Burbage Wood and Aston Firs

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 52.5424, -1.3336

Also within

Leicestershire County

Condition (Natural England)

Unfavourable Recovering (5)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SP449939 Unfavourable Recovering 8.94 2023-05-17
SP450942 Unfavourable Recovering 12.95 2023-05-17
SP452940 Unfavourable Recovering 8.94 2023-05-17
SP453942 Unfavourable Recovering 4.59 2023-04-19
SP455939 Unfavourable Recovering 24.67 2023-05-17

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Glacial Till

Landscape processes: Glacial

Description

Area,52.01 ha128.51 ac Description The site comprises one of the best remaining examples of ash oak maple woodland in Leicestershire and is representative of semi natural woodland developed on the clays of eastern England. Biology Burbage Wood and Aston Firs have developed on rather poorly drained soils derived from the underlying Glacial Boulder Clay. The woodland canopy is dominated by ash Fraxinus excelsior and oak Quercus robur and contains some wych elm Ulmus glabra and English elm Ulmus procera. The shrub layer is dominated by hazel Corylus avellana and hawthorn Crataegus monogyna, but also includes field maple Acer campestre, privet Ligustrum vulgare, dogwood Cornus sanguinea and rowan Sorbus aucuparia. The ground vegetation is characterised by an abundance of honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum, bramble Rubus fruticosus, bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta, false brome Brachypodium sylvaticum, rough meadow grass Poa trivialis and tufted hair grass Deschampsia cespitosa and includes a large number of plant species typical of semi natural woodland such as sweet woodruff Asperula oderata, moschatel Adoxa moschatellina, yellow archangel Lamiastrum galeobdolon, water avens Geum rivale and several species of woodland orchids.

Species mentioned

English name
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Latin name
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IUCN / Red List Type Family
wood false brome Brachypodium sylvaticum LC grass poaceae
tufted hair grass Deschampsia cespitosa LC grass poaceae
rough meadow grass Poa trivialis LC grass poaceae
moschatel Adoxa moschatellina LC herb adoxaceae
water avens Geum rivale LC herb rosaceae
bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta LC herb liliaceae
yellow archangel Lamiastrum galeobdolon LC herb lamiaceae
honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum LC herb caprifoliaceae
bramble Rubus fruticosus LC herb rosaceae
dogwood Cornus sanguinea LC shrub cornaceae
hawthorn Crataegus monogyna LC shrub rosaceae
wild privet Ligustrum vulgare LC shrub oleaceae
field maple Acer campestre LC tree aceraceae
hazel Corylus avellana LC tree corylaceae
ash Fraxinus excelsior LC tree oleaceae
common oak Quercus robur LC tree fagaceae
rowan Sorbus aucuparia LC tree rosaceae
wych elm Ulmus glabra LC tree ulmaceae
English elm Ulmus procera LC tree ulmaceae