Potterhanworth Wood

Also within

Lincolnshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Coppiced woodland

Birds & fish recorded

Birds

Description

Area,32.0 hectares Description Adjacent to the now drained fenland of the Witham Valley, Potter Hanworth Wood is characterise dby the dominance of small leaved lime Tilia cordata. Historically, the site is known to have been continuously wooded and its long management as coppice with standards, combined with the variation in soil texture and drainage, has resulted in outstanding plant and animal communities. There are pure stands of lime in the north; elsewhere it is mixed with ash Fraxinus excelsior, pedunculate oak Quercus robur, birches Betula pendula and Betula pubescens, rowan Sorbus aucuparia and aspen Populus tremula. Wild service trees Sorbus torminalis are found in the body of the wood. The lime rich soils of the massive bank along the eastern edge support field maple Acer campestre, wild cherry Prunus avium, dogwood Cornus sanguinea and privet Ligustrum vulgare. hazel Corylus avellana forms the shrub layer in the wood's interior. Bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta and wood anemone Anemone nemorosa dominate the woodland floor in the north. Dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis is abundant in the east, whilst yellow archangel Lamiastrum galeobdolon is prolific throughout. Typical of the acidic areas are hairy wood rush Luzula pilosa, slender St. John's wort Hypericum pulchrum, heath speedwell Veronica officinalis and wood sorrel Oxalis acetosella. Pockets of rich soil support moschatel Adoxa moschatellina and yellow pimpernel Lysimachia nemorum. Rarer plants of the ground flora are herb paris Paris quadrifolia, nettle leaved bellflower Campanula trachelium and small teasel Dipsacus pilosus. Amongst the numerous moths recorded is the rare poplar lutestring Tethea or. The wood supports a breeding bird community characteristic of ancient woodlands including woodcock, tree creeper and greater spotted woodpecker. It also contains a small heronry (heron).

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.