Mantles Heath
Also within
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP597552 | — | Unfavourable No Change | 13.65 | 2011-10-27 |
Habitats
Geology & landscape
Rock Type: Glacial Till
Landscape processes: Glacial
Description
Area, 14.0 hectares 34.6 ac Description Mantles Heath is one of a localised group of ancient woodlands of a type uncommon in Northamptonshire, lying mainly on acid soils derived from Northampton Sands and Upper Lias clay. The western part of the site overlies calcareous and poorly drained Boulder clay and has a contrasting vegetation. The mature stand is a representative example of acid pedunculate oak hazel ash woodland but past management has modified both the canopy and shrub layer. The unplanted woodland on Boulder clay represent a heavy soil variant of the ‘upper slope’ stand type and is floristically rich. The typical ground flora of the drier soils comprises creeping soft grass Holcus mollis, bracken Pteridium aquilinum, bramble Rubus fruticosus, bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta, red campion Silene dioica and wood sorrel Oxalis acetosella. Several plants uncommon in the county are recorded, e.g. wood vetch Vicia sylvatica, opposite leaved golden saxifrage Chrysosplenium oppositifolium and slender St John’s wort Hypericum pulchrum.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| bracken | Pteridium aquilinum | LC | fern | dennstaedtiaceae |
| creeping soft grass | Holcus mollis | LC | grass | poaceae |
| opposite-leaved golden- saxifrage | Chrysosplenium oppositifolium | LC | herb | saxifragaceae |
| bluebell | Hyacinthoides non-scripta | LC | herb | liliaceae |
| slender St John's-wort | Hypericum pulchrum | LC | herb | hypericaceae |
| wood sorrel | Oxalis acetosella | LC | herb | oxalidaceae |
| bramble | Rubus fruticosus | LC | herb | rosaceae |
| red campion | Silene dioica | LC | herb | carophyllaceae |
| wood vetch | Vicia sylvatica | Not listed in GB list | herb | fabaceae |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Scarce vapourer Orgyia recens |
Endangered | Rubus fruticosus |
| Broom moth Ceramica pisi |
Vulnerable | Pteridium aquilinum, Rubus fruticosus |
| Satyr pug Eupithecia satyrata |
Vulnerable | Hypericum spp. |
| The lackey Malacosoma neustria |
Vulnerable | Rubus fruticosus |
| Grizzled skipper Pyrgus malvae |
Vulnerable | Rubus fruticosus |
| Pale eggar Trichiura crataegi |
Vulnerable | Rubus fruticosus |
| Garden tiger Arctia caja |
Near Threatened | Pteridium aquilinum |
| 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.
Plant communities
W25 — Bracken scrub
Pteridium aquilinum-Rubus fruticosus underscrub
Matches 4 species from the description above: Holcus mollis, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Pteridium aquilinum, Silene dioica
Show 53 indicator speciesHedera helix, Acer pseudoplatanus, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Fraxinus excelsior, Sambucus nigra, Ulex europaeus, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Luzula multiflora, Mnium hornum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Kindbergia praelonga, Angelica sylvestris, Conopodium majus, Heracleum sphondylium, Arum maculatum, Cirsium arvense, Lonicera periclymenum, Silene dioica, Stellaria holostea, Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Glechoma hederacea, Teucrium scorodonia, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Chamerion angustifolium, Circaea lutetiana, Digitalis purpurea, Rumex acetosa, Anemone nemorosa, Ficaria verna, Potentilla erecta, Rosa arvensis, Rosa canina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Rubus idaeus, Galium aparine, Galium mollugo sens.lat., Galium saxatile, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Agrostis capillaris, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Arrhenatherum elatius, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris dilatata, Dryopteris filix-mas