Brooks Head Grove

Also within

Gloucestershire County WYE VALLEY (England) Scenic Area

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Fast flowing river and stream

Geology & landscape

Geological Feature: Gorge / Ravine · Geological Period: Carboniferous · Rock Type: Dolomite, Limestone

Landscape processes: Fluvial

Description

Area, 11.9 ha. 29.4 ac. Description The woodlands of the lower Wye Valley form one of the most important areas for woodland conservation in Britain, comparable with the Caledonian pine woods, the oceanic oak woods of Western Britain, the New Forest and the mixed coppices of East Anglia. Semi natural woodland is abundant and virtually continuous along the gorge. The woods are a mixture of many types, some of which are very localised, e.g. the lime sessile oak stands on limestone, beech stands on both acid and alkaline soils in which lime Tilia spp., elm Ulmus spp., oak Quercus spp. and other species share dominance. Most woods are a rich mixture of stand types which are believed to be similar in composition to the original natural woods of the valley. Many rare and local species are present, including one of the rarest native tree species, e.g. large leaved lime Tilia platyphyllos, whitebeams Sorbus spp. and trees close to the edge of their European range, e.g. hornbeam Carpinus betulus and beech Fagus sylvatica. Furthermore, these woods sit in a matrix of unimproved grassland and other semi natural habitats which together with the woods, make the Wye Valley one of the most diverse, rich and attractive areas in southern Britain. Brooks Head Grove lies at the head of a small side valley of the River Wye to the south of English Bicknor. It overlies Carboniferous Lower Dolomite and Lower Limestone Shales which have given rise to generally calcareous soils. It includes a number of types of semi-natural woodland associated with such soils and has been selected as a representative of these in the range of ancient broadleaved woodlands in the Wye Valley. The majority of the woodland is dominated by ash Fraxinus excelsior and previously wych elm Ulmus glabra although much of the latter has now died as a result of Dutch elm disease. Other trees include silver birch Betula pendula and oak, while shrubs include hazel Corylus avellana and both species of hawthorn Crataegus monogyna and Crataegus laevigata, the latter being rare in the Wye Valley. A second type of woodland is present on the western slopes having, in addition to the species already mentioned, beech, small leaved lime Tilia cordata and the occasional sessile oak Quercus petraea. The understorey is mainly hazel and holly Ilex aquifolium with frequent yew Taxus baccata. A third type of woodland occurs on damper soils along the stream in the valley floor consisting primarily of alder Alnus glutinosa. The ground flora of the wood is dominated by bramble Rubus fruticosus, dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis and ivy Hedera helix along with bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta, yellow archangel Lamiastrum galeobdolon and opposite leaved golden saxifrage Chrysosplenium oppositifolium. Herb paris Paris quadrifolium is also present. Other habitats represented in the site include an unfenced area of moderately species rich permanent pasture which is integral with the woodland, some small limestone cliffs, a spring giving rise to a small stream and two recently created ponds.

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