Hallinhag Wood

Also within

Cumbria County LAKE DISTRICT National Park

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Bracken scrub

Geology & landscape

Landscape processes: Karst, Volcanic / Igneous

Birds & fish recorded

Birds

Description

Description Hallinhag Wood lies on the south east side of Ullswater, 13 kilometres south west of Penrith. It is situated on a steep north west facing slope, rising from the lake shore at 146 metres OD to a maximum height at 280 metres OD It is a typical example of a west facing, mossy oak wood onrocks of the Borrowdale Volcanic Series and in this respect is comparable to similar woods in the Duddon and Borrowdale valleys as well as at Naddle Forest, to the east. The extensive stands of oak/birch woodland are amongst the best in the area and there are also small patches dominated by wych elm as well as a thin, discontinuous strip of alder woodland along the lake edge. However, neither of these stands are extensive. Hallinhag Wood is also notable for its diversity of breeding birds which include species typical of both woodland and lakeside. Sessile oak Quercus petraea is the dominant tree species throughout most of the wood although pedunculate oak Quercus robur and hybrids between these two species also occur. A hazel understorey is present in some parts of the wood and there are also patches of birch, as well as smaller quantities of sycamore and holly. The ground flora is dominated by bracken and wavy hair grass Deschampsia flexuosa and there are relatively few herbs. In the more open and heavily grazed areas and on the more base rich soils associated with stands of alder and wych elm there occurs a much greater variety of herbs including wood sorrel Oxalis acetosella, wood anemone Anemone nemorosa, primrose Primula vulgaris, common dog violet Viola riviniana, wavy bitter cress Cardamine flexuosa and opposite leaved golden saxifrage Chrysosplenium oppositifolium. Mosses are very abundant throughout the wood but despite their great luxuriance there are no rare or unusual species. A wide variety of bird species breed in Hallinhag Wood. These include birds of prey such as buzzard and kestrel and tree nesting water birds such as goosander and red breasted merganser, as well as many typical woodland species, for example redstart, green woodpecker and and greater spotted woodpecker, pied and spotted flycatcher and tree pipit.

Species mentioned

Plant communities