Warboy's and Wistow Wood

Also within

Cambridgeshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Ancient woodland, Coppiced woodland

Description

Area, 41.7 hectares 103 ac Description These woodlands are of ancient origin and of the ash maple community type which has a national distribution restricted to lowland England. Since 1945 such woodlands have declined in extent particularly in the more intensively farmed regions and the fraction which remain are therefore of high conservation value. In a Cambridgeshire context, these woods are additionally noted for their diversity of flora and associated fauna. The woodland structure is dominated by coppice of ash Fraxinus excelsior and field maple Acer campestre with shrub layer of hazel Corylus avellana, midland hawthorn Crataegus laevigata and blackthorn Prunus spinosa. In wet areas aspen Populus tremula is frequent. The ground flora is predominantly of dog’s mercury Mercurialis perennis and bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta with a variety of other plants characteristic of ancient woodland such as wood melick Melica uniflora and wood anemone Anemone nemorosa. The rides provide for additional variety and support woodland grassland plants such as meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria and ragged-robin Silene flos-cuculi together with a variety of sedges. The woodlands are also noted for their invertebrate fauna.

Species mentioned