Sherwood Forest Golf Course

Also within

Nottinghamshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Bracken scrub

Geology & landscape

Geological Period: Triassic

Birds & fish recorded

Birds

Description

Area, 62.5 ha. 154.4 ac. Description This site, lying on the Triassic Bunter Pebble Beds of Central Nottinghamshire, in close proximity to other smaller areas of heathland, contains one of the largest blocks of lowland heathland in the County. As such it represents a substantial example of a nationally rare habitat type which was formerly extensive in this part of Nottinghamshire and supports a number of uncommon plants and animals. The heathland is varied in character with ling Calluna vulgaris, bell heather Erica cinerea or wavy hair grass Deschampsia flexuosa dominating, according to location. Frequent associated species are mat grass Nardus stricta and pill sedge Carex pilulifera. There are occasional small stands of bracken Pteridium aquilinum but, unlike several other Nottinghamshire heathlands, this is not an important component of the vegetation. Whilst much of the heathland is open in places there are young stands of silver birch Betula pendula, pedunculate oak Quercus robur and some Scot's pine Pinus sylvestris. The lichens Cladonia floerkeana and Icmadophila ericitorum are frequent and several heathland fungi have been recorded with the crimson Hygrocybe mineata particularly frequent. The site is especially notable for the occurrence of the scarce stag’s horn clubmoss Lycopodium clavatum in its only known Nottinghamshire location and western gorse Ulex gallii, an uncommon plant in the County and on the eastern edge of its range, occurs here. The invertebrate fauna of this site, whilst not comprehensively studied, appears rich with several typical but local species such as green tiger beetle Cicindela campestris. The area provides suitable breeding habitat for whinchat Saxicola rubetra and nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus, both of which are known to occur.

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