Cavendish Woods

Also within

Suffolk County

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Ancient woodland, Coppiced woodland

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Glacial Till

Landscape processes: Glacial

Birds & fish recorded

Birds

Description

Area, 52.0 ha. 128.5 ac. Description This site comprises a series of ancient woods containing entirely semi natural stands which are actively managed as coppice with standards. Ash maple woodland is the dominant stand type on chalky boulder clay with small areas of maple ash lime and ash wych elm. The diverse ground flora contains several ancient woodland plants including oxlip Primula elatior which has a very localised distribution in Suffolk. Oak is the dominant standard tree, with ash being of lesser importance. The mixed coppice layer consists largely of ash, hazel and field maple with areas of small leaved lime Tilia cordata, wych elm Ulmus glabra, aspen Populus tremula, sallow Salix caprea and some suckering elm. In addition, this is one of the few sites in West Suffolk for the wild service tree Sorbus torminalis. The ground flora is dominated mainly by dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis with bramble Rubus fruticosus agg. and tufted hair grass Deschampsia cespitosa prevalent in areas of recent coppice. A variety of interesting woodland plants are present including woodruff Galium odoratum, ramsons Allium ursinum, herb paris Paris quadrifolia, sanicle Sanicula europaea, adder's tongue Ophioglossum vulgatum and oxlip. In wet areas surrounding the numerous small pools and ponds greater pond sedge Carex riparia, wood sedge Carex sylvatica and soft rush Juncus effusus are common constituents of the woodland flora. The rides are generally narrow and overshadowed, with rough stalked meadow grass Poa trivialis, tufted hair grass and bramble as the main plant species. A more distinctive flora occurs in wet areas with meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria, figwort Scrophularia nodosa, greater bird's foot trefoil Lotus pedunculatus and pendulous sedge Carex pendula all common. These woods support large populations of fallow deer and a variety of breeding birds including woodcock, snipe and treecreeper.

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.