Boulsbury Wood
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SU059171 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 54.45 | 2010-11-01 |
| SU064165 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 54.45 | 2010-11-01 |
| SU068164 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 54.45 | 2010-11-01 |
| SU069155 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 27.62 | 2010-11-01 |
| SU071163 | — | Unfavourable Declining | 1.08 | 2010-10-26 |
| SU074152 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 27.62 | 2010-11-01 |
| SU076149 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 36.62 | 2010-10-26 |
| SU078153 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 36.62 | 2010-10-26 |
| SU078156 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 36.62 | 2010-10-26 |
| SU081153 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 36.62 | 2010-10-26 |
Habitats
Geology & landscape
Rock Type: Chalk
Description
Area, 119.88 hectares Description Boulsbury Wood sensu lato consisting of Boulsbury Wood, High Wood, Stone Hill Wood, Martin Wood and Blagdon Hill Wood is a large varied wood lying astride the high county boundary ridge where Dorset and Hampshire meet. The wood lies across the transition between the acidic deposits of the Reading Beds and the Chalk, which give rise to a complex series of soils ranging from thin chalk, through a deep, rich, calcareous loam, to podsolised soils and dense cappings of flints. The wood is known to support ten different identifiable stand types i.e. natural groupings of tree species according to environmental conditions, some of which are known to be rare in Hampshire. The most characteristic association within the woods is oak standards with hazel coppice, although other areas are predominantly beech or ash, with rarer trees such as wych elm Ulmus glabra or small leaved lime Tilia cordata in places. Associated with this wide range of stand types and physical conditions, there is an exceptionally diverse flora, which includes many uncommon species. At least 60 ‘woodland vascular plants’ i.e. plants which are taken to indicate ancient woodlands in southern England occur, setting Boulsbury Wood aside as the single most species rich wood in Hampshire, or indeed in the whole of NCC’s South Region. The wood is also the only known Hampshire locality for two species, the meadow saffron Colchicum autumnale and the wood vetch Vicia sylvatica. In addition the invertebrate fauna is extremely rich although inadequately recorded. Records indicate that parts of the wood are extremely ancient, with reliable documentary evidence dating back to the thirteenth century. The wood has been extensively felled and replanted with conifers and the site boundary excludes the majority of those areas which include maturing conifers. A small area of species rich chalk grassland is included within the site boundary.
Species mentioned
Show the 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| autumn crocus or meadow saffron | Colchicum autumnale | NT | herb | colchicaceae |
| wood vetch | Vicia sylvatica | Not listed in GB list | herb | fabaceae |
| lime small leaved | Tilia cordata | LC | tree | malvaceae |
| wych elm | Ulmus glabra | LC | tree | ulmaceae |
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 | Ulmus spp. |
| White-letter hairstreak Satyrium w-album |
Endangered | Ulmus glabra, Ulmus spp. |
| The sprawler Asteroscopus sphinx |
Vulnerable | Tilia spp., Ulmus spp. |
| Broom moth Ceramica pisi |
Vulnerable | Ulmus spp. |
| Mottled umber Erannis defoliaria |
Vulnerable | Ulmus spp. |
| The lackey Malacosoma neustria |
Vulnerable | Ulmus spp. |
| Pale brindled Phigalia pilosaria |
Vulnerable | Tilia spp., Ulmus glabra |
| Flounced chestnut Agrochola helvola |
Near Threatened | Ulmus spp. |
| Dusky-lemon sallow Cirrhia gilvago |
Near Threatened | Ulmus glabra |
| The sallow Cirrhia icteritia |
Near Threatened | Ulmus glabra |
| Large thorn Ennomos autumnaria |
Near Threatened | Ulmus spp. |
| September thorn Ennomos erosaria |
Near Threatened | Tilia spp. |
| Double dart Graphiphora augur |
Near Threatened | Ulmus spp. |
| Scarce hook-tip Sabra harpagula |
Near Threatened | Tilia cordata |
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.