Elmsett Park Wood
Also within
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM065464 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 8.62 | 2010-11-03 |
| TM066466 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 8.62 | 2010-11-03 |
Habitats
Description
Area, 8.5 ha. 21.0 ac. Description Elmsett Park Wood is a small ancient wood occupying a low hilltop site in south Suffolk. The soils are boulder clays overlain by a thin layer of sands. A very wide range of woodland types are present and with an equally diverse ground flora the site is considered to be one of the richest small woods in Suffolk. The structure of the wood is coppice with standards. Lineage elm wood, an uncommon type is well represented and there are small areas of maple ash lime woodland, another scarce type. Wet ash maple woodland occupies the plateau and grades into acid pedunculate oak hazel ash woodland on the slopes. Small stands of pedunculate oak hornbeam woodland of the ash maple variant and suckering elm woodland are also present. Dog’s mercury Mercurialis perennis, bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta, primrose Primula vulgaris and ivy Hedera helix form the chief constituents of the ground flora with wood anemone Anemone nemorosa locally abundant on the more acid soils. Many plants that are indicators of ancient woodland are present and include the uncommon spurge laurel Daphne laureola, nettle leaved bellflower Campanula trachelium, green hellebore Helleborus viridis, wood spurge Euphorbia amygdaloides, herb paris Paris quadrifolia and butterfly orchid Platanthera chlorantha.
Species mentioned
Show the 11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| wood anemone | Anemone nemorosa | LC | herb | ranunculaceae |
| nettle leaved bellflower | Campanula trachelium | LC | herb | campanulaceae |
| wood spurge | Euphorbia amygdaloides | LC | herb | euphorbiaceae |
| green hellebore | Helleborus viridis | LC | herb | ranunculaceae |
| bluebell | Hyacinthoides non-scripta | LC | herb | liliaceae |
| dog's mercury | Mercurialis perennis | LC | herb | euphorbiaceae |
| herb paris | Paris quadrifolia | VU | herb | melanthiaceae |
| greater butterfly orchid | Platanthera chlorantha | NT | herb | orchidaceae |
| primrose | Primula vulgaris | LC | herb | primulaceae |
| spurge laurel | Daphne laureola | LC | shrub | thymelaeaceae |
| ivy | Hedera helix | LC | woody climber | araliaceae |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Duke of Burgundy Hamearis lucina |
Endangered | Primula vulgaris |
| Autumnal rustic Eugnorisma glareosa |
Near Threatened | Hyacinthoides non-scripta |
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.