Westwood Great Pool

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 52.2680, -2.1774

Open in the interactive map →

Also within

Worcestershire County

Condition (Natural England)

Unfavourable No Change (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SO879633 — Unfavourable No Change 29.35 2010-10-22

Habitats

Mixed scrub, Montane scrub

Birds & fish recorded

Birds

SpeciesSeason
great crested grebe Breeding
great crested grebe Wintering
pochard Breeding
pochard Wintering
reed warbler Breeding
tufted duck Breeding
tufted duck Wintering

Description

Area, 29.13 ha. 72.0 ac. Description Westwood great Pool is a man made lake lying on the Keuper Marl. It originally formed a major landscape feature of one of Worcestershire’s oldest and largest estates, the Westwood estate. The site, which includes peripheral areas of grassland and woodland, represents one of the largest areas of open water in Worcestershire and is important for both its plant and bird communities. The Lake and its margins support a wide variety of plants. Amongst the aquatic species present are the yellow water lily Nuphar lutea and two national rarities, the eight stamened waterwort Elatine hydropiper and the ribbon leaved water plantain Alisma gramineum. The latter species was first discovered in Britain at Westwood great Pool in 1920 and is only known from three other sites in the country. The northern and eastern margins of the Lake support extensive beds of reed Phragmites australis, reed mace Typha latifolia and bulrush Schoenoplectus lacustris. The eastern margin of the Lake is bordered by a strip of ungrazed rough grassland colonised by scrub, mainly hawthorn Crataegus monogyna and willows Salix cinerea and S. fragilis. The southern margin is bordered by woodland with a mixture of species dominated by oak Quercus robur, ash Fraxinus excelsior and birch Betula pendula. These areas of grassland, scrub and woodland provide valuable screening for the site in addition to being wildlife habitats in their own right. The Lake and its marginal vegetation provide a valuable ornithological habitat. The breeding birds include the largest colony of reed warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus in the county. Other breeding species include great crested grebe Podiceps cristatus, tufted duck Aythya fuligula and pochard Aythya ferina. Westwood great Pool is also one of the most important sites for over wintering waterfowl in Worcestershire.

Species mentioned

English name
search for this in other sites		 Latin name
search with Google		 IUCN / Red List Type Family
pochard Aythya ferina EN (NonBreeding), EN (Breeding) bird-duck anatidae
tufted duck Aythya fuligula LC (NonBreeding), LC (Breeding) bird-duck anatidae
great crested grebe Podiceps cristatus LC (NonBreeding), VU (Breeding) bird-grebe podicipedidae
reed warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus LC (Breeding) bird-warbler acrocephalidae
reedmace Typha latifolia LC bulrush typhaceae
common reed Phragmites australis LC grass poaceae
ribbon leaved water plantain Alisma gramineum CR herb alismataceae
eight stamened waterwort Elatine hydropiper LC herb elatinaceae
water lillies Nuphar lutea LC herb nymphaeaceae
common club rush Schoenoplectus lacustris LC sedge cyperaceae
hawthorn Crataegus monogyna LC shrub rosaceae
birch Betula pendula LC tree betulaceae
ash Fraxinus excelsior LC tree oleaceae
common oak Quercus robur LC tree fagaceae
grey willow Salix cinerea LC tree shrub salicaceae

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