Maulden Wood and Pennyfather's Hills

Also within

Bedfordshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Ancient woodland

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Glacial Till, Greensand

Landscape processes: Glacial

Description

Area, 148.77 hectares 367.61 ac Description Maulden Wood and Pennyfather’s Hill is a large block of mixed deciduous and coniferous woodland situated 10 kilometres south of Bedford. The site supports an exceptionally rich invertebrate fauna including both county and national rarities and therefore has a distinctive and important contribution to make to invertebrate conservation in Bedfordshire. Especially important is the ride associated invertebrate fauna. These species require a continuity of open and sunny wood edge habitat and this is provided by the rides and clearings which develop in woodland with a history of continuous management. Although much of the wood is now plantation it retains a well developed ride system which is lacking in many other woods in the county. Other factors which contribute to the importance of this site for invertebrates are the large size of the wood and the range of plant communities which reflect the varied geology and soil conditions. Maulden Wood is an ancient woodland site situated on a cap of boulder clay. Fragments of semi natural woodland remain both as discrete blocks within the broad leaved and coniferous plantation and along the edges of the rides. These areas retain characteristic plant and invertebrate communities including Limax cinereoniger, a mollusc which is particularly associated with ancient woodland sites. Pennyfather’s Hill is situated on the Lower Greensand and relicts of the former heathland habitat exist within plantations of Scot’s pine Pinus sylvestris. Scot’s pine is the food plant of a micro moth Dioryctria simplicella, a nationally uncommon species which is recorded for this site. Several invertebrate groups are particularly well represented, the Hymenoptera Aculeata and Symphyta, Heteroptera and Lepidoptera. Three nationally rare species of sawfly Symphyta are recorded in the wood, Caliroa cinxia and Pamphilius sylvarum, both feeders on oak Quercus spp. and Pamphilius gyllenhali, which feeds on willow Salix spp. In addition, there are nationally notable species from several groups including the Symphyta, Coleoptera and Lepidoptera. The woods also support several plant species which are rare or uncommon in the county including the wild service tree Sorbus torminalis, green flowered helleborine Epipactis phyllanthes, hard shield fern Polystichum aculeatum and associated with the more acidic soils, climbing corydalis Corydalis claviculata. The wood has a good breeding bird population and an extensive list of fungi are recorded for the site. Additional habitat is provided by several ponds.

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.