Potton Wood

Also within

Bedfordshire CountyCambridgeshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Ancient woodland, Coppiced woodland

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Glacial Till

Landscape processes: Glacial

Description

Area, 85.51 hectares 211.29 ac Description Potton Wood is a large ancient woodland of the wet ash maple type which is largely restricted in its national distribution to the heavy soils of lowland Britain. Situated close to the county boundary, the wood has a structure and rich flora characteristic of the West Cambs Boulder Clay woodland group. Most of the wood is primary with some very old secondary woodland on ridge and furrow. Some of the rides are a particularly valuable element of the wood, supporting a rich neutral grassland flora including species uncommon in the county. Parts of the wood have been modified by forestry activities, but elsewhere the woodland structure is well preserved with large areas of coppiced hazel Corylus avellana, ash Fraxinus excelsior and field maple Acer campestre with pedunculate oak Quercus robur and ash standards. The shrub layer is very varied and the ground flora is rich in species composition characteristic of the bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta, dogs mercury Mercurialis perennis type. Species associated with ancient woodland sites include yellow archangel Lamiastrum galeobdolon, wood millet Milium effusum, wood anemone Anemone nemorosa and a colony of oxlip Primula elatior, a national rarity which occurs here on the extreme edge of its range in Europe, in association with primrose Primula vulgaris and primrose oxlip hybrids. Other species uncommon in the county include herb paris Paris quadrifolia, birds nest orchid Neottia nidus-avis and nettle leaved bellflower Campanula trachelium. Some of the rides are very species rich, the composition varying with degree of waterlogging which at its extreme supports stands of sedges Carex spp. Notable ride species include great butterfly orchid Platanthera chlorantha, lesser butterfly orchid Platanthera bifolia, common spotted orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii, lesser centaury Centaurium pulchellum and narrow leaved everlasting pea Lathyrus sylvestris. Additional habitats are provided by several small ponds. The wood has a large variety of breeding Re presentation of details approved by Council.

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.