Woodeaton Wood
Also within
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP540111 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 14.03 | 2014-05-20 |
Habitats
Description
Area, 14.1 hectares 34.9 ac Description Woodeaton Wood is an intact relic of the ancient Shotover Forest. It is noted for the occurrence of several locally uncommon plant species. The site, which lies on a gentle west facing slope, is an example of coppice with standards woodland typical of the calcareous soils prevailing in areas where the sandy Corallian beds lie against the poorly drained Oxford Clay. The coppice consists of ash, hazel and field maple with standards of oak and, locally, ash. Other trees include aspen, wild cherry and goat willow, together with some introduced hybrid poplars and Norway spruce. The diverse shrub layer includes calcicoles such as spindle, wayfaring tree and traveller's joy. The field layer contains wood anemone Anemone nemorosa, nettle leaved bellflower Campanula trachelium, early purple orchid Orchis mascula, ramsons Allium ursinum, goldilocks buttercup Ranunculus auricomus, sanicle Sanicula europaea, sweet violet Viola odorata and early wood violet Viola reichenbachiana among carpets of dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis and enchanter's nightshade Circaea lutetiana. Woodeaton Wood supports some plants which are very uncommon in Oxfordshire, including water avens Geum rivale, the hybrid between water avens and wood avens Geum x intermedia, meadow saffron Colchicum autumnale, stinking iris Iris foetidissima, wild daffodil Narcissus pseudonarcissus, herb paris Paris quadrifolia and greater wood rush Luzula sylvatica.
Species mentioned
Show the 16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ramson | Allium ursinum | LC | herb | liliaceae |
| wood anemone | Anemone nemorosa | LC | herb | ranunculaceae |
| nettle leaved bellflower | Campanula trachelium | LC | herb | campanulaceae |
| enchanter's nightshade | Circaea lutetiana | LC | herb | onagraceae |
| autumn crocus or meadow saffron | Colchicum autumnale | NT | herb | colchicaceae |
| water avens | Geum rivale | LC | herb | rosaceae |
| stinking iris | Iris foetidissima | LC | herb | iridaceae |
| dog's mercury | Mercurialis perennis | LC | herb | euphorbiaceae |
| wild daffodil | Narcissus pseudonarcissus | LC | herb | amaryllidaceae |
| early purple orchid | Orchis mascula | LC | herb | orchidaceae |
| herb paris | Paris quadrifolia | VU | herb | melanthiaceae |
| goldilocks buttercup | Ranunculus auricomus | LC | herb | ranunculaceae |
| sanicle | Sanicula europaea | LC | herb | apiaceae |
| sweet violet | Viola odorata | LC | herb | violaceae |
| early dog violet | Viola reichenbachiana | LC | herb | violaceae |
| great wood rush | Luzula sylvatica | LC | rush | juncaceae |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| High brown fritillary Fabriciana adippe |
Critically Endangered | Viola odorata |
| Pearl-bordered fritillary Boloria euphrosyne |
Endangered | Viola odorata |
| Beaded chestnut Agrochola lychnidis |
Near Threatened | Ranunculus spp. |
| Rosy minor Litoligia literosa |
Near Threatened | Iris foetidissima |
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.