Launde Big Wood

Also within

Leicestershire County

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Bracken scrub

Geology & landscape

Geological Period: Jurassic

Landscape processes: Glacial

Description

Area,42.15 hectares Description The site contains some of the best remaining examples of ash maple and ash elm woodland in Leicestershire and is representative of ancient semi natural woodland developed on the heavy clay soils of eastern central England. Biology Launde Big Wood has developed for the most part on heavy clay soils derived from the underlying Jurassic Upper Lias and Glacial Boulder Clays; smaller areas have developed on soils derived from glacial sands and gravels. The major part of the wood is dominated by ash Fraxinus excelsior and, locally, by wych elm Ulmus glabra. The shrub layer is characterised by the abundance of field maple Acer campestre and hazel Corylus avellana, with sloe Prunus spinosa, hawthorn Crataegus monogyna and midland hawthorn Crataegus laevigata also occurring. Locally dominated by dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis, the ground flora is rich in species typical of ancient clay woods and characterised by the abundance of bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta, wood forget-me-not Myosotis sylvatica, yellow archangel Lamiastrum galeobdolon and giant bellflower Campanula latifolia. In some areas in the north the stand type changes and is replaced by more open woodland in which the main tree components are pedunculate oak Quercus robur and silver birch Betula pendula. In these areas the ground vegetation is dominated by bracken Pteridium aquilinum with abundant honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum. Less common plants of this community include the hard fern Blechnum spicant. Additional interest is provided by the presence of woodland rides, an old wood bank, a number of ponds and by a number of woodland streams.

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