Districts:
Cherwell Parishes
Noke
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 (owls@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: 51L01
Area: 12.5ha
This site is ancient woodland which means it has been continuously wooded for at least 400 years. Parts of the have been replanted in recent decades though there are still good areas of typical old woodland where there is a canopy of oak trees with hazel coppice* in the shrub layer. Such woodland is a national priority for nature conservation.
On the ground there is a much dog’s mercury which is typical of ancient woodland. Other wildflowers found here include moschatel, primrose and twayblade, which is a green flowered orchid.
*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.
Site Code: 51K08
Area: 20.7 ha
This site lies on the slopes of the hills south of Otmoor. It is ancient woodland which is means the site has been continually wooded since 1600AD. It is bounded on the north and west by a medieval wood bank.
There is a canopy of oak, ash and field maple with many crab apples. The shrub layer has a mixture of species including dogwood, spindle, hazel coppice and Midland hawthorn. Some areas have been planted with conifers but these are slowly being replaced with native trees. Broadleaved woodland, especially ancient woodland, is a national nature conservation priority.
The ground is rich in wildflowers. There is a carpet of bluebells, which gives a springtime appearance of the archetypal bluebell wood. Other wildflowers include wood anemone, yellow archangel, and a few early purple orchids. There is a recently dug pond on one of the woodland tracks which is being colonised by wetland species. Marsh marigold can be seen here. The uncommon brown hairstreak butterfly is present in the wood.