Gawdyhall Big Wood, Harleston

Also within

Norfolk County

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Ancient woodland, Coppiced woodland

Description

Area, 30.0 hectares 74.1 ac. Description This site consists of a large area of ancient woodland on poorly drained chalky boulder clays, typical of South Norfolk. Oak Quercus robur standards predominate over mixed coppice in which hornbeam Carpinus betulus, ash Fraxinus excelsior and hazel Corylus avellana are abundant. The hornbeam stands in particular support an exceptionally diverse ground flora, reflecting local soil variation. hornbeam coppice with frequent ash, hazel and maple Acer campestre occurs over much of the site but hornbeam is absent from the centre of the wood. Here ash and hazel coppice is abundant under pedunculate oak and ash standard trees. There is a good example of the nationally rare pedunculate oak hazel ash woodland of the light soil form on sandy soils. Shrubs are frequent throughout the stands and include dogwood Cornus sanguinea, spindle Euonymus europaeus, guelder rose Viburnum opulus and a single specimen of wayfaring tree Viburnum lantana at its only known Norfolk station. The wood is notable for the abundance of large oak standards, some of which may be over 300 years old. The ground flora reflects the underlying variations in soil type and drainage. dog’s mercury Mercurialis perennis is generally dominant on the heavier alkaline soils and other species include primrose Primula vulgaris, hairy wood rush Luzula pilosa, hard shield fern Polystichum aculeatum, sanicle Sanicula europaea, twayblade Neottia ovata and early purple orchid Orchis mascula. The lighter more acid soils support bramble Rubus fruticosus and bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta with frequent honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum, wood sorrel Oxalis acetosella and creeping soft grass Holcus mollis. Notable plants such as broad leaved helleborine Epipactis helleborine, lily of the valley Convallaria majalis and bird’s nest orchid Neottia nidus-avis have also been recorded. The rides are generally wet with a diverse and distinctive flora. Characteristic species are tufted hair grass Deschampsia cespitosa, meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria, yellow pimpernel Lysimachia nemorum and creeping buttercup Ranunculus repens. There are also a number of ponds into which willows Salix spp are invading.

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.