Dunsby Wood

Also within

Lincolnshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Bracken scrub, Coppiced woodland

Description

Area,54.7 ha Description Dunsby Wood is an example of wet ash maple woodland, especially characteristic of the calcareous soils of the Midland Clay Belt. It is one of a group of ancient semi natural woodlands lying on the Kesteven Plateau. Such woodlands are increasingly threatened by modern forestry and agricultural practices. The woodland canopy is dominated by ash Fraxinus excelsior, field maple Acer campestre and pedunculate oak Quercus robur, all grown from former coppice. A large stand of wild cherry Prunus avium occurs in the north east corner and wild service tree Sorbus torminalis is common along the southern edge of the wood. High forest, dominated by pedunculate oak, occurs at the western end of the wood, where the soil is more acidic. A rich shrub layer is present, including hawthorn Crataegus monogyna, midland hawthorn Crataegus laevigata, wild privet Ligustrum vulgare, spindle Euonymus europaeus, blackthorn Prunus spinosa, field rose Rosa avensis and guelder rose Viburnum opulus. The woodland floor is generally wet, with the exception of two well drained areas where bracken Pteridium aquilinum and creeping soft grass Holcus mollis are dominant. Meadow sweet Filipendula ulmaria and lesser pond sedge Carex acutiformis occur in the very wet areas and, elsewhere, other characteristic plants include early purple orchid Orchis mascula, wood anemone Anemone nemorosa, bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta, yellow archangel Lamiastrum galeobdolon, water avens Geum rivale and wood sorrel Oxalis acetosella. Rather more uncommon plants include small teasel Dipsacus pilosus, nettle leaved bellflower Campanula trachelium, hart's tongue Asplenium scolopendrium and thin spiked wood sedge Carex strigosa. Dunsby Wood is also very rich in fungi, with over 120 species having been recorded.

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