Local Wildlife Site

Wildlife

This site comprises the extensive grounds of a hospital with a mosaic of wildlife habitats, including oak dominated ancient woodland, well managed high quality acid grassland, neutral meadows, amenity grasslands, a watercourse overhung by willows, and a mature apple orchard. Much of the walled hospital grounds are occupied by low disturbance oak dominated ancient woodland with an intact understory and large quantities of standing decaying timber. Wood anemone and bluebells are abundant. The lack of disturbance also means that the extensive site is likely to support good populations of birds and other animals. To the north of the main hospital buildings, there are significant areas of well managed high quality acid grassland. This area is particularly unusual due to the frequent occurrence of three woodrush species: field woodrush, heath woodrush and southern woodrush. Native bluebells are also common within this grassland. There are also acid grassland areas elsewhere within the grounds where sheep's sorrel and woodrush species are found. Bitter-vetch, bird's-foot and devil's-bit scabious are also recorded here. The neutral meadow in the north-east of the site has a large population of grass vetchling. In comparison, the southern and western grassland areas of the site are relatively uniform and less varied in wild flowers. However, they make an important contribution to the overall value of the site, in that they support a range of grasses which are of value to insects, including typical meadow butterfly species, as well as woodland-edge species that feed in the meadow, such as green woodpeckers. A watercourse runs near the west of the site, partly in an open culvert. Much is overhung by willows and other vegetation, and some aquatic flora such as yellow iris and great reedmace is found to the north of this stretch.

Facilities

Nature trail