Combs Wood

Also within

Suffolk County

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Ancient woodland, Coppiced woodland

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Glacial Till

Landscape processes: Glacial

Description

Area, 14.33 ha. 35.41 ac. Description Situated just to the south of Stowmarket, Combs Wood is an ancient woodland with a well developed coppice with standards structure, on boulder clay overlain with variable amounts of sand and loess. The consequent range of soil types has led to the development of a variety of woodland types. Pedunculate oak hornbeam woodland is predominant, with areas of typical ash maple woodland, this grading into the heavy soilform of pedunculate oak hazel ash woodland where the soils are more acid. The pedunculate oak hornbeam woodland consists mainly of tall coppice of hornbeam Carpinus betulus, with some ash Fraxinus excelsior and field maple Acer campestre and scattered standards of pedunculate oak Quercus robur. The shrub layer is poorly developed, with occasional hazel Corylus avellana, midland hawthorn Crataegus lsevigata and elder Sambucus nigra. The ground flora is sparse and consists mainly of dog’s mercury Mercurialis perennis and bramble Rubus sp., with early dog violet Viola reichenbachiana. The ash maple woodland is dominated by coppice of ash, with frequent hazel and occasional field maple. There are occasional standards of pedunculate oak. The shrub layer is well developed and includes hawthorn Crataegus monogyna, midland hawthorn, spindle Euonymus europaeus, dogwood Cornus sanguinea and guelder rose Viburnum opulus. The ground flora beneath this woodland type is rich and varied and has shown a good response to the recent reintroduction of a coppice rotation over the wood. Dog’s mercury and tufted hair grass Deschampsia cespitosa are locally abundant, with frequent wood anemone Anemone nemorosa, wood sedge Carex sylvatica and remote sedge Carex remota. Other species of interest include woodruff Asperula odorata, greater butterfly orchid Platanthera chlorantha, pale sedge Carex pallescens, grey sedge C. divulsa and oxlip Primula elatior which is at the northern limit of its range here. There are a number of rides within the woodland which are wet in places and support a flora including creeping bent Agrostis stolonifera, soft rush Juncus effusus, water mint Mentha aquatica, greater bird’s foot trefoil Lotus pedunculatus, bugle Ajuga reptans and nettle leaved bellflower Campanula trachelium. The unimproved grassland of these rides and a small pond provide valuable additional habitat for invertebrates.

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.