Brampton Wood
Encyclopedia
Brampton Wood is located off the A14 in Cambridgeshire
, four miles from Huntingdon
. The woodland is an SSSI covering 132 hectares (326 acre) and is one of the largest remaining blocks of ancient woodland
in the county, and is in the care of the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and Peterborough
.
Situated on chalky boulder clay, it is of the wet ash-maple woodland type which is nationally restricted to heavy soils in lowland England
. The rides support a rich neutral grassland flora, representing additional plant communities which are now uncommon in the county. The variety of habitat makes this a valuable site for invertebrates for which it is additionally noted.
forestry. Scots pine
, Corsican pine
and Norway spruce
dominate about one fifth of the woodland. These plantations were introduced in the 1950s by the Forestry Commission
, shortly after they took over the management of the wood on behalf of the Ministry of Defence
. The plantations were planted in rows for ease of exploitation. When the MoD sold the wood in 1992 a public appeal enabled the Wildlife Trust
to buy it, since when the woods and rides have been managed for wildlife conservation.
Coppicing
is used to encourage growth and indefinite succession young stems. This provides ideal conditions for many woodland flowers as well as birds and invertebrates. The many Muntjac deer
in Brampton Wood can graze the young shoots and prevent regeneration unless controls are put in place. The exceeded carrying capacity
of deer means security fencing surrounding the coppiced trees must be installed to ensure that the new growth is not eaten. Coppiced stumps may be covered in brushwood to deter deer from eating new growth. The medieval practice of pollarding
could be introduced.
, bluebell
, primrose
and violets. Also notable to the woodland are the ‘major oaks’ which stand at the entrance to the main ride.
Brampton Wood hosts three examples of Wild Service Tree
. The berries of this tree — known as 'chequers' were once widely used to flavour beer in Great Britain (before hops). A limited edition beer 'Chequered Past' was produced by The Son of Sid Brewery in 2010.
, one of Britain’s rarest butterflies. The butterfly survives due to careful management of the rides. This involves trimming the scrub at times in the year when the population can cope. Brown Argus
, White Admiral
and Purple Hairstreak
can also be spotted at Brampton Wood.
Also currently thriving in Brampton Wood is the Hazel Dormouse
population. The species was reintroduced in 1992 and live in low densities across the wood. They thrive on hazel, bramble and a variety of flowers.
The Muntjac
deer in Brampton Wood have well exceeded the forest’s carrying capacity
of thirteen animals, yet over a hundred live and breed in the area. Fencing has recently been installed on the boundaries of the forest to prevent the animals spoiling farmers' crops on nearby fields.
The deer also cause difficulties through the consumption of recently coppiced trees and the scratching of bark, known as 'fraying'. They do this to mark their territory.
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
, four miles from Huntingdon
Huntingdon
Huntingdon is a market town in Cambridgeshire, England. The town was chartered by King John in 1205. It is the traditional county town of Huntingdonshire, and is currently the seat of the Huntingdonshire district council. It is known as the birthplace in 1599 of Oliver Cromwell.-History:Huntingdon...
. The woodland is an SSSI covering 132 hectares (326 acre) and is one of the largest remaining blocks of ancient woodland
Ancient woodland
Ancient woodland is a term used in the United Kingdom to refer specifically to woodland that has existed continuously since 1600 or before in England and Wales . Before those dates, planting of new woodland was uncommon, so a wood present in 1600 was likely to have developed naturally...
in the county, and is in the care of the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and Peterborough
Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and Peterborough
The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and Peterborough is a wildlife trust covering the counties of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and the City of Peterborough in England....
.
Situated on chalky boulder clay, it is of the wet ash-maple woodland type which is nationally restricted to heavy soils in lowland England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The rides support a rich neutral grassland flora, representing additional plant communities which are now uncommon in the county. The variety of habitat makes this a valuable site for invertebrates for which it is additionally noted.
Management
Brampton Wood has experienced a period of plantationPlantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...
forestry. Scots pine
Scots Pine
Pinus sylvestris, commonly known as the Scots Pine, is a species of pine native to Europe and Asia, ranging from Scotland, Ireland and Portugal in the west, east to eastern Siberia, south to the Caucasus Mountains, and as far north as well inside the Arctic Circle in Scandinavia...
, Corsican pine
European Black Pine
Pinus nigra, the European Black Pine, is a moderately variable species of pine, occurring across southern Mediterranean Europe from Spain to the Crimea, in Asia Minor and on Cyprus, and in the high mountains of the Maghreb in North Africa....
and Norway spruce
Norway Spruce
Norway Spruce is a species of spruce native to Europe. It is also commonly referred to as the European Spruce.- Description :...
dominate about one fifth of the woodland. These plantations were introduced in the 1950s by the Forestry Commission
Forestry Commission
The Forestry Commission is a non-ministerial government department responsible for forestry in Great Britain. Its mission is to protect and expand Britain's forests and woodlands and increase their value to society and the environment....
, shortly after they took over the management of the wood on behalf of the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
. The plantations were planted in rows for ease of exploitation. When the MoD sold the wood in 1992 a public appeal enabled the Wildlife Trust
Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and Peterborough
The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and Peterborough is a wildlife trust covering the counties of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and the City of Peterborough in England....
to buy it, since when the woods and rides have been managed for wildlife conservation.
Coppicing
Coppicing
Coppicing is a traditional method of woodland management which takes advantage of the fact that many trees make new growth from the stump or roots if cut down. In a coppiced wood, young tree stems are repeatedly cut down to near ground level...
is used to encourage growth and indefinite succession young stems. This provides ideal conditions for many woodland flowers as well as birds and invertebrates. The many Muntjac deer
Reeves's Muntjac
The Reeves' Muntjac is a muntjac species found widely in southeastern China and in Taiwan. They have also been introduced in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Ireland by 2008. It feeds on herbs, blossoms, succulent shoots, grasses and nuts, and was also reported to eat trees...
in Brampton Wood can graze the young shoots and prevent regeneration unless controls are put in place. The exceeded carrying capacity
Carrying capacity
The carrying capacity of a biological species in an environment is the maximum population size of the species that the environment can sustain indefinitely, given the food, habitat, water and other necessities available in the environment...
of deer means security fencing surrounding the coppiced trees must be installed to ensure that the new growth is not eaten. Coppiced stumps may be covered in brushwood to deter deer from eating new growth. The medieval practice of pollarding
Pollarding
Pollarding is a pruning system in which the upper branches of a tree are removed, promoting a dense head of foliage and branches. It has been common in Great Britain and Europe since medieval times and is practiced today in urban areas worldwide, primarily to maintain trees at a predetermined...
could be introduced.
Flora
Approximately 280 species of fern, conifer, flowering plant and tree have been recorded in Brampton Wood. These include species such as Dog's MercuryDog's Mercury
Mercurialis perennis, commonly known as dog's mercury, is a woodland plant found in much of Europe, but almost absent from Ireland, Orkney and Shetland. A member of the spurge family , it is a herbaceous, downy perennial with erect stems bearing simple, serrate leaves. The dioecious inflorescences...
, bluebell
Common Bluebell
Hyacinthoides non-scripta, commonly known as the common bluebell, is a spring-flowering bulbous perennial plant. -Taxonomy:...
, primrose
Primula vulgaris
Primula vulgaris is a species of Primula native to western and southern Europe , northwest Africa , and southwest Asia...
and violets. Also notable to the woodland are the ‘major oaks’ which stand at the entrance to the main ride.
Brampton Wood hosts three examples of Wild Service Tree
Wild Service Tree
Sorbus torminalis , sometimes known as the Chequer Tree or Checker Tree, is a species of Sorbus native to Europe from England and Wales east to Denmark and Poland, south to northwest Africa, and southeast to southwest Asia from Asia Minor to the Caucasus and Alborz mountains.It is a medium-sized...
. The berries of this tree — known as 'chequers' were once widely used to flavour beer in Great Britain (before hops). A limited edition beer 'Chequered Past' was produced by The Son of Sid Brewery in 2010.
Fauna
Brampton Wood has thriving colonies of Black HairstreakBlack Hairstreak
The Black Hairstreak is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae.-Appearance, behaviour and distribution:This small brown butterfly is one of Britain's most localised and rarest. At first glance it is very similar to the White-letter Hairstreak but the Black Hairstreak has a row of orange spots along...
, one of Britain’s rarest butterflies. The butterfly survives due to careful management of the rides. This involves trimming the scrub at times in the year when the population can cope. Brown Argus
Brown Argus
The Brown Argus is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae.-Appearance, behaviour and distribution:Although one of the "Blues" both sexes are brown on the uppersides with a band of orange spots at the border of each wing...
, White Admiral
Limenitis camilla
The White Admiral, Limenitis camilla, is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family. They are found in woodland throughout southern Britain and much of Europe and Asia, extending as far east as Japan....
and Purple Hairstreak
Purple Hairstreak
The Purple Hairstreak Neozephyrus quercus is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae distributed throughout much of Europe. North Africa, Asia Minor, Caucasus and Transcaucasia....
can also be spotted at Brampton Wood.
Also currently thriving in Brampton Wood is the Hazel Dormouse
Hazel Dormouse
The Hazel Dormouse or Common Dormouse is a small mammal and the only living species in the genus Muscardinus....
population. The species was reintroduced in 1992 and live in low densities across the wood. They thrive on hazel, bramble and a variety of flowers.
The Muntjac
Muntjac
Muntjac, also known as Barking Deer and Mastreani Deer, are small deer of the genus Muntiacus. Muntjac are the oldest known deer, appearing 15–35 million years ago, with remains found in Miocene deposits in France, Germany and Poland....
deer in Brampton Wood have well exceeded the forest’s carrying capacity
Carrying capacity
The carrying capacity of a biological species in an environment is the maximum population size of the species that the environment can sustain indefinitely, given the food, habitat, water and other necessities available in the environment...
of thirteen animals, yet over a hundred live and breed in the area. Fencing has recently been installed on the boundaries of the forest to prevent the animals spoiling farmers' crops on nearby fields.
The deer also cause difficulties through the consumption of recently coppiced trees and the scratching of bark, known as 'fraying'. They do this to mark their territory.