Mappp.co - Hay Wood, Whepstead

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Condition (Natural England)

Unfavourable Recovering (1)

Unit	Feature	Condition	Area (ha)	Assessed
TL809578	—	Unfavourable Recovering	10.36	2011-09-08

Habitats

Ancient woodland, Coppiced woodland

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Glacial Till

Landscape processes: Glacial

Description

Area, 10.5 ha. 25.9 ac. Description Hay Wood is a small ancient coppice with standards wood, lying on poorly drained boulder clay soils. The wood contains a good example of the uncommon ash maple lime stand type with several giant coppice stools. It is the most westerly location known in Suffolk for small leaved lime Tilia cordata. Wet ash maple woodland covers an extensive area with localised stands of Lineage Elm. The rich ground flora contains several ancient woodland plants including oxlip Primula elatior; a scarce local species. Standard trees are mainly of young ash with a few oak and occasional small leaved lime and sallow. The tall coppice is composed chiefly of small leaved Lime, field maple and ash with an under storey of hazel. Small areas of sallow and Lineage Elmare also present. Shrub species include midland hawthorn Crataegus laevigata, spindle Euonymus europaeus and wild crab apple Malus sylvestris. The ground flora is dominated by dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis and bramble Rubus fruticosus with abundant tufted hair grass Deschampsia cespitosa and wood anemone Anemone nemorosa. A variety of interesting woodland plants are present including wood spruge Euphorbia amygdaloides, herb paris Paris quadrifolia, ramsons Allium ursinum, early purple orchid Orchis mascula, common spotted orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii and twayblade Neottia ovata. The rides are rather narrow and over shadowed, but are well vegetated. rough stalked meadow grass Poa trivialis and tufted hair grass are dominant with wet areas distinguished by meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria, figwort Scrophularia nodosa, water avens Geum rivale and wood sedge Carex sylvatica. The wood supports a small population of fallow deer.

Species mentioned

Show the 20 species mentioned in the description, with red-list status

English name search for this in other sites	Latin name search with Google	IUCN / Red List	Type	Family
tufted hair grass	Deschampsia cespitosa	LC	grass	poaceae
rough meadow grass	Poa trivialis	LC	grass	poaceae
ramson	Allium ursinum	LC	herb	liliaceae
wood anemone	Anemone nemorosa	LC	herb	ranunculaceae
spotted orchids	Dactylorhiza fuchsii	LC	herb	orchidaceae
wood spurge	Euphorbia amygdaloides	LC	herb	euphorbiaceae
meadow sweet	Filipendula ulmaria	LC	herb	rosaceae
water avens	Geum rivale	LC	herb	rosaceae
dog's mercury	Mercurialis perennis	LC	herb	euphorbiaceae
common twayblade	Neottia ovata	NT	herb	orchidaceae
early purple orchid	Orchis mascula	LC	herb	orchidaceae
herb paris	Paris quadrifolia	VU	herb	melanthiaceae
oxlip	Primula elatior	LC	herb	primulaceae
bramble	Rubus fruticosus	LC	herb	rosaceae
common figwort	Scrophularia nodosa	LC	herb	scrophulariaceae
wood sedge	Carex sylvatica	LC	sedge	cyperaceae
midland hawthorn	Crataegus laevigata	LC	shrub	rosaceae
spindle tree	Euonymus europaeus	LC	shrub	celastraceae
crab apple	Malus sylvestris	LC	tree	rosaceae
lime small leaved	Tilia cordata	LC	tree	malvaceae

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.

Species	Status	Via host-plant
Figure of eight Diloba caeruleocephala	Endangered	Crataegus spp.
The lappet Gastropacha quercifolia	Endangered	Malus spp.
Scarce vapourer Orgyia recens	Endangered	Crataegus spp., Filipendula ulmaria, Rubus fruticosus
Mouse moth Amphipyra tragopoginis	Vulnerable	Crataegus spp.
The sprawler Asteroscopus sphinx	Vulnerable	Crataegus spp., Tilia spp.
Broom moth Ceramica pisi	Vulnerable	Rubus fruticosus
Mottled umber Erannis defoliaria	Vulnerable	Crataegus spp.
Satyr pug Eupithecia satyrata	Vulnerable	Filipendula ulmaria
Grayling Hipparchia semele	Vulnerable	Deschampsia cespitosa
The lackey Malacosoma neustria	Vulnerable	Rubus fruticosus
Pale brindled Phigalia pilosaria	Vulnerable	Crataegus laevigata, Tilia spp.
Grizzled skipper Pyrgus malvae	Vulnerable	Rubus fruticosus
The anomalous Stilbia anomala	Vulnerable	Deschampsia cespitosa
Early moth Theria primaria	Vulnerable	Crataegus laevigata
Pale eggar Trichiura crataegi	Vulnerable	Malus sylvestris, Rubus fruticosus
Small heath Coenonympha pamphilus	Near Threatened	Poa spp.
Large thorn Ennomos autumnaria	Near Threatened	Crataegus spp.
September thorn Ennomos erosaria	Near Threatened	Tilia spp.
Double dart Graphiphora augur	Near Threatened	Crataegus spp.
Scarce hook-tip Sabra harpagula	Near Threatened	Tilia cordata

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.