Mappp.co - Carlton Wood

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Condition (Natural England)

Unfavourable Recovering (1)

Unit	Feature	Condition	Area (ha)	Assessed
TL654529	—	Unfavourable Recovering	10.45	2011-12-09

Habitats

Ancient woodland, Coppiced woodland

Description

Area, 10.3 hectares 25.5 ac Description Carlton Wood is ancient and semi natural and holds one of the finest of the few hornbeam stands in the county. In addition both the hornbeam and ash maple stands are of a nationally uncommon variant containing oxlip Primula elatior. The woodland is predominantly former coppice with standards of ash Fraxinus excelsior, field maple Acer campestre and hazel Corylus avellana with pedunculate oak Quercus robur. Hornbeam Carpinus betulus is locally common. Ancient coppice stools of both hornbeam and ash are present. There is a rich ground flora. Oxlips are locally abundant and a good range of other typical ancient woodland species are recorded including early purple orchid Orchis mascula, herb paris Paris quadrifolia and wood sorrel Oxalis acetosella. A wide ride is present and this provides a valuable habitat for many ‘woodland edge’ herbs and grasses and is likely to be of additional value for invertebrates.

Species mentioned

Show the 9 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
early purple orchid	Orchis mascula	LC	herb	orchidaceae
wood sorrel	Oxalis acetosella	LC	herb	oxalidaceae
herb paris	Paris quadrifolia	VU	herb	melanthiaceae
oxlip	Primula elatior	LC	herb	primulaceae
field maple	Acer campestre	LC	tree	aceraceae
hornbeam	Carpinus betulus	LC	tree	betulaceae
hazel	Corylus avellana	LC	tree	corylaceae
ash	Fraxinus excelsior	LC	tree	oleaceae
common oak	Quercus robur	LC	tree	fagaceae

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
Maple pug Eupithecia inturbata	Endangered	Acer campestre
Scarce vapourer Orgyia recens	Endangered	Corylus avellana, Quercus spp.
The sprawler Asteroscopus sphinx	Vulnerable	Corylus avellana, Fraxinus excelsior, Quercus spp.
Mottled umber Erannis defoliaria	Vulnerable	Acer campestre, Carpinus betulus, Corylus avellana, Quercus spp.
The lackey Malacosoma neustria	Vulnerable	Corylus avellana, Quercus spp.
Pale brindled Phigalia pilosaria	Vulnerable	Corylus avellana, Fraxinus excelsior, Quercus spp.
Early moth Theria primaria	Vulnerable	Quercus spp.
Pale eggar Trichiura crataegi	Vulnerable	Corylus avellana, Quercus spp.
Oak hook-tip Watsonalla binaria	Vulnerable	Quercus robur
Flounced chestnut Agrochola helvola	Near Threatened	Quercus spp.
Light crimson underwing Catocala promissa	Near Threatened	Quercus robur
Dark crimson underwing Catocala sponsa	Near Threatened	Quercus robur
Heart moth Dicycla oo	Near Threatened	Quercus robur
Large thorn Ennomos autumnaria	Near Threatened	Corylus avellana, Quercus spp.
September thorn Ennomos erosaria	Near Threatened	Quercus spp.
Dusky thorn Ennomos fuscantaria	Near Threatened	Fraxinus excelsior
Double dart Graphiphora augur	Near Threatened	Quercus 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

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.