Edgefield Little Wood
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TG107341 | — | Favourable | 5.31 | 2014-06-06 |
Habitats
Geology & landscape
Landscape processes: Glacial
Description
Area, 5.5 ha. 13.6 ac. Description Edgefield Little Wood is situated on acidic glacial sands and gravels on an outlier of the Cromer Ridge. The wood consists of lowland sessile pedunculate oak wood which is very rare in Norfolk. The structure is coppice with standards but hazel Corylus avellana is absent and this type is rare in Britain. Pedunculate and sessile oaks Quercus robur, Q. petraea have been coppiced in the past. Large, ancient stools are present and these have grown to the height of the standards so the wood resembles high forest. Other tree species occurring in the wood are Scot’s pine Pinus sylvestris, larch Larix decidua and downy birch Betula pubescens. The shrub layer is mostly absent with a little rowan Sorbus aucuparia and holly Ilex aquifolium. The ground flora is dominated by bracken with one small area of bluebells Hyacinthoides non-scripta. Other species which occur are heather Calluna vulgaris, wood anemone Anemone nemorosa, wood sage Teucrium scorodonia, creeping soft grass Holcus mollis and mosses. Ancient boundary banks surround the wood and the woodland is of ancient, probably primary, origin.
Species mentioned
Show the 12 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 |
| wood anemone | Anemone nemorosa | LC | herb | ranunculaceae |
| bluebell | Hyacinthoides non-scripta | LC | herb | liliaceae |
| wood sage | Teucrium scorodonia | LC | herb | lamiaceae |
| bell heather or ling | Calluna vulgaris | NT | shrub dwarf | ericaceae |
| downy birch | Betula pubescens | LC | tree | betulaceae |
| hazel | Corylus avellana | LC | tree | corylaceae |
| holly | Ilex aquifolium | LC | tree | aquifoliaceae |
| larch | Larix decidua | Not listed in GB list | tree | pinaceae |
| Scot's pine | Pinus sylvestris | LC | tree | pinaceae |
| common oak | Quercus robur | LC | tree | fagaceae |
| rowan | Sorbus aucuparia | LC | tree | rosaceae |
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 |
| Shoulder-striped clover Heliothis maritima |
Endangered | Calluna vulgaris |
| Heath fritillary Melitaea athalia |
Endangered | Teucrium scorodonia |
| Scarce vapourer Orgyia recens |
Endangered | Betula spp., Corylus avellana, Quercus spp. |
| The sprawler Asteroscopus sphinx |
Vulnerable | Betula spp., Corylus avellana, Quercus spp. |
| Broom moth Ceramica pisi |
Vulnerable | Betula spp., Calluna vulgaris, Larix spp., Pinus spp. |
| Mottled umber Erannis defoliaria |
Vulnerable | Betula spp., Corylus avellana, Quercus spp., Sorbus aucuparia |
| Satyr pug Eupithecia satyrata |
Vulnerable | Calluna vulgaris |
| True lover's knot Lycophotia porphyrea |
Vulnerable | Calluna vulgaris |
| The lackey Malacosoma neustria |
Vulnerable | Corylus avellana, Quercus spp. |
| Pale brindled Phigalia pilosaria |
Vulnerable | Betula pubescens, Corylus avellana, Larix spp., Quercus spp. |
| Silver studded blue Plebejus argus |
Vulnerable | Calluna vulgaris |
| Early moth Theria primaria |
Vulnerable | Quercus spp. |
| Pale eggar Trichiura crataegi |
Vulnerable | Betula spp., Calluna vulgaris, Corylus avellana, Quercus spp. |
| Oak hook-tip Watsonalla binaria |
Vulnerable | Quercus robur |
| Flounced chestnut Agrochola helvola |
Near Threatened | Betula spp., Calluna vulgaris, Quercus spp. |
| Garden tiger Arctia caja |
Near Threatened | Pinus sylvestris, Sorbus aucuparia |
| Light crimson underwing Catocala promissa |
Near Threatened | Quercus robur |
| Dark crimson underwing Catocala sponsa |
Near Threatened | Quercus robur |
| Pine-tree lappet Dendrolimus pini |
Near Threatened | Pinus sylvestris |
| Heart moth Dicycla oo |
Near Threatened | Quercus robur |
| Grey scalloped Dyscia fagaria |
Near Threatened | Calluna vulgaris |
| Kentish glory Endromis versicolora |
Near Threatened | Betula pubescens |
| Large thorn Ennomos autumnaria |
Near Threatened | Betula spp., Corylus avellana, Quercus spp. |
| September thorn Ennomos erosaria |
Near Threatened | Betula spp., Quercus spp. |
| Autumnal rustic Eugnorisma glareosa |
Near Threatened | Betula spp., Calluna vulgaris, Hyacinthoides non-scripta |
| Larch pug Eupithecia lariciata |
Near Threatened | Larix decidua |
| Double dart Graphiphora augur |
Near Threatened | Betula spp., Quercus spp. |
| Weaver's wave Idaea contiguaria |
Near Threatened | Calluna vulgaris |
| 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 |
| White prominent Leucodonta bicoloria |
Regionally Extinct | Betula spp. |
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.
Plant communities
W25 — Bracken scrub
Pteridium aquilinum-Rubus fruticosus underscrub
Matches 5 species from the description above: Anemone nemorosa, Holcus mollis, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Quercus robur, Teucrium scorodonia
Show 53 indicator speciesHedera helix, Acer pseudoplatanus, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Fraxinus excelsior, Sambucus nigra, Ulex europaeus, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Luzula multiflora, Mnium hornum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Kindbergia praelonga, Angelica sylvestris, Conopodium majus, Heracleum sphondylium, Arum maculatum, Cirsium arvense, Lonicera periclymenum, Silene dioica, Stellaria holostea, Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Glechoma hederacea, Teucrium scorodonia, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Chamerion angustifolium, Circaea lutetiana, Digitalis purpurea, Rumex acetosa, Anemone nemorosa, Ficaria verna, Potentilla erecta, Rosa arvensis, Rosa canina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Rubus idaeus, Galium aparine, Galium mollugo sens.lat., Galium saxatile, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Agrostis capillaris, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Arrhenatherum elatius, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris dilatata, Dryopteris filix-mas