Titsal Wood, Shadingfield
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM426836 | — | Unfavourable Declining | 14.69 | 2011-09-02 |
Habitats
Geology & landscape
Rock Type: Glacial Till
Landscape processes: Glacial
Description
Description Tit'sal Wood is an ancient woodland on boulder clay overlain by sand. The site is the most interesting example of the sloping type of East Suffolk hornbeam wood. It has a rich flora, including ancient woodland plants and one scarce species. Pedunculate oak hornbeam woodland of the ash maple variant is the dominant stand type over much of the wood. Young standard trees of oak Quercus robur and ash Fraxinus excelsior are frequent. There are some areas of pure hornbeam Carpinus betulus coppice but this is usually mixed with ash, field maple Acer campestre and hazel Corylus avellana. Small stands of mixed ash wood and suckering elm wood are also present. The ground flora is dominated by bramble Rubus fruticosus agg. with frequent patches of dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis, ground ivy Glechoma hederacea and wood sorrel Oxalis acetosella. Interesting species include common spotted orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii, primrose Primula vulgaris, Wood Bitter cress Cardamine flexuosa and the rare Thin spiked wood sedge Carex strigosa. A wide ride bisects the wood. This has a distinctive flora that includes creeping soft grass Holcus mollis, remote sedge Carex remota and creeping buttercup Ranunculus repens.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| creeping soft grass | Holcus mollis | LC | grass | poaceae |
| wavy bitter-cress | Cardamine flexuosa | LC | herb | brassicaceae |
| spotted orchids | Dactylorhiza fuchsii | LC | herb | orchidaceae |
| ground ivy | Glechoma hederacea | LC | herb | lamiaceae |
| dog's mercury | Mercurialis perennis | LC | herb | euphorbiaceae |
| wood sorrel | Oxalis acetosella | LC | herb | oxalidaceae |
| primrose | Primula vulgaris | LC | herb | primulaceae |
| creeping buttercup | Ranunculus repens | LC | herb | ranunculaceae |
| bramble | Rubus fruticosus agg. | Not listed in GB list | herb | rosaceae |
| remote sedge | Carex remota | LC | sedge | cyperaceae |
| thin spiked wood sedge | Carex strigosa | LC | sedge | cyperaceae |
| field maple | Acer campestre | LC | tree | aceraceae |
| hornbeam | Carpinus betulus | LC | tree | betulaceae |
| hazel | Corylus avellana | LC | tree | corylaceae |
| ash | Fraxinus excelsior | LC | tree | oleaceae |
| common oak | Quercus robur | LC | tree | fagaceae |
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 |
| Duke of Burgundy Hamearis lucina |
Endangered | Primula vulgaris |
| Scarce vapourer Orgyia recens |
Endangered | Corylus avellana, Quercus spp., Rubus fruticosus |
| The sprawler Asteroscopus sphinx |
Vulnerable | Corylus avellana, Fraxinus excelsior, Quercus spp. |
| Broom moth Ceramica pisi |
Vulnerable | Rubus fruticosus |
| Mottled umber Erannis defoliaria |
Vulnerable | Acer campestre, Carpinus betulus, Corylus avellana, Quercus spp. |
| The lackey Malacosoma neustria |
Vulnerable | Corylus avellana, Quercus spp., Rubus fruticosus |
| Pale brindled Phigalia pilosaria |
Vulnerable | Corylus avellana, Fraxinus excelsior, Quercus spp. |
| Grizzled skipper Pyrgus malvae |
Vulnerable | Rubus fruticosus |
| Early moth Theria primaria |
Vulnerable | Quercus spp. |
| Pale eggar Trichiura crataegi |
Vulnerable | Corylus avellana, Quercus spp., Rubus fruticosus |
| Oak hook-tip Watsonalla binaria |
Vulnerable | Quercus robur |
| Flounced chestnut Agrochola helvola |
Near Threatened | Quercus spp. |
| Beaded chestnut Agrochola lychnidis |
Near Threatened | Ranunculus spp. |
| Light crimson underwing Catocala promissa |
Near Threatened | Quercus robur |
| Dark crimson underwing Catocala sponsa |
Near Threatened | Quercus robur |
| Heart moth Dicycla oo |
Near Threatened | Quercus robur |
| Large thorn Ennomos autumnaria |
Near Threatened | Corylus avellana, Quercus 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. |
| 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 |
| Dark-barred twin-spot carpet Xanthorhoe ferrugata |
Near Threatened | Glechoma hederacea |
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.