Snitterfield and Bearley Bushes

Also within

Warwickshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Description

Description Snitterfield and Bearley Bushes were once part of a larger area of semi natural broad leaved woodland that has been split by a war time airfield. The site has been selected as an example of two types of woodland now scarce in Warwickshire. The rich ground flora contains several species uncommon in the county. The site is also important for its butterflies. The site is predominantly a pedunculate oak Quercus robur and ash Fraxinus excelsior woodland with a hazel Corylus avellana understorey. It was heavily cut over about 40 years ago and much of the woodland now consists of even aged ash and silver birch Betula pendula with occasional standards of pedunculate oak. Despite this disturbance, two types of woodland associated with pedunculate oak can be recognised, ash with field maple Acer campestre, in both parts of the site and small areas of ash with wych elm Ulmus glabra in Bearley Bushes. The diverse shrub layer is dominated by hazel with frequent field maple, wayfaring tree Viburnum lantana, guelder rose Viburnum opulus and dogwood Cornus sanguinea. The field layer is dominated by bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta and bramble Rubus fruticosus, but is very rich and includes several species with restricted distribution in Warwickshire; these are herb paris Paris quadrifolia and several orchids including early purple orchid Orchis mascula, greater butterfly orchid Platanthera chlorantha and broadleaved helleborine Epipactis helleborine. This site is also notable for its lepidoptera with 26 species of butterfly recorded including brown argus Aricia agestis, silver washed fritillary Argynnis paphia and the uncommonwood white Leptidea sinapis.

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.