Ashridge Wood
Also within
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SU495785 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 15.92 | 2009-05-06 |
| SU497783 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 15.92 | 2009-05-06 |
| SU500782 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 15.92 | 2009-05-06 |
Habitats
Geology & landscape
Rock Type: Chalk
Description
Area, 15.58 hectares 38.51 ac Description Ancient coppiced woodland on chalk and clay with flints soils. About half of the wood was cleared for agriculture during 1954 and part of the remainder has been planted with conifers. Ashridge Wood is a good example of the dry ash maple woodland stand type in association with southern calcareous hazel ash woodland. Oak standards occur throughout. Wych elm, cherry and whitebeam occur locally with aspen mainly on the clay with flints. The site is important for a number of plants which are rare or local in Berkshire. In particular there is a great abundance of spiked star of Bethlehem Ornithagalum pyrenacium growing with Solomon's seal Polygonatum multiflorum. These occur throughout in association with dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis, yellow archangel Lamiastrum galeobdolon, bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta and several other plants typical of old coppiced woodland. Both spiked star of Bethlehem and Solomon's seal are here on the edge of the native range in Britain. The narrow leaved everlasting pea Lathyrus sylvestris and autumn crocus Colchicum autumnale are present but both are now extremely scarce. These too are at the edge of their native range and represent an important relic woodland flora, formerly associated with coppicing.
Species mentioned
Show the 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| autumn crocus or meadow saffron | Colchicum autumnale | NT | herb | colchicaceae |
| bluebell | Hyacinthoides non-scripta | LC | herb | liliaceae |
| yellow archangel | Lamiastrum galeobdolon | LC | herb | lamiaceae |
| everlasting pea | Lathyrus sylvestris | VU | herb | fabaceae |
| dog's mercury | Mercurialis perennis | LC | herb | euphorbiaceae |
| Bath asparagus | Ornithagalum pyrenacium | Not listed in GB list | herb | asparagaceae |
| Soloman's seal | Polygonatum multiflorum | LC | herb | liliaceae |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Autumnal rustic Eugnorisma glareosa |
Near Threatened | Hyacinthoides non-scripta |
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.