Gosbeck Wood
Also within
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM145556 | — | Unfavourable Declining | 22.81 | 2009-11-10 |
Habitats
Geology & landscape
Rock Type: Glacial Till
Landscape processes: Glacial
Description
Description Gosbeck Wood is an ancient coppice with standards site with small additions of well established secondary woodland. It lies on a plateau of calcareous boulder clay soils with pockets of sand. The wood contains a complex mosaic of stand types and is a good example of the type of ancient woodlands found in central Suffolk. The ground flora is typical of woods of this type and locality and includes several uncommon species. The main tree communities present are wet ash maple woodland, pedunculate oak hazel ash woodland and lowland hazel pedunculate oak woodland. There is also a small area of pedunculate oak hornbeam woodland and numerous clones of aspen Populus tremula. Giant coppice stools are evidence of a long tradition of coppice management which has recently been re-introduced after a period of neglect. Dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis is generally dominant but tufted hair grass Deschampsia cespitosa, creeping soft grass Holcus mollis and bramble Rubus spp. are locally abundant as is ivy Hedera helix in the area of secondary woodland. Notable species include spurge laurel Daphne laureola, wood spruge Euphorbia amygdaloides, herb paris Paris quadrifolia and hairy woodrush Luzula pilosa. The woodland rides are at present narrow and overshadowed, but meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria and a few other grassland species persist on them.
Species mentioned
Show the 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| tufted hair grass | Deschampsia cespitosa | LC | grass | poaceae |
| creeping soft grass | Holcus mollis | LC | grass | poaceae |
| wood spurge | Euphorbia amygdaloides | LC | herb | euphorbiaceae |
| meadow sweet | Filipendula ulmaria | LC | herb | rosaceae |
| dog's mercury | Mercurialis perennis | LC | herb | euphorbiaceae |
| herb paris | Paris quadrifolia | VU | herb | melanthiaceae |
| hairy wood-rush | Luzula pilosa | LC | rush | juncaceae |
| spurge laurel | Daphne laureola | LC | shrub | thymelaeaceae |
| aspen | Populus tremula | LC | tree | salicaceae |
| ivy | Hedera helix | LC | woody climber | araliaceae |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Dark bordered beauty Epione vespertaria |
Endangered | Populus tremula |
| Scarce vapourer Orgyia recens |
Endangered | Filipendula ulmaria |
| The sprawler Asteroscopus sphinx |
Vulnerable | Populus spp. |
| Scarce chocolate-tip Clostera anachoreta |
Vulnerable | Populus spp., Populus tremula |
| Mottled umber Erannis defoliaria |
Vulnerable | Populus tremula |
| Satyr pug Eupithecia satyrata |
Vulnerable | Filipendula ulmaria |
| Grayling Hipparchia semele |
Vulnerable | Deschampsia cespitosa |
| Pale brindled Phigalia pilosaria |
Vulnerable | Populus spp. |
| The anomalous Stilbia anomala |
Vulnerable | Deschampsia cespitosa |
| Pale eggar Trichiura crataegi |
Vulnerable | Populus spp. |
| No common name Zeugophora turneri |
Vulnerable | Populus tremula |
| Purple emperor Apatura iris |
Near Threatened | Populus tremula |
| Minor shoulder-knot Brachylomia viminalis |
Near Threatened | Populus tremula |
| The sallow Cirrhia icteritia |
Near Threatened | Populus spp. |
| Large thorn Ennomos autumnaria |
Near Threatened | Populus spp. |
| Grey pug Eupithecia subfuscata |
Near Threatened | Populus tremula |
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.