Crews Hill Wood

Also within

Worcestershire County Malvern Hills Scenic Area

Condition (Natural England)

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Limestone

Description

Area, 7.4 ha. 18.3 ac. Description Crews Hill Wood lies on a ridge of Wenlock Limestone which forms the northern tip of the Suckley Hills in Worcestershire. The site has been selected because it contains a number of different types of woodland including a substantial area of hornbeam Carpinus betulus. Oak woodland with hornbeam is well represented in eastern Britain, but this is one of the few examples known from western Britain. The woodland lies on calcareous soils derived from the underlying limestone. Throughout the wood the canopy is dominated by sessile oak Quercus petraea in association with a wide variety of other tree and shrub species. Of particular interest is the northern end of the site where sessile oak is associated with hornbeam and ash Fraxinus excelsior, together with an understorey of hawthorn Crataegus monogyna, hazel Corylus avellana, field maple Acer campestre and elder Sambucus nigra. The remainder of the site supports three other woodland types in which sessile oak and ash are in association with: i. Beech Fagus sylvatica, silver birch Betula pendula, large leaved lime Tilia platyphyllos and wild service tree Sorbus torminalis; ii. small leaved lime Tilia cordata, field maple and birch; and iii. wild service tree and yew Taxus baccata. The ground flora is dominated by bramble Rubus fruticosus agg. and ivy Hedera helix with dog’s mercury Mercurialis perennis, sanicle Sanicula europaea and wood melick Melica uniflora. Locally uncommon plants include spurge laurel Daphne laureola, stinking iris Iris foetidissima and toothwort Lathraea squamaria.

Species mentioned