Peckforton Woods
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SJ532576 | — | Favourable | 57.15 | 2010-05-14 |
| SJ534577 | — | Favourable | 57.15 | 2010-05-14 |
Habitats
Geology & landscape
Geological Period: Triassic · Rock Type: Sandstone
Birds & fish recorded
Birds
| Species | Season |
|---|---|
| pied flycatcher | Breeding |
| redstart | Breeding |
| wood warbler | Breeding |
Description
Area, 54.33 hectares 134.25 ac Description Peckforton Woods lies on the scarp and dip slopes of the Triassic sandstone ridge in mid Cheshire, 20 kms SE of Chester. This site has been selected as the largest known tract of sessile oak Quercus petraea woodland in Cheshire. The ground flora is characteristic of acidic, sandy soils. Woodland of this type is rare in Cheshire. On the west and north facing scarp slopes of Peckforton Hill sessile oak is dominant over a sparce shrub layer which includes rowan Sorbus aucuparia and holly Ilex aquifolium. The ground layer is locally dominated by bracken Pteridium aquilinum but species such as bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus, heather Calluna vulgaris, common cow wheat Melampyrum pratense and climbing corydalis Corydalis claviculata are widespread. Along the ridge top, Scot's pine Pinus sylvestris, yew Taxus baccata, beech Fagus sylvatica and silver birch Betula pendula also occur. The woodland supports locally significant breeding bird populations including pied flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca, wood warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix and redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus.
Species mentioned
Show the 15 species mentioned in the description, with red-list status| English name search for this in other sites |
Latin name search with Google |
IUCN / Red List | Type | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| pied flycatcher | Ficedula hypoleuca | VU (Breeding) | bird-robin | muscicapidae |
| redstart | Phoenicurus phoenicurus | LC (Breeding) | bird-robin | muscicapidae |
| wood warbler | Phylloscopus sibilatrix | VU (Breeding) | bird-warbler | phylloscopidae |
| bracken | Pteridium aquilinum | LC | fern | dennstaedtiaceae |
| corydalis | Corydalis claviculata | Not listed in GB list | herb | fumariaceae |
| common cowwheat | Melampyrum pratense | VU | herb | orobanchaceae |
| billberry | Vaccinium myrtillus | LC | shrub | ericaceae |
| bell heather or ling | Calluna vulgaris | NT | shrub dwarf | ericaceae |
| birch | Betula pendula | LC | tree | betulaceae |
| beech | Fagus sylvatica | LC | tree | fabiaceae |
| holly | Ilex aquifolium | LC | tree | aquifoliaceae |
| Scot's pine | Pinus sylvestris | LC | tree | pinaceae |
| sessile or durmast oak | Quercus petraea | LC | tree | fagaceae |
| rowan | Sorbus aucuparia | LC | tree | rosaceae |
| yew | Taxus baccata | LC | tree | taxaceae |
Plant communities
W25 — Bracken scrub
Pteridium aquilinum-Rubus fruticosus underscrub
Show 53 indicator speciesHedera 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