Great Yews

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 51.0072, -1.8307

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SU119231 Favourable 29.09 2011-09-26

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Chalk

Description

Area, 29.3 ha. 72.3 ac. Description Yew woodland is a nationally rare habitat and great Yews represents one of the two best examples in Wiltshire. It includes an extensive area of almost pure yew Taxus baccata and contains many large individual trees. It is situated on the Upper Chalk south of Salisbury. It is unusual in lying on gently sloping ground most yew woods being on steep slopes and also in having a long history as an area of yew. In particular the land is marked as 'Yew Bushes' on the Andrews and Drury map of Wiltshire, published in 1773. Many of the trees are believed to be over 200 years old. In 1955 about 300 individuals had a girth of over 3.0 metres and 16 of over 4.6 metres. There has been no recent resurvey but neither has there been any extensive felling. Yew regeneration appears absent within the wood but some younger specimens are found in the scrub on the northern boundary. It is generally thought that yew woods arise from such scrub and, after a long period, may progressively develop into broadleaved woodland. Scattered amongst the yews are isolated mature ash Fraxinus excelsior and pedunculate oak Quercus robur with the occasional whitebeam Sorbus aria and patches of ash regeneration. Shrubs are very sparse under the yews but dense, species rich scrub occurs on the edges of the wood. hawthorn Crataegus monogyna and blackthorn Prunus spinosa are common with frequent spindle Euonymus europaeus, holly Ilex aquifolium and privet Ligustrum vulgare. Few herbaceous plants exist beneath the yews but a number occur under the broadleaved trees and alongside the rides. These include nettle leaved bellflower Campanula trachelium, woodruff Galium odoratum and early purple orchid Orchis mascula. Ferns are well represented and include common and scaly male fern Dryopteris filix-mas and Dryopteris affinis, broad and narrow buckler fern Dryopteris dilatata and Dryopteris carthusiana and polypody Polypodium vulgare. Two glades, in the north and east of the wood, contain areas of herb rich rabbit grazed chalk grassland, with abundant chalk milkwort Polygala calcarea, glaucous and spring sedges Carex flacca and Carex caryophyllea and occasional kidney vetch Anthyllis vulneraria and common rock rose Helianthemum nummularium. In the eastern glade the grassland merges into a small area of heather Calluna vulgaris and tormentil Potentilla erecta. Little is known of the invertebrates of the site but the abundant yew berries are an important food source for a variety of birds, bullfinch, greenfinch, redwing and fieldfare have been seen in large numbers.

Species mentioned

English name
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Latin name
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IUCN / Red List Type Family
greenfinch Chloris chloris EN (Breeding) bird-finch fringillidae
bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula LC (Breeding) bird-finch fringillidae
redwing Turdus iliacus LC (NonBreeding), CR (Breeding) bird-thrush turdidae
fieldfare Turdus pilaris LC (NonBreeding), CR(PE) (Breeding) bird-thrush turdidae
scaly male-fern Dryopteris affinis LC fern dryopteridaceae
narrow buckler fern Dryopteris carthusiana LC fern dryopteridaceae
broad buckler fern Dryopteris dilatata LC fern dryopteridaceae
male fern Dryopteris filix-mas LC fern dryopteridaceae
polypody Polypodium vulgare LC fern polypodiaceae
lady's fingers (kidney vetch) Anthyllis vulneraria NT herb fabaceae
nettle leaved bellflower Campanula trachelium LC herb campanulaceae
woodruff Galium odoratum LC herb rubiaceae
rock roses Helianthemum nummularium VU herb cistaceae
early purple orchid Orchis mascula LC herb orchidaceae
chalk milkwort Polygala calcarea VU herb polygalaceae
tormentil Potentilla erecta LC herb rosaceae
spring-sedge Carex caryophyllea NT sedge cyperaceae
glaucus sedge Carex flacca LC sedge cyperaceae
hawthorn Crataegus monogyna LC shrub rosaceae
spindle tree Euonymus europaeus LC shrub celastraceae
wild privet Ligustrum vulgare LC shrub oleaceae
blackthorn Prunus spinosa LC shrub rosaceae
bell heather or ling Calluna vulgaris NT shrub dwarf ericaceae
ash Fraxinus excelsior LC tree oleaceae
holly Ilex aquifolium LC tree aquifoliaceae
common oak Quercus robur LC tree fagaceae
whitebeams Sorbus aria CR tree rosaceae
yew Taxus baccata LC tree taxaceae

Plant communities

W13 — Yew wood

Taxus baccata woodland

Hedera helix, Acer campestre, Acer pseudoplatanus, Ilex aquifolium, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Fraxinus excelsior, Sorbus aria, Taxus baccata, Buxus sempervirens, Sambucus nigra, Euonymus europaeus, Ligustrum vulgare, Clematis vitalba, Crataegus monogyna, Mnium hornum, Fissidens viridulus, Brachythecium velutinum, Ctenidium molluscum, Kindbergia praelonga, Pseudotaxiphyllum elegans, Rhynchostegium murale, Rhytidiadelphus loreus, Thuidium tamariscinum, Tamus communis, Arum maculatum, Eupatorium cannabinum, Inula conyza, Mercurialis perennis, Iris foetidissima, Glechoma hederacea, Fragaria vesca, Rubus fruticosus agg., Atropa belladonna, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Brachypodium sylvaticum

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