Burgate Wood

Also within

Suffolk County

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Ancient woodland, Bracken scrub, Coppiced woodland

Description

Description Burgate Wood is a particularly good example of the type of oak hornbeam woodland characteristic of this part of north Suffolk. It is ancient, with a coppice with standards structure and continues to support entirely semi natural stands. Many giant coppiced stools are present which indicate its great antiquity. The ground flora is diverse and includes several species that are indicators of ancient woodland, including one rarity. Pedunculate oak hornbeam woodland occupies the central plateau in the wood. Hornbeam Carpinus betulus is present as coppice with ash Fraxinus excelsior and hazel Corylus avellana. Some field maple Acer campestre occurs on the edge of the plateau and standard trees are of oak Quercus robur and ash. Mixed oak hazel ash woodland is present on a number of shallow valley sides that radiate from the central area with wet ash maple woodland on the more calcareous boulder clays in the valley bottoms. Dogwood Cornus sanguinea, guelder rose Viburnum opulus and spindle tree Euonymus europaeus are characteristic of the calcareous soils. The ground flora contains much dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis with frequent primrose Primula vulgaris, enchanter's nightshade Circaea lutetiana, sanicle Sanicula europaea and water avens Geum rivale. A number of uncommon species are present including herb paris Paris quadrifolia, yellow archangel Lamiastrum galeobdolon, hairy woodrush Luzula pilosa and the rare Lungwort Pulmonaria officinalis. The acidic sands on the central plateau are dominated by bracken with honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum and wood sorrel Oxalis acetosella. Wide rides are present and they have a distinctive flora including tufted hair grass Deschampsia cespitosa, meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria, yellow pimpernel Lysimachia nemorum and creeping buttercup Ranunculus repens. A moated site is present and a massive woodbank and ditch surrounds much of the wood.

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.

Plant communities