Littlebeck Wood

Also within

North Yorkshire County NORTH YORK MOORS National Park

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Fast flowing river and stream

Description

Description Little Beck Wood is situated on a steep north east facing hillside and is a good example of mixed deciduous woodland. The canopy species exhibit a wide age range with a well developed shrub and herb layer. Oak Quercus robur dominates the canopy with ash Fraxinus excelsior, wych elm Ulmus glabra, rowan Sorbus aucuparia, with alder Alnus glutinosa near the stream. The shrub layer is predominantly of hazel Corylus avellana, but holly Ilex aquifolium, hawthorn Crataegus monogyna and blackthorn Prunus spinosa are also present. The ground flora includes dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis, bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta, early purple orchid Orchis mascula and ramsons Allium ursinum. In the wetter situations moschatel Adoxa moschatellina, opposite leaved golden saxifrage Chrysosplenium oppositifolium and the more local alternate leaved golden saxifrage C. alternifolium occur. Other Information 1. This is a new site. 2. The site is managed by the Yorkshire Naturalists' Trust as a nature reserve.

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