Clunton Coppice

Also within

Shropshire County Shropshire Hills Scenic Area

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Bracken scrub, Coppiced woodland

Description

Area, 23.06 ha. 57 ac. Description A remnant of the oak coppice which was formerly abundant in this part of Shropshire. Like most of the broadleaved, semi natural woods remaining in this area, Clunton Coppice is situated on a steep slope and has an acid, comparatively infertile soil. The wood is dominated by sessile oak Quercus petraea, with well scattered birch Betula spp. and, locally, hazel Corylus avellana. Other tree species present are holly Ilex aquifolium and rowan Sorbus aucuparia. The ground flora consists of species which are characteristic of acidic soils, such as wavy hair grass Deschampsia flexuosa, creeping soft grass Holcus mollis, greater wood rush Luzula sylvatica, bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus, heather Calluna vulgaris, hard fern Blechnum spicant, common cow wheat Melampyrum pratense and bracken Pteridium aquilinum. A notable species, the oak fern Gymnocarpium dryopteris, which is scarce in Shropshire also occurs. The western mosses Dicranum majus and Rhytidiadelphus loreus are present in some abundance.

Species mentioned

Insects to look out for

These moths, butterflies and beetles 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.

Host-plant 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; and Padovani et al. (2020), Database of Insects and their Food Plants (DBIF), UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (both Open Government Licence). Contains data supplied by UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.

Plant communities