Astridge Wood

Also within

Gloucestershire County WYE VALLEY (England) Scenic Area

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Coppiced woodland

Geology & landscape

Geological Feature: Gorge / Ravine · Geological Period: Carboniferous · Rock Type: Carboniferous Limestone, Limestone, Sandstone

Landscape processes: Fluvial

Description

Area 19.42 hectares Description The woodlands of the lower Wye Valley form one of the most important areas for woodland conservation in Britain, comparable with the Caledonian pinewoods, the oceanic oak woods of Western Britain, the New Forest and the mixed coppices of East Anglia. Semi natural woodland is abundant and virtually continuous along the gorge. The woods are a mixture of many types, some of which are very localised, e.g. the lime sessile oak stands on limestone, beech stands on both acid and alkaline soils in which lime Tilia spp, elm Ulmus spp, oak Quercus spp and other species share dominance. Most woods are a rich mixture of stand types which are believed to be similar in composition to the original natural woods of the valley. Many rare and local species are present, including some of the rarest native tree species, e.g. large leaved lime Tilia platyphyllos, whitebeams Sorbus spp and trees close to the edge of their European range, e.g. hornbeam Carpinus betulus and beech Fagus sylvatica. Furthermore these woods sit in a matrix of unimproved grassland and other semi-natural habitats which together with the woods, make the Wye Valley one of the most diverse, rich and attractive areas in southern Britain. Astridge Wood, lying mainly over Carboniferous Limestone but with Old Red Sandstone forming the lower slopes, is one of the best examples of rich calcareous mixed coppice woodland in the Wye Valley. The tree cover consists of species such as ash Fraxinus excelsior, elm Ulmus spp, small leaved lime Tilia cordata and hazel Corylus avellana with occasional alder Alnus glutinosa, sessile oak Quercus petraea and field maple Acer campestre. Most of the trees have been subject to coppice management and there is a relatively small number of maiden trees in the wood. The rich field layer vegetation is dominated by dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis, bramble Rubus fruticosus and hart's tongue fern Asplenium scolopendrium but also includes a number of locally rare species such as broad leaved helleborine Epipactis helleborine, spurge laurel Daphne laureola, tutsan Hypericum androsaemum and wild daffodil Narcissus pseudonarcissus. This wood is also noted for its variety of mosses and liverworts.

Species mentioned