Prior's Coppice
Also within
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SK829052 | — | Favourable | 10.35 | 2023-06-27 |
| SK831051 | — | Favourable | 7.83 | 2023-06-27 |
| SK833052 | — | Favourable | 9.22 | 2023-06-27 |
Geology & landscape
Geological Period: Jurassic
Landscape processes: Glacial
Description
Area,27.89 ha68.91 ac Description The site comprises one of the best remaining ash maple woods in Leicestershire and is representative of semi natural woodland developed on clay soils in Central and Eastern England. Biology A fine example of an ash maple wood developed on rather poorly drained soils, derived from glacial boulder clays and from clays of the Jurassic Upper Lias. The wood is dominated by ash Fraxinus excelsior and oak Quercus robur, with some wych elm Ulmus glabra occurring locally. The shrub layer contains frequent field maple Acer campestre and hazel Corylus avellana, while the ground vegetation is characteristic of ancient clay woods containing a diverse flora which includes plants such as wood anemone Anemone nemorosa, wood forget-me-not Myosotis sylvatica, wood sorrel Oxalis acetosella and herb paris Paris quadrifolia.
Species mentioned
Show the 9 species mentioned in the description, with red-list status| English name search for this in other sites |
Latin name search with Google |
IUCN / Red List | Type | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| wood anemone | Anemone nemorosa | LC | herb | ranunculaceae |
| wood forget-me-nots | Myosotis sylvatica | LC | herb | boraginaceae |
| wood sorrel | Oxalis acetosella | LC | herb | oxalidaceae |
| herb paris | Paris quadrifolia | VU | herb | melanthiaceae |
| field maple | Acer campestre | LC | tree | aceraceae |
| hazel | Corylus avellana | LC | tree | corylaceae |
| ash | Fraxinus excelsior | LC | tree | oleaceae |
| common oak | Quercus robur | LC | tree | fagaceae |
| wych elm | Ulmus glabra | LC | tree | ulmaceae |
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.
| Species | Status | Via host-plant |
|---|---|---|
| Oak lutestring Cymatophorina diluta |
Endangered | Quercus robur |
| Maple pug Eupithecia inturbata |
Endangered | Acer campestre |
| Scarce vapourer Orgyia recens |
Endangered | Corylus avellana, Quercus spp., Ulmus spp. |
| White-letter hairstreak Satyrium w-album |
Endangered | Ulmus glabra, Ulmus spp. |
| The sprawler Asteroscopus sphinx |
Vulnerable | Corylus avellana, Fraxinus excelsior, Quercus spp., Ulmus spp. |
| Broom moth Ceramica pisi |
Vulnerable | Ulmus spp. |
| Mottled umber Erannis defoliaria |
Vulnerable | Acer campestre, Corylus avellana, Quercus spp., Ulmus spp. |
| The lackey Malacosoma neustria |
Vulnerable | Corylus avellana, Quercus spp., Ulmus spp. |
| Pale brindled Phigalia pilosaria |
Vulnerable | Corylus avellana, Fraxinus excelsior, Quercus spp., Ulmus glabra |
| Early moth Theria primaria |
Vulnerable | Quercus spp. |
| Pale eggar Trichiura crataegi |
Vulnerable | Corylus avellana, Quercus spp. |
| Oak hook-tip Watsonalla binaria |
Vulnerable | Quercus robur |
| Flounced chestnut Agrochola helvola |
Near Threatened | Quercus spp., Ulmus spp. |
| Light crimson underwing Catocala promissa |
Near Threatened | Quercus robur |
| Dark crimson underwing Catocala sponsa |
Near Threatened | Quercus robur |
| Dusky-lemon sallow Cirrhia gilvago |
Near Threatened | Ulmus glabra |
| The sallow Cirrhia icteritia |
Near Threatened | Ulmus glabra |
| Heart moth Dicycla oo |
Near Threatened | Quercus robur |
| Large thorn Ennomos autumnaria |
Near Threatened | Corylus avellana, Quercus spp., Ulmus spp. |
| September thorn Ennomos erosaria |
Near Threatened | Quercus spp. |
| Dusky thorn Ennomos fuscantaria |
Near Threatened | Fraxinus excelsior |
| Double dart Graphiphora augur |
Near Threatened | Quercus spp., Ulmus spp. |
| Clay fan-foot Paracolax tristalis |
Near Threatened | Quercus spp. |
| Common fan-foot Pechipogo strigilata |
Near Threatened | Quercus robur |
| Frosted green Polyploca ridens |
Near Threatened | Quercus robur |
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.