Groton Wood

Also within

Suffolk County

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Coppiced woodland

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Glacial Till

Landscape processes: Glacial

Description

Description Groton Wood is an ancient coppice woodland on a boulder clay plateau overlain by a surface deposit of loess. The site consists of a primary core with later additions of post medieval secondary woodland. The wood contains the finest stand known in Suffolk of the small leaved lime Tilia cordata, a community of great ecological interest. There is a diverse ground flora that includes a number of species that are confined to ancient woodlands. Acid birch ash lime woodland dominates the medieval core of Groton Wood. Lime is present as both coppiced stools and standard trees and forms an almost pure stand in many areas. The post medieval areas are generally acid pedunculate oak hazel ash woodland with frequent wild cherry Prunus avium and fragments of other stand types. The wood is still managed in a traditional way with annual coppicing. Bramble Rubus fruticosus agg. dominates the ground flora over much of the wood with patches of dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis. The flora is rich and includes several uncommon species such as violet helleborine Epipactis purpurata, stinking iris Iris foetidissima, herb paris Paris quadrifolia, wood spruge Euphorbia amygdaloides and woodruff Galium odoratum. A series of rides have been created in the wood. These have a distinctive flora and are dominated by great willow herb Epilobium hirsutum and meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria. There is an active badger sett on the site.

Species mentioned