Raveley Wood
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A fragment of a once great ancient wildwood, now an important sanctuary for many woodland species |
As with many of the other small woods in the area, Raveley puts on a stunning display of flowers in the spring including bluebells, primrose, goldilocks buttercup and the locally scarce wood speedwell. As well as oak, ash and field maple, the wood has elm trees, many of which have been killed by Dutch elm disease. Some of those that survived have been coppiced, which helps protect against the disease as well as increasing their value to birds and insects. During the summer you may see the white-letter hairstreak butterfly flitting around the elm trees or along the grassy rides and glades.
The dead elms have also provided much valuable deadwood habitat and giving the wood a rich variety of fungi to spot in the autumn. A large bank of earth found close to the wood’s entrance is part of a medieval wood bank that defined the woodland boundary. This bank is intersected by an ancient moat on the east side.
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Plants: Bluebell, wood anemone, midland hawthorn, yellow archangel, goldilocks buttercup, early-purple orchid Birds: Tits and finches |
Insects: Purple hairstreak and white-letter hairstreak butterflies Birds: Woodpeckers, warblers, treecreeper |
Fungi: Woodland fungi |