Horse Wood, Mileham

Also within

Norfolk County

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Ancient woodland, Bracken scrub, Coppiced woodland

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Glacial Till

Landscape processes: Glacial

Description

Area, 7.1 hectares 17.5 ac. Description Horse Wood is an ancient woodland site on a boulder clay plateau. The wood is probably of primary origin with a structure of coppice with standards. The stand types are mainly wet ash maple wood and the nationally infrequent plateau alder wood. The ground flora is exceptionally diverse and includes a number of rare and uncommon species in great abundance. Although the southern half of the original wood has been re planted with conifers and is excluded from the SSSI, the remaining semi natural stands have been little disturbed. Standard trees are of oak Quercus robur and ash Fraxinus excelsior. Areas of coppice are still cut, though at a reduced rate and the main species involved are ash, maple Acer campestre, alder Alnus glutinosa and oak. There are several large coppice stools in the wood and the rare wild service tree Sorbus torminalis is present. The lightest soils at the northern end of the wood have a ground flora dominated by bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta and bramble with wood sorrel Oxalis acetosella, honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum, lily of the valley Convallaria majalis and bracken. The heaviest soils have a rich flora and are dominated by dog’s mercury Mercurialis perennis and wood anemone Anemone nemorosa with early purple orchid Orchis mascula, twayblade Neottia ovata, broad leaved helleborine Epipactis helleborine, sanicle Sanicula europaea, hairy woodrush Luzula pilosa and yellow archangel Lamiastrum galeobdolon. Herb paris Paris quadrifolia is plentiful throughout the wood. The rides are mostly wide and very wet and have a diverse flora including herb paris, valerian Valeriana officinalis, water mint Mentha aquatica, creeping buttercup Ranunculus repens and tufted hair grass Deschampsia cespitosa present; with meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria and water avens Geum rivale.

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