Langley Wood
Also within
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TL607424 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 31.57 | 2011-12-09 |
Habitats
Description
Area, 31.13 hectares 76.93 ac. Description Langley Wood is a woodland of ancient origin holding stands of the ash maple woodland type together with areas of hornbeam. Such woodland types are restricted to lowland England and have suffered a rapid decline since the first half of this century. In a Cambridgeshire context, Langley Wood is notable for its size and relatively unmodified state and for the presence of hornbeam at the edge of its geographical range. The woodland structure is essentially of coppiced ash Fraxinus excelsior, maple Acer campestre and hazel Corylus avellana together with oak Quercus robur and some ash standards. hornbeam Carpinus betulus is present as large coppice, becoming dominant in areas to the exclusion of hazel in particular. The ground flora is of the dog’s mercury Mercurialis perennis type, together with bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta and species such as sanicle Sanicula europaea and wood avens Geum urbanum. The wood is also noted for the presence of the uncommon sweet woodruff Galium odoratum. The woodland rides are of species rich neutral grassland holding plants typical of such ancient habitats which include wood sedge Carex sylvatica, wild strawberry Fragaria vesca and red bartsia Odontites verna together with meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria, self heal Prunella vulgaris and bugle Ajuga reptans.
Species mentioned
Show the 16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| bugle | Ajuga reptans | LC | herb | lamiaceae |
| meadow sweet | Filipendula ulmaria | LC | herb | rosaceae |
| wild strawberry | Fragaria vesca | LC | herb | rosaceae |
| woodruff | Galium odoratum | LC | herb | rubiaceae |
| herb bennet | Geum urbanum | LC | herb | rosaceae |
| bluebell | Hyacinthoides non-scripta | LC | herb | liliaceae |
| dog's mercury | Mercurialis perennis | LC | herb | euphorbiaceae |
| selfheal | Prunella vulgaris | LC | herb | lamiaceae |
| sanicle | Sanicula europaea | LC | herb | apiaceae |
| no common name | Odontites verna | Not listed in GB list | lichen | no common name |
| wood sedge | Carex sylvatica | LC | sedge | cyperaceae |
| field maple | Acer campestre | LC | tree | aceraceae |
| hornbeam | Carpinus betulus | LC | tree | betulaceae |
| hazel | Corylus avellana | LC | tree | corylaceae |
| ash | Fraxinus excelsior | LC | tree | oleaceae |
| common oak | Quercus robur | LC | tree | fagaceae |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Oak lutestring Cymatophorina diluta |
Endangered | Quercus robur |
| Maple pug Eupithecia inturbata |
Endangered | Acer campestre |
| Scarce vapourer Orgyia recens |
Endangered | Corylus avellana, Filipendula ulmaria, Quercus spp. |
| Mouse moth Amphipyra tragopoginis |
Vulnerable | Fragaria spp. |
| The sprawler Asteroscopus sphinx |
Vulnerable | Corylus avellana, Fraxinus excelsior, Quercus spp. |
| Mottled umber Erannis defoliaria |
Vulnerable | Acer campestre, Carpinus betulus, Corylus avellana, Quercus spp. |
| Satyr pug Eupithecia satyrata |
Vulnerable | Filipendula ulmaria, Galium spp. |
| Bedstraw hawk-moth Hyles gallii |
Vulnerable | Galium spp. |
| The lackey Malacosoma neustria |
Vulnerable | Corylus avellana, Quercus spp. |
| Pale brindled Phigalia pilosaria |
Vulnerable | Corylus avellana, Fraxinus excelsior, Quercus spp. |
| Grizzled skipper Pyrgus malvae |
Vulnerable | Fragaria vesca, Geum urbanum |
| Early moth Theria primaria |
Vulnerable | Quercus spp. |
| Pale eggar Trichiura crataegi |
Vulnerable | Corylus avellana, Quercus spp. |
| Oak hook-tip Watsonalla binaria |
Vulnerable | Quercus robur |
| Flounced chestnut Agrochola helvola |
Near Threatened | Quercus spp. |
| Light crimson underwing Catocala promissa |
Near Threatened | Quercus robur |
| Dark crimson underwing Catocala sponsa |
Near Threatened | Quercus robur |
| Heart moth Dicycla oo |
Near Threatened | Quercus robur |
| Large thorn Ennomos autumnaria |
Near Threatened | Corylus avellana, Quercus spp. |
| September thorn Ennomos erosaria |
Near Threatened | Quercus spp. |
| Dusky thorn Ennomos fuscantaria |
Near Threatened | Fraxinus excelsior |
| Autumnal rustic Eugnorisma glareosa |
Near Threatened | Galium spp., Hyacinthoides non-scripta |
| Double dart Graphiphora augur |
Near Threatened | Quercus spp. |
| Clay fan-foot Paracolax tristalis |
Near Threatened | Quercus spp. |
| Common fan-foot Pechipogo strigilata |
Near Threatened | Quercus robur |
| Frosted green Polyploca ridens |
Near Threatened | Quercus robur |
| Dark-barred twin-spot carpet Xanthorhoe ferrugata |
Near Threatened | Galium spp. |
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.