburnum lantana LC shrub caprifoliaceae
Serbian spruce Picea omorika Not listed in GB list tree pinaceae

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

W25 — Bracken scrub

Pteridium aquilinum-Rubus fruticosus underscrub

Hedera helix, Acer pseudoplatanus, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Fraxinus excelsior, Sambucus nigra, Ulex europaeus, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Luzula multiflora, Mnium hornum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Kindbergia praelonga, Angelica sylvestris, Conopodium majus, Heracleum sphondylium, Arum maculatum, Cirsium arvense, Lonicera periclymenum, Silene dioica, Stellaria holostea, Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Glechoma hederacea, Teucrium scorodonia, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Chamerion angustifolium, Circaea lutetiana, Digitalis purpurea, Rumex acetosa, Anemone nemorosa, Ficaria verna, Potentilla erecta, Rosa arvensis, Rosa canina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Rubus idaeus, Galium aparine, Galium mollugo sens.lat., Galium saxatile, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Agrostis capillaris, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Arrhenatherum elatius, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris dilatata, Dryopteris filix-mas