Lea & Pagets Woods

Also within

Herefordshire County WYE VALLEY (England) Scenic Area

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Coppiced woodland

Geology & landscape

Geological Feature: Gorge / Ravine · Geological Period: Silurian · Rock Type: Limestone

Landscape processes: Fluvial

Description

Area, 28.32 ha. 70 ac. Description The woodlands of the lower Wye Valley form one of the most important areas for woodland conservation in Britain, comparable with the Caledonian pine woods, the oceanic oak woods of Western Britain, the New Forest and the mixed coppices of East Anglia. Semi natural woodland is abundant and virtually continuous along the gorge. The woods are a mixture of many types some of which are very localised, e.g. the lime sessile oak stands on limestone, beech stands on both acid and alkaline soils in which lime Tilia spp., elm Ulmus spp., oak Quercus spp. and other species share dominance. Most woods are a rich mixture of stand types which are believed to be similar in composition to the original natural woods of the valley. Many rare and local species are present, including some of the rarest native tree species, e.g. large leaved lime Tilia platyphyllos, whitebeams Sorbus spp. and trees close to the edge of their European range, e.g. hornbeam Carpinus betulus and beech Fagus sylvatica. Furthermore these woods sit in a matrix of unimproved grassland and other semi natural habitats which, together with the woods, make the Wye Valley one of the most diverse, rich and attractive areas in southern Britain. Lea and Pagets Woods lie on the Silurian limestone of the Woolhope Dome. They form one of the richest areas of woodland in the northern part of the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The wood has a complex structure consisting mainly of coppice with standards. It is dominated by sessile oak Quercus petraea which is associated variously with birch Betula pendula ash Fraxinus excelsior wych elm Ulmus glabra and, in a small valley, alder Alnus glutinosa which here is the dominant species. Both wild service tree Sorbus torminalis and small leaved lime Tilia cordata are found scattered throughout the wood. The shrub layer is relatively dense and consists mainly of hazel Corylus avellana and hawthorn Crataegus monogyna. The ground flora although dominated in parts by bramble Rubus fruticosus agg. has much dog’s mercury Mercurialis perennis, bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta and ferns and includes such notable species as herb paris Paris quadrifolia, golden rod Solidago virgaurea, bird’s nest orchid Neottia nidus-avis, twayblade Neottia ovata, greater butterfly orchid Platanthera chlorantha and broad leaved helleborine Epipactis helleborine.

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.