Lady's Wood and Upwood Meadows
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A woodland carpeted with bluebells, and ancient, flower-rich meadows, bordered by mature hedgerows and filled with the sounds of birds and insects |
Ancient in origin, historically Lady’s Wood was managed as traditional coppice though many trees were felled in 1951. Some trees were left lying in the wood as they were of poor timber quality, this dead wood now provides a marvellous habitat for insects and fungi.
During April the wood becomes resplendent with the display of bluebells as their nodding heads fill the woodland floor. Lesser celandine, greater stitchwort and dog’s mercury are also on display while the odour of garlic betrays the presence of ramsons long after their white blooms have faded. There are several large specimens of crab apple. Both midland and common hawthorn occur along with English elm. Many birds have been recorded, including tawny owls and three species of woodpecker – green, lesser spotted and great spotted.
Neighbouring Upwood Meadows is made up of three meadows – Helen's Close, Little Bentley and Great Bentley – with three ponds and bordered by mature hedgerows. With over 180 plants typical of ancient grassland found in this tiny remnant of the meadows that were once common in England, the flora here is so outstanding that the site has been designated a National Nature Reserve.
Great Bentley is the jewel in the crown. The large ant hills of the yellow meadow ant are a clue that this meadow has not been disturbed for many years. You can still see the ridges and furrows formed by oxen-drawn ploughs during the 17th Century. In springtime the meadow becomes a swath of yellow as thousands of cowslips bloom. An ever-changing display of wildflowers peaks in mid-summer when the field becomes a heady mix of purple hues from the pinks of common knapweed and saw-wort to the deep crimson of great burnet.
Birds: Fieldfare, redwing |
Plants: Bluebell, crab apple, ramsons, primrose, cowslip, green-winged orchid, adder’s-tongue fern Insects: Brimstone, orange-tip and peacock butterflies Birds: Woodpecker, tawny owl, blackcap, whitethroat, yellowhammer |
Plants: Dyer’s greenweed, saw-wort, drop-wort, sulpher clover great burnet, betony, heath grass Insects: Lesser marsh grasshopper, roesel’s bush cricket, azure and blue-tailed damselflies Birds: Turtle dove, green woodpecker |
Fungi: Woodland fungi, grassland fungi including waxcaps |