Bevercotes Park

Also within

Nottinghamshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Ancient woodland, Coppiced woodland, Fast flowing river and stream

Geology & landscape

Geological Period: Triassic

Description

Area, 9.26 ha. 22.87 ac. Description The site comprises one of the best examples of semi natural mixed ash woodland in Nottinghamshire and is representative of ancient woodland developed on relatively base rich clay soils in Central and Eastern England. Biology Although somewhat modified by recent silvicultural management the site remains a fine example of a mixed ash wood developed on soils largely derived from the flaggy sandstones and clays of the Triassic Keuper Waterstones. The wood is dominated by standard and coppice ash Fraxinus excelsior with frequent silver birch Betula pendula (formerly verrucosa), wych elm Ulmus glabra and some pedunculate oak Quercus robur and small leaved lime Tilia cordata. The understorey consists of hazel Corylus avellana, field maple Acer campestre, hawthorn Crataegus monogyna, dogwood Cornus sanguinea and privet Ligustrum vulgare, in association with an extensive development of woody climbers and ramblers such as honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum, black bryony Tamus communis, rose Rosa app. and bramble Rubus fruticosus. The ground vegetation is characterised by the dominance of tufted hair grass Deschampsia cespitosa, false brome Brachypodium sylvaticum and dog’s mercury Mercurialis perennis and includes a rich herb flora containing many species typical of ancient woodland such as primrose Primula vulgaris, wood sorrel Oxalis acetosella, sanicle Sanicula europaea, yellow archangel Lamiastrum galeobdolon, broad helleborine Epipactis helleborine, early purple orchid Orchis mascula and herb paris Paris quadrifolia. A notable feature of the site is the presence of a steep sided, narrow, wooded valley cut through the waterstones by a surface stream. Such features, locally called ‘dumbles’, are now uncommon in their original woodland setting in the East Midlands. At Bevercotes Park the dumble slopes carry the characteristic woodland plant community while marshy areas alongside the stream in the valley bottom are frequently dominated by the opposite leaved golden saxifrage Chrysosplenium oppositifolium.

Species mentioned

Plant communities