Strawberry Cottage Wood

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 51.8875, -2.9961

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Sandstone

Description

Description Hanging sessile oak Quercus petraea wood over an Old Red Sandstone bluff on the southern edge of the Black Mountains. It has unusually well grown oaks Quercus petraea and some Q robur, locally abundant birch Betula pendula and occasional lime Tilia cordata and beech Fagus sylvatica. Remarks: Within Brecon Beacons National Park. The site is subject to a Tree Preservation Order administered by the Brecon Beacons National Park. Part of the site is a Gwent Trust for Nature Conservation Reserve.

Species mentioned

English name
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Latin name
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IUCN / Red List Type Family
birch Betula pendula LC tree betulaceae
beech Fagus sylvatica LC tree fabiaceae
sessile or durmast oak Quercus petraea LC tree fagaceae
lime small leaved Tilia cordata LC tree malvaceae

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.

SpeciesStatusVia host-plant
Oak lutestring
Cymatophorina diluta
Endangered Quercus petraea
Scarce vapourer
Orgyia recens
Endangered Betula spp., Fagus sylvatica, Quercus spp.
The sprawler
Asteroscopus sphinx
Vulnerable Betula spp., Fagus sylvatica, Quercus spp., Tilia spp.
Broom moth
Ceramica pisi
Vulnerable Betula spp.
Mottled umber
Erannis defoliaria
Vulnerable Betula spp., Fagus sylvatica, Quercus spp.
The lackey
Malacosoma neustria
Vulnerable Betula pendula, Quercus spp.
Pale brindled
Phigalia pilosaria
Vulnerable Betula pendula, Quercus spp., Tilia spp.
Early moth
Theria primaria
Vulnerable Quercus spp.
Pale eggar
Trichiura crataegi
Vulnerable Betula spp., Quercus spp.
Oak hook-tip
Watsonalla binaria
Vulnerable Betula pendula, Quercus petraea
Flounced chestnut
Agrochola helvola
Near Threatened Betula spp., Quercus spp.
Kentish glory
Endromis versicolora
Near Threatened Betula pendula
Large thorn
Ennomos autumnaria
Near Threatened Betula spp., Quercus spp.
September thorn
Ennomos erosaria
Near Threatened Betula spp., Fagus sylvatica, Quercus spp., Tilia spp.
Autumnal rustic
Eugnorisma glareosa
Near Threatened Betula spp.
Double dart
Graphiphora augur
Near Threatened Betula spp., Quercus spp.
Clay fan-foot
Paracolax tristalis
Near Threatened Quercus spp.
Frosted green
Polyploca ridens
Near Threatened Quercus petraea
Scarce hook-tip
Sabra harpagula
Near Threatened Tilia cordata
White prominent
Leucodonta bicoloria
Regionally Extinct Betula 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.