Out Wood

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 51.8843, -1.4090

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Oxfordshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Unfavourable Recovering (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SP407207 — Unfavourable Recovering 19.16 2013-05-02

Habitats

Coppiced woodland, Mixed scrub, Montane scrub

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Limestone

Description

Area, 19.2 hectares 47.5 ac Description Out Wood is an isolated fragment of the ancient Royal Forest of Wychwood which was disafforested during the Middle Ages. Unlike most of the outlying woods of Wychwood it retains its semi natural character and exhibits a variety of stand types characteristic of base rich clay soils. The soils are derived partly from the underlying oolite and the field and shrub layers are rich and varied. Four woodland stand types are represented, these intergrading freely in many areas. Calcareous hazel ash woodland is the commonest stand type, although there are also large areas of wet maple woodland in which privet and dogwood are unusually prominent. There is a little dry ash maple woodland in a better drained area centrally and also some suckering elm along the northern edge. All of these stand types are rare in Britain. The woodland structure is overgrown coppice with standards. Close spaced oak standards from about 30 to 150 years of age dominate the canopy with some birch, ash and large, dead wych elms. hazel coppice with mixed scrub of hawthorn, dogwood, elder, spindle, redcurrant and privet occurs. Parts of the wood lack coppice and consist of oak standards with sycamore, ash and occasional wild service tree Sorbus torminalis. The field layer is dominated by dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis and, locally, brambles Rubus spp. In the mown rides of the wood and along a relatively open wet valley the field layer is more diverse and contains meadow saffron Colchicum autumnale, nettle leaved bellflower Campanula trachelium, sanicle Sanicula europaea, columbine Aquilegia vulgaris, sweet violet Viola odorata, early dog violet Viola reichenbachiana, twayblade Neottia ovata, broad leaved helleborine Epipactis helleborine and greater butterfly orchid Platanthera chlorantha. Out Wood is one of the few localities in Oxfordshire for the spiked star of Bethlehem Ornithagalum pyrenacium. Other uncommon species include false oxlip Primula vulgaris x veris, toothwort Lathraea squamaria and bird's nest orchid Neottia nidus-avis. Herb rich flushes occur at the base of the valley and a limestone grassland flora has developed in the drier, more open parts of the wood.

Species mentioned

English name
search for this in other sites		 Latin name
search with Google		 IUCN / Red List Type Family
columbine Aquilegia vulgaris LC herb ranunculaceae
nettle leaved bellflower Campanula trachelium LC herb campanulaceae
autumn crocus or meadow saffron Colchicum autumnale NT herb colchicaceae
broad-leaved helleborine Epipactis helleborine DD herb orchidaceae
toothwort Lathraea squamaria LC herb orobanchaceae
dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis LC herb euphorbiaceae
birdsnest orchid Neottia nidus-avis VU herb orchidaceae
common twayblade Neottia ovata NT herb orchidaceae
Bath asparagus Ornithagalum pyrenacium Not listed in GB list herb asparagaceae
greater butterfly orchid Platanthera chlorantha NT herb orchidaceae
primrose Primula vulgaris LC herb primulaceae
sanicle Sanicula europaea LC herb apiaceae
sweet violet Viola odorata LC herb violaceae
early dog violet Viola reichenbachiana LC herb violaceae

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