Soudley Ponds

Also within

Gloucestershire County

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Coppiced woodland

Geology & landscape

Geological Period: Carboniferous · Rock Type: Carboniferous Limestone, Limestone, Sandstone

Description

Area, 7.04 ha. 17.4 ac. Description The extensive woodland of Forest of Dean has been managed for timber production for many centuries, with planting and careful management maintaining a mosaic of woodland types. The central region lies on the Coal Measures and supports oak woodland with a fairly restricted lime hating calcifuge ground flora. Surrounding this acid area are the Carboniferous Limestone and Old Red Sandstone rocks which give rise to more fertile soils with a variety of woodland types over a richer ground flora. The site consists of a series of ponds situated along the course of the Soudley Brook. They represent fine examples of a wetland habitat rich in wildlife and are bordered by damp woodland. The three main ponds have relatively large expanses of open water. The marginal vegetation consists largely of reed mace Typha latifolia, sweet flag Iris pseudacorus, Acorus calamus, yellow flag water plantain Alisma plantago-aquatica, watercress Nasturtium officinale, water whorl grass Catabrosa aquatica and water dock Rumex hydrolapathum. Crayfish Austropotamobius pallipes are present and the ponds are exceptionally rich in other invertebrate species. Of the several hundred species of beetle recorded from the area, 28 are only known in Gloucestershire from Soudley Ponds. A number of these, such as the blue soldier beetle Ancistronycha abdominalis are normally confined to northern England. Another species of interest is the staphylinid beetle Dianous coerulescens found in considerable numbers near one of the dams. The ponds are one of the prime dragonfly sites in the county, 18 species having been recorded. The marginal woodland habitat is dominated by alder Alnus glutinosa with pedunculate oak Quercus robur and birch Betula pendula over coppiced hazel Corylus avellana and other shrub species. The damp field layer includes woodland species such as dog’s mercury Mercurialis perennis, male fern Dryopteris filix-mas and tufted hair grass Deschampsia cespitosa with patches of wood bittercress Cardamine flexuosa and opposite leaved golden saxifrage Chrysosplenium oppositifolium. The woodland is also important for its fungi.

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.