Local Wildlife Site

Wildlife

Carter's Brook follows a natural, meandering course over a gravel bed. It is lined with oak and hornbeam woodland, with some large specimens of hornbeam and field maple. The shrub layer is most diverse in the north of the site where there is abundant dogwood, hazel and dog rose. At ground-level plants include bluebell, dog's mercury, false brome, greater stitchwort and wood speedwell. There are large areas of blackthorn scrub at various points along its course. Paine's Brook appears more affected by straightening and deepening, but contains areas of similar vegetation as well as some large nettle beds. Paine's Park has a small area of wet grassland with tufted hair-grass and common knapweed, which is managed for nature conservation, as well as some scattered veteran oaks. The park also includes an area of scrub with open areas of tall herbs and grassland. Some of the closely-mown grassland north of Whitchurch Road appears to moderately herb rich with autumn hawkbit, bird's-foot-trefoil, selfheal and probably cuckooflower. The sward is dominated by common bent, crested dog's-tail, smaller cat's-tail and rye-grass. The whole site forms part of an important wildlife corridor through the north of the borough of possible value to bats, while scrub and old trees will be valuable for birds and insects. The stream may be used by water voles, though there is very heavy recreational use of the sloping, wooded banks.

Facilities

Walking route