King's Copse

Also within

Berkshire County North Wessex Downs Scenic Area

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Coppiced woodland, Fast flowing river and stream

Description

Area, 13.82 hectares 34.16 ac Description An old coppiced woodland, predominantly on London Clay, but partly on Bagshot Beds and Reading Beds, situated on the south side of the valley of the River Pang. A small stream flows through the lower part of the site. The wood is on sloping ground, ranging from dry acid soils to wet peaty humus. The variation of slope and soil conditions gives rise to a complex intermingling of seven woodland stand types including neutral valley alder wood, wet ash/wych elm, wet ash/maple, acid hazel/oak and birch. Holly, aspen, wild cherry and crack willow are locally frequent, whilst beech, probably of planted origin, occurs on a knoll at the southern extremity. Although some exotic species have been introduced locally, the natural ground flora is rich, ranging from communities with abundant wood anemone Anemone nemorosa, woodsage Teucrium scorodonia, honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum, bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta and tormentil Potentilla erecta on drier acid soil under oak, birch and hazel to flushed areas with sanicle Sanicula europaea, bugle Ajuga reptans, meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria, figworts Scrophularia nodosa and S. aquatica, ragged-robin Silene flos-cuculi, golden saxifrage Chrysosplenium oppositifolium and sedges Carex sylvatica, Carex remota and C. strigosa. Stands of stinging nettle Urtica dioica and hemlock water dropwort Oenanthe crocata occur under alder and crack willow on nutrient enriched ground along the stream. Other locally abundant species include hairy wood rush Luzula pilosa, moschatel Adoxa moschatellina, wood spurge Euphorbia amygdaloides, primrose Primula vulgaris and violets Viola riviniana and Viola reichenbachiana. tutsan Hypericum androsaemum also occurs. The fauna of this wood may also prove interesting. As well as a good range of bird species, grass snakes Natrix natrix appear to be locally common and there is an active badger sett.

Species mentioned

Plant communities