Swanton Novers Woods

Also within

Norfolk County

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Ancient woodland, Bracken scrub, Coppiced woodland

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Glacial Till

Landscape processes: Glacial

Description

Area, 83.36 ha. 205 98 ac. Description This site consists of four blocks of ancient woodland, almost certainly all of primary origin. Together they are considered to form one of the most important group of woods in the country, embracing between them an exceptional range of woodland stand types, several of which are uncommon nationally. The woodland flora is particularly diverse and a number of local and uncommon species occur, including a national rarity. Bryophytes, fungi and epiphytic lichens are well represented with uncommon species present. There is a particularly diverse population of breeding birds and invertebrate fauna is also of considerable interest. Situated on a plateau of acidic glacial sands and gravels overlying calcareous boulder clay, which reaches the ground surface only locally, the woods are a mixture of high forest and coppice with standards, with small blocks of more recent plantation. On the well drained acid sands plateau oak woodland is present. In Barney, Guybons and Little Woods pedunculate oak Quercus robur is associated with birches Betula spp and hazel Corylus avellana. In Swanton great Wood sessile oak Quercus petraea is the more abundant. This occurs as high forest stands over a ground flora dominated by bracken Pteridium aquilinum or the moss Leucobryum glaucum. The natural occurrence of both oak species and the presence of extensive stands of oak coppice under oak stands are both features unique in East Anglia. A large area of sessile oak lime coppice with standards woodland also occurs with a ground flora dominated by dog’s mercury Mercurialis perennis and bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta. Other species present include great wood rush Luzula sylvatica, lily of the valley Convallaria majalis and the nationally rare May lily Maianthemum bifolium.

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