Districts:

West Oxfordshire Parishes

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Districts - Parishes

Cherwell

South Oxfordshire

Vale of White Horse

West Oxfordshire

Districts - Landscape Types

Fifield

This map highlights the landscape types within the parish you selected, and its associated local character areas. You can click on any area of the map for a description of its landscape character and biodiversity. Please note that local character areas can cover large areas of the countryside, and may include several parishes, so the description may not be specific to this parish. If there are any wildlife habitats within the parish their descriptions can be found by scrolling to the bottom of this page.

The following wildlife habitats fall within this parish. They are listed according to their associated landscape type or local character area.

If you want more information about any of the sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) listed below, take a look at English Nature's Nature on the Map website. It may also be possible to find out a bit more about the unnamed wildlife habitats in the parish by contacting the Thames Valley Environmental Records Centre (gavin.bird@oxfordshire.gov.uk) and quoting the site code next to the habitat description.

The majority of these wildlife habitats are on private land and access to them is not possible without permission of the landowner, unless there is a statutory right of way. However, many wildlife habitats in the county are open to the public. More information on these can be obtained from the Oxfordshire Nature Conservation Forum.

Wildlife Habitats

Wooded Farmland

Site Code: 22K01

Area: 58.7ha

Grid Ref: SP253205

Bould Wood SSSI

Bould Wood is a large ancient woodland - which means the site has been continuously wooded since at least 1600AD. A wet meadow and pond are also included in the site. The mature trees in the wood are mainly oak with some ash and field maple and the shrubs are mainly hazel coppice*. Different proportions of different types of trees and shrubs can be found across this large woodland, creating a patchwork of types of woodland across the site. Broad-leaved woodland, such as this, is a national priority for nature conservation.

Woodland wildflowers found here include early purple orchid, herb Paris and pignut. Heather is found along the wide woodland tracks. There is a particularly good range of lichens in Bould Wood and a number of rare and uncommon insects including the silver-washed fritillary and white admiral butterflies. The wet meadow lies next to the River Evenlode and wildflowers found here include great burnet and betony. This habitat is also a national nature conservation priority.

*Coppicing is a traditional form of management where small multi-stemmed trees and shrubs are cut down to the ground at regular intervals producing a harvest of small branches.