Hunshaw Wood

Also within

Devon County

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Ancient woodland, Coppiced woodland, Fast flowing river and stream

Geology & landscape

Geological Period: Carboniferous

Description

Hunshaw Wood SSSI Description This woodland is a relic of the ancient semi-natural oak woodlands of north-west Devon. It contains a large number of plants typically associated with such ancient woodland sites. The wood lies predominantly at an altitude of between 30 and 150 metres on the north side of a steep-sided valley cut by a stream that flows eastwards into the River Torridge. The geology is Carboniferous Shales and Grits on which a patchwork of clay and sandy soils has formed, resulting in a wide variety of soil drainage conditions. The most abundant tree is oak: both sessile oak Quercus petraea and pedunculate oak Quercus robur. Some trees have grown from coppice stools, others are maidens. hazel Corylus avellana and rowan Sorbus aucuparia are the most abundant shrub species; crab apple Malus sylvestris and guelder-rose Viburnum opulus are less common. There is also a small area of hazel and ash Fraxinus excelsior coppice with standards. Alder Alnus glutinosa and sallow Salix spp. grow by the stream which flows along the southern edge of the wood. The variety of soil conditions present gives rise to a diverse ground flora, with an exceptional number of plants associated with ancient woodland being present. For example, in the wetter areas six sedges, Carex laevigata, C. pallescens, Carex pendula, Carex remota, C. strigosa and Stachys sylvatica occur, together with early-purple orchid Orchis mascula, primrose Primula vulgaris and yellow archangel Lamiastrum galeobdolon. On drier ground higher up the valley side, bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus and heather Calluna vulgaris are abundant, with common cow-wheat Melampyrum pratense, golden rod Solidago virgaurea and tutsan Hypericum androsaemum among the herbs present.

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