Westwood Great Pool
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SO879633 | — | Unfavourable No Change | 29.35 | 2010-10-22 |
Habitats
Birds & fish recorded
Birds
| Species | Season |
|---|---|
| great crested grebe | Breeding |
| great crested grebe | Wintering |
| pochard | Breeding |
| pochard | Wintering |
| reed warbler | Breeding |
| tufted duck | Breeding |
| tufted duck | Wintering |
Description
Area, 29.13 ha. 72.0 ac. Description Westwood great Pool is a man made lake lying on the Keuper Marl. It originally formed a major landscape feature of one of Worcestershire’s oldest and largest estates, the Westwood estate. The site, which includes peripheral areas of grassland and woodland, represents one of the largest areas of open water in Worcestershire and is important for both its plant and bird communities. The Lake and its margins support a wide variety of plants. Amongst the aquatic species present are the yellow water lily Nuphar lutea and two national rarities, the eight stamened waterwort Elatine hydropiper and the ribbon leaved water plantain Alisma gramineum. The latter species was first discovered in Britain at Westwood great Pool in 1920 and is only known from three other sites in the country. The northern and eastern margins of the Lake support extensive beds of reed Phragmites australis, reed mace Typha latifolia and bulrush Schoenoplectus lacustris. The eastern margin of the Lake is bordered by a strip of ungrazed rough grassland colonised by scrub, mainly hawthorn Crataegus monogyna and willows Salix cinerea and S. fragilis. The southern margin is bordered by woodland with a mixture of species dominated by oak Quercus robur, ash Fraxinus excelsior and birch Betula pendula. These areas of grassland, scrub and woodland provide valuable screening for the site in addition to being wildlife habitats in their own right. The Lake and its marginal vegetation provide a valuable ornithological habitat. The breeding birds include the largest colony of reed warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus in the county. Other breeding species include great crested grebe Podiceps cristatus, tufted duck Aythya fuligula and pochard Aythya ferina. Westwood great Pool is also one of the most important sites for over wintering waterfowl in Worcestershire.
Species mentioned
Show the 15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| pochard | Aythya ferina | EN (NonBreeding), EN (Breeding) | bird-duck | anatidae |
| tufted duck | Aythya fuligula | LC (NonBreeding), LC (Breeding) | bird-duck | anatidae |
| great crested grebe | Podiceps cristatus | LC (NonBreeding), VU (Breeding) | bird-grebe | podicipedidae |
| reed warbler | Acrocephalus scirpaceus | LC (Breeding) | bird-warbler | acrocephalidae |
| reedmace | Typha latifolia | LC | bulrush | typhaceae |
| common reed | Phragmites australis | LC | grass | poaceae |
| ribbon leaved water plantain | Alisma gramineum | CR | herb | alismataceae |
| eight stamened waterwort | Elatine hydropiper | LC | herb | elatinaceae |
| water lillies | Nuphar lutea | LC | herb | nymphaeaceae |
| common club rush | Schoenoplectus lacustris | LC | sedge | cyperaceae |
| hawthorn | Crataegus monogyna | LC | shrub | rosaceae |
| birch | Betula pendula | LC | tree | betulaceae |
| 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.
| Species | Status | Via host-plant |
|---|---|---|
| Oak lutestring Cymatophorina diluta |
Endangered | Quercus robur |
| Figure of eight Diloba caeruleocephala |
Endangered | Crataegus spp. |
| The lappet Gastropacha quercifolia |
Endangered | Crataegus monogyna, Salix spp. |
| Scarce vapourer Orgyia recens |
Endangered | Betula spp., Crataegus spp., Quercus spp., Salix spp. |
| Mouse moth Amphipyra tragopoginis |
Vulnerable | Crataegus spp. |
| The sprawler Asteroscopus sphinx |
Vulnerable | Betula spp., Crataegus spp., Fraxinus excelsior, Quercus spp., Salix spp. |
| Broom moth Ceramica pisi |
Vulnerable | Betula spp. |
| Scarce chocolate-tip Clostera anachoreta |
Vulnerable | Salix cinerea, Salix spp. |
| Mottled umber Erannis defoliaria |
Vulnerable | Betula spp., Crataegus spp., Quercus spp., Salix spp. |
| Satyr pug Eupithecia satyrata |
Vulnerable | Salix spp. |
| The lackey Malacosoma neustria |
Vulnerable | Betula pendula, Crataegus monogyna, Quercus spp., Salix spp. |
| Pale brindled Phigalia pilosaria |
Vulnerable | Betula pendula, Crataegus monogyna, Fraxinus excelsior, Quercus spp. |
| Early moth Theria primaria |
Vulnerable | Crataegus monogyna, Quercus spp. |
| Pale eggar Trichiura crataegi |
Vulnerable | Betula spp., Crataegus monogyna, Quercus spp., Salix spp. |
| Oak hook-tip Watsonalla binaria |
Vulnerable | Betula pendula, Quercus robur |
| Flounced chestnut Agrochola helvola |
Near Threatened | Betula spp., Crataegus monogyna, Quercus spp., Salix spp. |
| Beaded chestnut Agrochola lychnidis |
Near Threatened | Crataegus monogyna, Salix spp. |
| Grey chi Antitype chi |
Near Threatened | Crataegus monogyna |
| Purple emperor Apatura iris |
Near Threatened | Salix cinerea |
| White-mantled wainscot Archanara neurica |
Near Threatened | Phragmites australis |
| Garden tiger Arctia caja |
Near Threatened | 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 |
| Kentish glory Endromis versicolora |
Near Threatened | Betula pendula |
| Large thorn Ennomos autumnaria |
Near Threatened | Betula spp., Crataegus spp., Quercus spp., Salix spp. |
| September thorn Ennomos erosaria |
Near Threatened | Betula spp., Quercus spp. |
| Dusky thorn Ennomos fuscantaria |
Near Threatened | Fraxinus excelsior |
| Autumnal rustic Eugnorisma glareosa |
Near Threatened | Betula spp. |
| Grey pug Eupithecia subfuscata |
Near Threatened | Crataegus monogyna, Salix spp. |
| Double dart Graphiphora augur |
Near Threatened | Betula spp., Crataegus spp., Quercus spp., Salix spp. |
| Clay fan-foot Paracolax tristalis |
Near Threatened | Quercus spp. |
| Common fan-foot Pechipogo strigilata |
Near Threatened | Quercus robur |
| Reed leopard Phragmataecia castaneae |
Near Threatened | Phragmites australis |
| Frosted green Polyploca ridens |
Near Threatened | Quercus robur |
| Fenn's wainscot Protarchanara brevilinea |
Near Threatened | Phragmites australis |
| White prominent Leucodonta bicoloria |
Regionally Extinct | Betula 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 5 species from the description above: Betula pendula, Crataegus monogyna, Fraxinus excelsior, Quercus robur, Salix cinerea
Show 81 indicator speciesHedera 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
W20 — Montane scrub
Salix lapponum-Luzula sylvatica scrub
Matches 1 species from the description above: Salix cinerea
Show 107 indicator speciesSalix 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
W22 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub
Prunus spinosa-Rubus fruticosus scrub
Show 49 indicator speciesHedera 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