Geddington Chase

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 52.4531, -0.6706

Condition (Natural England)

Unfavourable Recovering (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SP904847 Unfavourable Recovering 39.13 2011-06-29

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Glacial Till

Landscape processes: Glacial

Description

Area, 38.8 hectares 95.9 ac Description Geddington Chase is the third largest extant ancient wood in Northamptonshire and was formerly part of the once extensive Royal Forest of Rockingham. The bulk of the Chase is now commercially reafforested and the SSSI defines the biggest discrete block of remaining semi natural broad leaved woodland. The site is a good example of the wet ash maple woods of the Midland Boulder clay, a type which has declined significantly in the county in the last 40 years. In places the original coppice with standards structure is well preserved and elsewhere oak ash high forest provides a contrasting habitat. The tree canopy is predominantly pedunculate oak Quercus robur and ash Fraxinus excelsior over a mixed scrub and coppice layer of hazel Corylus avellana, midland hawthorn Crataegus lsevigata, field maple Acer campestre, blackthorn Prunus spinosa, dogwood Cornus sanguinea and grey willow Salix cinerea. Mixed plantations occur in some areas. The ground flora is typically diverse with bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta, dog’s mercury Mercurialis perennis, tufted hair grass Deschampsia cespitosa, ramsons Allium ursinum and yellow archangel Lamiastrum galeobdolon all locally dominant. The wild daffodil Narcissus pseudonarcissus which is rare in Northamptonshire, occurs sparsely. Some of the rides contain botanically rich permanent grassland with characteristic species such as sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum, field wood rush Luzula campestris, lady’s mantle Alchemilla vestita, cowslip Primula veris and pignut Conopodium majus. The whole complex supports a wide range of common birds and insects.

Species mentioned

English name
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Latin name
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IUCN / Red List Type Family
sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum LC grass poaceae
tufted hair grass Deschampsia cespitosa LC grass poaceae
lady's mantle Alchemilla vestita Not listed in GB list herb rosaceae
ramson Allium ursinum LC herb liliaceae
pignut Conopodium majus LC herb apiaceae
bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta LC herb liliaceae
yellow archangel Lamiastrum galeobdolon LC herb lamiaceae
dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis LC herb euphorbiaceae
wild daffodil Narcissus pseudonarcissus LC herb amaryllidaceae
cowslip Primula veris LC herb primulaceae
field wood rush Luzula campestris LC rush juncaceae
dogwood Cornus sanguinea LC shrub cornaceae
blackthorn Prunus spinosa LC shrub rosaceae
field maple Acer campestre LC tree aceraceae
hazel Corylus avellana LC tree corylaceae
ash Fraxinus excelsior LC tree oleaceae
common oak Quercus robur LC tree fagaceae
grey willow Salix cinerea LC tree shrub salicaceae

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.

SpeciesStatusVia host-plant
Oak lutestring
Cymatophorina diluta
Endangered Quercus robur
Figure of eight
Diloba caeruleocephala
Endangered Prunus spinosa, Prunus spp.
Maple pug
Eupithecia inturbata
Endangered Acer campestre
The lappet
Gastropacha quercifolia
Endangered Prunus spinosa, Prunus spp., Salix spp.
Duke of Burgundy
Hamearis lucina
Endangered Primula veris
Scarce vapourer
Orgyia recens
Endangered Corylus avellana, Prunus spinosa, Quercus spp., Salix spp.
Black hairstreak
Satyrium pruni
Endangered Prunus spinosa
The sprawler
Asteroscopus sphinx
Vulnerable Corylus avellana, Fraxinus excelsior, Prunus spinosa, Prunus spp., Quercus spp., Salix spp.
Scarce chocolate-tip
Clostera anachoreta
Vulnerable Salix cinerea, Salix spp.
Mottled umber
Erannis defoliaria
Vulnerable Acer campestre, Corylus avellana, Prunus spinosa, Quercus spp., Salix spp.
Satyr pug
Eupithecia satyrata
Vulnerable Salix spp.
Grayling
Hipparchia semele
Vulnerable Deschampsia cespitosa
The lackey
Malacosoma neustria
Vulnerable Corylus avellana, Prunus spinosa, Prunus spp., Quercus spp., Salix spp.
Pale brindled
Phigalia pilosaria
Vulnerable Cornus sanguinea, Corylus avellana, Fraxinus excelsior, Prunus spinosa, Quercus spp.
The anomalous
Stilbia anomala
Vulnerable Deschampsia cespitosa
Brown hairstreak
Thecla betulae
Vulnerable Prunus spinosa
Early moth
Theria primaria
Vulnerable Prunus spinosa, Quercus spp.
Pale eggar
Trichiura crataegi
Vulnerable Corylus avellana, Prunus spinosa, Quercus spp., Salix spp.
Oak hook-tip
Watsonalla binaria
Vulnerable Quercus robur
Flounced chestnut
Agrochola helvola
Near Threatened Quercus spp., Salix spp.
Beaded chestnut
Agrochola lychnidis
Near Threatened Salix spp.
Purple emperor
Apatura iris
Near Threatened Salix cinerea
Garden tiger
Arctia caja
Near Threatened Prunus spinosa, Salix cinerea
Minor shoulder-knot
Brachylomia viminalis
Near Threatened Salix cinerea
Light crimson underwing
Catocala promissa
Near Threatened Quercus robur
Dark crimson underwing
Catocala sponsa
Near Threatened Quercus robur
The sallow
Cirrhia icteritia
Near Threatened Salix spp.
Dingy mocha
Cyclophora pendularia
Near Threatened Salix cinerea
Heart moth
Dicycla oo
Near Threatened Quercus robur
Large thorn
Ennomos autumnaria
Near Threatened Corylus avellana, Prunus spinosa, Prunus spp., Quercus spp., Salix spp.
September thorn
Ennomos erosaria
Near Threatened Quercus spp.
Dusky thorn
Ennomos fuscantaria
Near Threatened Fraxinus excelsior
Autumnal rustic
Eugnorisma glareosa
Near Threatened Hyacinthoides non-scripta
Grey pug
Eupithecia subfuscata
Near Threatened Prunus spinosa, Salix spp.
Double dart
Graphiphora augur
Near Threatened Prunus spinosa, Quercus spp., Salix spp.
Clay fan-foot
Paracolax tristalis
Near Threatened Quercus spp.
Common fan-foot
Pechipogo strigilata
Near Threatened Quercus robur
Frosted green
Polyploca ridens
Near Threatened Quercus robur
Red carpet
Xanthorhoe decoloraria
Near Threatened Alchemilla spp.

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

W21 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub

Crataegus monogyna-Hedera helix scrub

Matches 9 species from the description above: Allium ursinum, Cornus sanguinea, Corylus avellana, Fraxinus excelsior, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Mercurialis perennis, Prunus spinosa, Quercus robur, Salix cinerea

Hedera helix, Salix cinerea, Acer pseudoplatanus, Ilex aquifolium, Betula pendula, Corylus avellana, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Fraxinus excelsior, Malus sylvestris, Sorbus aria, Taxus baccata, Ulmus glabra, Ulmus procera, Sambucus nigra, Viburnum lantana, Euonymus europaeus, Cornus sanguinea, Juniperus communis, Ligustrum vulgare, Clematis vitalba, Rhamnus cathartica, Crataegus laevigata, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Juncus effusus, Plagiomnium undulatum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Kindbergia praelonga, Rhynchostegium confertum, Tamus communis, Heracleum sphondylium, Torilis japonica, Arum maculatum, Arctium minus, Cirsium arvense, Lonicera periclymenum, Moehringia trinervia, Silene dioica, Stellaria graminea, Stellaria holostea, Stellaria media agg., Calystegia sepium, Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Iris foetidissima, Glechoma hederacea, Lamium purpureum, Origanum vulgare, Stachys sylvatica, Teucrium scorodonia, Allium ursinum, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Circaea lutetiana, Rumex sanguineus, Anemone nemorosa, Ranunculus repens, Fragaria vesca, Geum urbanum, Potentilla sterilis, Poterium sanguisorba, Rosa arvensis, Rosa canina, Rubia peregrina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Galium aparine, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Anisantha sterilis, Arrhenatherum elatius, Brachypodium pinnatum, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Bromopsis erecta, Dactylis glomerata, Elytrigia repens, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Asplenium scolopendrium, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris filix-mas

W22 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub

Prunus spinosa-Rubus fruticosus scrub

Matches 5 species from the description above: Acer campestre, Corylus avellana, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Mercurialis perennis, Prunus spinosa

Hedera helix, Acer campestre, Corylus avellana, Ulex europaeus, Prunus spinosa, Plagiomnium undulatum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Eurhynchium striatum, Kindbergia praelonga, Thuidium tamariscinum, Atrichum undulatum, Lophocolea bidentata, Achillea millefolium, Cardamine flexuosa, Lonicera periclymenum, Moehringia trinervia, Silene dioica, Silene uniflora, Stellaria media agg., Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Stachys sylvatica, Teucrium scorodonia, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Oxalis acetosella, Digitalis purpurea, Plantago lanceolata, Veronica chamaedrys, Armeria maritima, Rumex acetosa, Filipendula ulmaria, Geum urbanum, Rosa canina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Rubus idaeus, Galium aparine, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Agrostis capillaris, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Asplenium scolopendrium, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris borreri, Dryopteris filix-mas

W20 — Montane scrub

Salix lapponum-Luzula sylvatica scrub

Matches 3 species from the description above: Anthoxanthum odoratum, Deschampsia cespitosa, Salix cinerea

Salix arbuscula, Salix cinerea, Salix lapponum, Salix myrsinites, Salix phylicifolia, Salix reticulata, Empetrum nigrum, Calluna vulgaris, Salix lanata, Vaccinium myrtillus, Vaccinium uliginosum, Carex atrata, Carex bigelowii, Carex binervis, Carex flacca, Luzula multiflora, Luzula sylvatica, Huperzia selago, Selaginella selaginoides, Aulacomnium palustre, Mnium hornum, Philonotis fontana, Plagiomnium undulatum, Rhizomnium punctatum, Dicranum bonjeanii, Dicranum majus, Dicranum scoparium, Fissidens adianthoides, Racomitrium lanuginosum, Calliergonell cuspidatum, Ctenidium molluscum, Hylocomium splendens, Hypnum callichroum, Hypnum cupressiforme, Palustriella commutatum, Plagiothecium denticulatum, Plagiothecium undulatum, Pleurozium schreberi, Ptilium crista-castrensis, Rhytidiadelphus loreus, Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus, Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus, Sanionia uncinata, Scorpidium revolvens, Thuidium tamariscinum, Atrichum undulatum, Polytrichastrum alpinum, Sphagnum capillifolium, Sphagnum fallax, Sphagnum girgensohnii, Sphagnum palustre, Sphagnum russowii, Sphagnum squarrosum, Sphagnum subnitens, Sphagnum teres, Barbilophozia barbata, Chiloscyphus polyanthos, Diplophyllum albicans, Lophocolea bidentata, Plagiochila porelloides, Ptilidium ciliare, Scapania undulata, Cladonia squamosa, Peltigera canina, Angelica sylvestris, Caltha palustris, Hieraclium spp., Saussurea alpina, Solidago virgaurea, Campanula rotundifolia, Succisa pratensis, Valeriana officinalis, Rhodiola rosea, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Thymus praecox, Epilobium anagallidifolium, Dactylorhiza viridis, Euphrasia officinalis, Rhinanthus minor, Oxalis acetosella, Oxyria digyna, Polygonum viviparum, Rumex acetosa, Anemone nemorosa, Ranunculus acris, Thalictrum alpinum, Alchemilla alpina, Alchemilla glabra, Filipendula ulmaria, Geum rivale, Galium boreale, Galium saxatile, Saxifraga aizoides, Saxifraga hypnoides, Saxifraga oppositifolia, Saxifraga stellaris, Viola riviniana, Agrostis canina, Agrostis capillaris, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Deschampsia cespitosa, Deschampsia flexuosa, Festuca ovina, Festuca rubra, Nardus stricta, Dryopteris dilatata, Phegopteris connectilis