Salcey Forest

Also within

Buckinghamshire CountyNorthamptonshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Ancient woodland, Coppiced woodland

Description

Area, 153 hectares 378 ac Description Salcey Forest is the largest ancient wood in Northamptonshire and is thus of particular importance for plants and animals dependent on continuity of woodland cover. The majority of the site, however, is commercially reafforested and the SSSI contains the greater part of the remaining 19th Century mature oak stands. These are an uncommon and extensive example of acid pedunculate oak hazel ash high forest, demonstrating a high degree of naturalness in structure and botanical composition. Most examples of this geographically widespread woodland type occur as coppice with standards or as recent high forest where flora and fauna has had less time to adapt. Wet ash maple woodland is also represented on the site. The younger plantations of mixed age and species are included for the sake of the ecological integrity of the site. In most cases, when mature, these stands will maintain the continuity of woodland of deciduous affinities. The oldest stands of some 140 150 years are dominated by pedunculate oak with ash Fraxinus excelsior and a mixed shrub and coppice layer of, among others, hazel Corylus avellana, both hawthorns Crataegus monogyna and Crataegus laevigata, field maple Acer campestre, blackthorn Prunus spinosa and sallows Salix caprea and Salix cinerea. The ground flora is characteristically diverse, varying with differences in soil chemistry, drainage and canopy shade. Widespread species include bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta, false brome Brachypodium sylvaticum, pendulous sedge Carex pendula, enchanter’s nightshade Circaea lutetiana and primrose Primula vulgaris. A number of locally rare plants occur, such as thin spiked wood sedge Carex strigosa and bird’s nest orchid Neottia nidus-avis. The abundance of ferns is a notable feature of the least disturbed areas. The ride grasslands and margins are a valuable habitat for many plants and as feeding and breeding areas for invertebrates, particularly lepidoptera. The forest has nationally and regionally notable moth species and a rich breeding bird community.

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.