Holly Banks

Also within

Cheshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Bracken scrub, Coppiced woodland

Geology & landscape

Landscape processes: Glacial

Description

Area, 9.68 ha. 23.7 ac. Description Cheshire is a very poorly wooded county and many of the woodlands of the highest wildlife value survive in steep sided valleys or 'cloughs'. Holly Banks is one of a series of such woodlands on the steep sides of the Dane Valley. The upper slopes have leached acidic soils derived from glacial deposits, whilst the lower slopes which cut through the Keuper Marl are more base rich. Several steep sided valleys occur and many spring flushes are present. The variations in soils and drainage result in dramatic differences in the species composition of the canopy and ground flora, often over short distances. This diversity adds considerably to the wildlife value of the woodland. In drier areas towards the top of the slopes pedunculate oak Quercus robur is dominant with some ash Fraxinus excelsior, hazel Corylus avellana and silver birch Betula pendula. Lower down the slope ash becomes more frequent together with wych elm Ulmus glabr and wild cherry Prunus avium. In the wetter areas alder Alnus glutinosa is abundant. In the past alder and hazel have been coppiced but there has been no recent cutting or other active management. The abundance of dead wood, both fallen and standing, provides an important habitat for many invertebrates and several species of birds. The ground flora also reflects the changes in soil conditions. In drier areas bracken Pteridium aquilinum, male fern Dryopteris filix-mas, tufted hair grass Deschampsia cespitosa and bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta are locally abundant. The base rich areas support a much richer flora including species such as dog’s mercury Mercurialis perennis, sanicle Sanicula europaea and early purple orchid Orchis mascula. Flushed areas support aground flora with species such as butterbur Petasites hybridus, wood horsetail Equisetum sylvaticum, wood small reed Calamagrostis epigejos and the uncommon thin spiked wood sedge Carex strigosa. Lush stands of brooklime Veronica beccabunga and opposite leaved golden saxifrage Chrysosplenium oppositifolium occur along the streams.

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