Hardwick Wood

Also within

Cambridgeshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Description

Area, 16.9 hectares 41.7 ac Description The ancient core of the site is ash field maple woodland containing both oxlip Primula elatior and primrose Primula vulgaris, a woodland type which is nationally restricted in distribution to small parts of Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Essex where the oxlip and primrose woods overlap in their range. The oldest parts of the wood have a canopy of pedunculate oak Quercus robur with an understorey of hazel Corylus avellana, hawthorn Crataegus spp. and scattered field maple Acer campestre. The more recent woodland contains much ash Fraxinus excelsior and some wych elm Ulmus glabra. The ground flora is largely dominated by dog’s mercury Mercurialis perennis and bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta and contains interesting plants such as early purple orchid Orchis mascula and yellow archangel Lamiastrum galeobdolon. Rides in the wood provide additional habitat diversity. The adjacent bridleway provides a narrow ‘buffer’ to the wood and contains a population of a nationally restricted plant. The wood is bounded by agricultural ditches.

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.