Mappp.co - Sexton Wood

Also within

Condition (Natural England)

Unfavourable Recovering (2)

Unit	Feature	Condition	Area (ha)	Assessed
TM297914	—	Unfavourable Recovering	25.24	2009-05-12
TM299919	—	Unfavourable Recovering	13.74	2013-10-04

Habitats

Ancient woodland, Bracken scrub, Coppiced woodland

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Glacial Till

Landscape processes: Glacial

Birds & fish recorded

Birds

Species	Season
sparrowhawk	Breeding

Description

Area, 37.55 ha. 92.79 ac. Description Sexton Wood is one of the largest woods in south east Norfolk and is almost entirely of ancient origins. The structure is largely coppice with standards, with a few areas of high forest. The main stand type is hornbeam pedunculate oak on a boulder clay plateau and the ground flora is characteristic of an ancient wood of this type. The standard trees are mostly of oak Quercus robur with some hornbeam Carpinus betulus and suckering elm Ulmus sp. The coppice is chiefly hornbeam with ash Fraxinus excelsior, field maple Acer campestre and sallow Salix caprea. Other shrub species present include midland hawthorn Crataegus laevigata, spindle tree Euonymus europaeus and guelder rose Viburnum opulus. Coppicing is still continued in the wood and as a result, a diverse ground flora is present. Dog’s mercury Mercurialis perennis is dominant with bramble Rubus fruticosus, primrose Primula vulgaris, bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta, ramsons Allium ursinum, woodruff Galium odoratum, wood sorrel Oxalis acetosella and early purple orchid Orchis mascula. The areas of high forest are chiefly of oak over a ground flora of bracken Pteridium aquilinum. Many species of bird breed in the wood including sparrowhawk and hawfinch. The ride system is unusual in that most were concreted during the 1939 to 45 war to serve as storage areas.

Species mentioned

Show the 19 species mentioned in the description, with red-list status

English name search for this in other sites	Latin name search with Google	IUCN / Red List	Type	Family
hawfinch	Coccothraustes coccothraustes	EN (Breeding)	bird-finch	fringillidae
sparrowhawk	Accipiter nisus	NT (Breeding)	bird-hawk	falconidae
bracken	Pteridium aquilinum	LC	fern	dennstaedtiaceae
ramson	Allium ursinum	LC	herb	liliaceae
woodruff	Galium odoratum	LC	herb	rubiaceae
bluebell	Hyacinthoides non-scripta	LC	herb	liliaceae
dog's mercury	Mercurialis perennis	LC	herb	euphorbiaceae
early purple orchid	Orchis mascula	LC	herb	orchidaceae
wood sorrel	Oxalis acetosella	LC	herb	oxalidaceae
primrose	Primula vulgaris	LC	herb	primulaceae
bramble	Rubus fruticosus	LC	herb	rosaceae
midland hawthorn	Crataegus laevigata	LC	shrub	rosaceae
spindle tree	Euonymus europaeus	LC	shrub	celastraceae
gelder rose	Viburnum opulus	LC	shrub	caprifoliaceae
field maple	Acer campestre	LC	tree	aceraceae
hornbeam	Carpinus betulus	LC	tree	betulaceae
ash	Fraxinus excelsior	LC	tree	oleaceae
common oak	Quercus robur	LC	tree	fagaceae
goat willow	Salix caprea	LC	tree shrub	salicaceae

Plant communities

W25 — Bracken scrub

Pteridium aquilinum-Rubus fruticosus underscrub

Matches 5 species from the description above: Fraxinus excelsior, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Mercurialis perennis, Pteridium aquilinum, Quercus robur

Show 53 indicator species

Hedera helix, Acer pseudoplatanus, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Fraxinus excelsior, Sambucus nigra, Ulex europaeus, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Luzula multiflora, Mnium hornum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Kindbergia praelonga, Angelica sylvestris, Conopodium majus, Heracleum sphondylium, Arum maculatum, Cirsium arvense, Lonicera periclymenum, Silene dioica, Stellaria holostea, Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Glechoma hederacea, Teucrium scorodonia, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Chamerion angustifolium, Circaea lutetiana, Digitalis purpurea, Rumex acetosa, Anemone nemorosa, Ficaria verna, Potentilla erecta, Rosa arvensis, Rosa canina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Rubus idaeus, Galium aparine, Galium mollugo sens.lat., Galium saxatile, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Agrostis capillaris, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Arrhenatherum elatius, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris dilatata, Dryopteris filix-mas

Insects to look out for

These moths and butterflies are known to feed on plants recorded at this site, and carry a notable UK conservation status — but a host-plant being present doesn't mean the insect has actually been recorded here. Treat this as "worth watching for," not a confirmed sighting.

Species	Status	Via host-plant
Oak lutestring Cymatophorina diluta	Endangered	Quercus robur
Figure of eight Diloba caeruleocephala	Endangered	Crataegus spp.
Maple pug Eupithecia inturbata	Endangered	Acer campestre
The lappet Gastropacha quercifolia	Endangered	Salix spp.
Duke of Burgundy Hamearis lucina	Endangered	Primula vulgaris
Scarce vapourer Orgyia recens	Endangered	Crataegus spp., Quercus spp., Rubus fruticosus, Salix spp.
Mouse moth Amphipyra tragopoginis	Vulnerable	Crataegus spp., Salix caprea
The sprawler Asteroscopus sphinx	Vulnerable	Crataegus spp., Fraxinus excelsior, Quercus spp., Salix spp.
Broom moth Ceramica pisi	Vulnerable	Pteridium aquilinum, Rubus fruticosus
Scarce chocolate-tip Clostera anachoreta	Vulnerable	Salix spp.
Mottled umber Erannis defoliaria	Vulnerable	Acer campestre, Carpinus betulus, Crataegus spp., Quercus spp., Salix spp.
Satyr pug Eupithecia satyrata	Vulnerable	Galium spp., Salix spp.
Bedstraw hawk-moth Hyles gallii	Vulnerable	Galium spp.
The lackey Malacosoma neustria	Vulnerable	Quercus spp., Rubus fruticosus, Salix spp.
Pale brindled Phigalia pilosaria	Vulnerable	Crataegus laevigata, Fraxinus excelsior, Quercus spp., Salix caprea
Grizzled skipper Pyrgus malvae	Vulnerable	Rubus fruticosus
Early moth Theria primaria	Vulnerable	Crataegus laevigata, Quercus spp.
Pale eggar Trichiura crataegi	Vulnerable	Quercus spp., Rubus fruticosus, Salix spp.
Oak hook-tip Watsonalla binaria	Vulnerable	Quercus robur
Flounced chestnut Agrochola helvola	Near Threatened	Quercus spp., Salix spp.
Beaded chestnut Agrochola lychnidis	Near Threatened	Salix spp.
Grey chi Antitype chi	Near Threatened	Salix caprea
Purple emperor Apatura iris	Near Threatened	Salix caprea
Garden tiger Arctia caja	Near Threatened	Pteridium aquilinum
Minor shoulder-knot Brachylomia viminalis	Near Threatened	Salix caprea
Light crimson underwing Catocala promissa	Near Threatened	Quercus robur
Dark crimson underwing Catocala sponsa	Near Threatened	Quercus robur
The sallow Cirrhia icteritia	Near Threatened	Salix spp.
Dingy mocha Cyclophora pendularia	Near Threatened	Salix caprea
Heart moth Dicycla oo	Near Threatened	Quercus robur
Large thorn Ennomos autumnaria	Near Threatened	Crataegus spp., Quercus spp., Salix spp.
September thorn Ennomos erosaria	Near Threatened	Quercus spp.
Dusky thorn Ennomos fuscantaria	Near Threatened	Fraxinus excelsior
Autumnal rustic Eugnorisma glareosa	Near Threatened	Galium spp., Hyacinthoides non-scripta
Grey pug Eupithecia subfuscata	Near Threatened	Salix spp.
Double dart Graphiphora augur	Near Threatened	Crataegus spp., Quercus spp., Salix spp.
Clay fan-foot Paracolax tristalis	Near Threatened	Quercus spp.
Common fan-foot Pechipogo strigilata	Near Threatened	Quercus robur
Frosted green Polyploca ridens	Near Threatened	Quercus robur
Dark-barred twin-spot carpet Xanthorhoe ferrugata	Near Threatened	Galium spp.

Hostplant data: Cook et al. (2025), Traits data for the butterflies and macro-moths of Great Britain and Ireland, 2024, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology / Butterfly Conservation (Open Government Licence). Contains data supplied by UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.