Barking Woods

Also within

Suffolk County

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Coppiced woodland

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Glacial Till

Landscape processes: Glacial

Description

Description The Barking Woods are an inter related group of ancient woodlands, whose history has been well documented since 1251. The majority of the medieval earthbanks still remain and are marked by large pollards of oak and ash. The woodland structure is predominantly coppice with standards, composed of a variety of different stand types. The diverse ground flora is typical of ancient woods and reflects a change in soils from the heavy boulder clay of Priestley and Swingen’s Woods to the chalky sand of Titley Hill Wood. The major stand type is oak ash hazel. Oak standards form a sparse canopy with scattered ash Fraxinus excelsior and silver birch Betula pendula. The coppice layer consists of ash, maple Acer campestre, hazel Corylus avellana, hornbeam Carpinus betulus and sallow Salix caprea, with various types of elm woodland, notably at Titley Hill. Priestley Wood also contains cherry Prunus avium, aspen Populus tremula and small leaved lime Tilia cordata and is one of the few sites in southern England for the rare wild pear tree Pyrus pyraster. Shrub species present within these woods include common hawthorn Crataegus monogyna, midland hawthorn Crataegus laevigata, blackthorn Prunus spinosa and spindle tree Euonymus europaeus. The wood contains a wide variety of flowering plants, particularly in wet areas and where coppicing has recently occurred. Dog’s mercury Mercurialis perennis or bramble Rubus fruticosus are dominant with large areas of bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta and primrose Primula vulgaris. There is also an extensive colony of woodruff Galium odoratum in Priestley and Swingen’s Woods. Other notable species include herb paris Paris quadrifolia, ramsons Allium ursinum, sanicle Sanicula europaea and the orchids common twayblade Neottia ovata, early purple orchid Orchis mascula, greater butterfly orchid Platanthera chlorantha and broad leaved helleborine Epipactis helleborine. The rides are generally very narrow and shaded, except in the vicinity of recent coppicing. Despite this, they support a rich flora including bugle Ajuga reptans, nettle leaved bellflower Campanula trachelium and yellow archangel Lamiastrum galeobdolon. Titley Hill Wood provides an interesting contrast to the other woods of this group. It lies on a different soil type and until recently, was one of the few almost pure elm coppices on a known ancient site. Unfortunately, most of the trees have been affected by Dutch Elm Disease, but there is evidence of re-generation. Titley Hill Wood is also the site of an active badger sett.

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.