Old Copse, Beenham

Also within

Berkshire County North Wessex Downs Scenic Area

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Ancient woodland, Coppiced woodland

Description

Area, 8 hectares 19.77 ac Description A species rich coppice with standards woodland on London Clay situated on the north side of the Kennet valley. The site is on gently sloping ground, with damp to poorly drained wet clay soils. A few small streams with associated wet flushes arise in the wood. The wood is particularly important as an example of the wet ash/wych elm stand type. It also contains four other woodland stand types, neutral valley alder wood, wet ash/maple, acid oak/hazel/ash and hazel/oak. The dominant canopy species are variable, consisting mainly of oak and ash standards in hazel, wych elm or alder coppice. Wild cherry Prunus avium, maple and areas of birch also occur. The shrub layer is dominated by hazel with some goat willow Salix caprea, holly Ilex aquifolium guelder, rose Viburnum opulus and occasional elder Sambucus nigra and dogwood Cornus sanguinea. The ground flora is rich and varied and includes several species indicative of ancient woodland. Some of these are relatively uncommon, such as wild daffodil Narcissus pseudonarcissus, the sedge Carex strigosa and orpine Sedum telephium. The vegetation ranges from areas dominated by bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta with wood anemone Anemone nemorosa, dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis and primrose Primula vulgaris on the drier, more acid soils under oak, ash and hazel, to localised areas on wetter soils with Carex strigosa, great horsetail Equisetum telmateia, golden saxifrage Chrysosplenium oppositifolium and lesser spearwort Ranunculus flammula. These communities occur mainly beneath alder on flushed ground where clay outcrops beneath permeable sands and gravels.

Species mentioned