Banhaw, Spring and Blackthorn's Woods

Also within

Northamptonshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Coppiced woodland

Description

Area, 125.6 hectares 310.4 ac Description Banhaw, Spring and Blackthorns Woods consist of three neighbouring blocks of semi natural broadleaved woodland which together form one of the largest remnants of the ancient Royal Forest of Rockingham. The vegetation conforms to the wet ash maple woodland type with a coppice and standards structure, overlying calcareous clay soils. Ash Fraxinus excelsior both as standards and regrowth from old coppice, forms the main component of the canopy in both woods with pendunculate oak Quercus robur occurring infrequently. There is a strong secondary element of field maple Acer campestre and in some areas silver birch Betula pendula, willows Salix spp. and crab apple Malus sylvestris are also present. The understorey is composed of derelict coppiced field maple, ash and hawthorn Crataegus monogyna with hazel Corylus avellana, midland hawthorn Crataegus laevigata, wild service tree Sorbus torminalis, dogwood Cornus sanguinea and guelder rose Viburnum opulus also occurring. The ground flora in all the woods is rich and varied with some areas dominated by dog’s mercury Mercurialis perennis and bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta with abundant enchanter’s nightshade Circaea lutetiana, yellow archangel Lamiastrum galeobdolon, meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria, wood sorrel Oxalis acetosella and male fern Dryopteris filix-mas. Other parts of the woods support a variety of grasses, including tufted hair grass Deschampsia cespitosa, rough meadow grass Poa trivialis, wood millet Milium effusum and wood melick Melica uniflora. Notable woodland species occur throughout the site and include herb paris Paris quadrifolia, sweet woodruff Galium odoratum and the orchids, early purple Orchis mascula, common spotted Dactylorhiza fuchsii and common twayblade Neottia ovata. sanicle Sanicula europaea and greater butterfly orchid Platanthera chlorantha are also present. The numerous and varied rides support a good range of plants including angelica Angelica sylvestris, yellow pimpernel Lysimachia nemorum and the sedges Carex sylvatica, Carex pendula, Carex remota and notably C. strigosa. They provide valuable additional habitats for butterflies and other invertebrates.

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.