Cheddar Wood
Encyclopedia
Cheddar Wood is a 86.9 hectares (215 acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest at Cheddar
in the Mendip Hills
, Somerset
, England
, notified in 1967.
Cheddar Wood and the smaller Macall's Wood near Cheddar Gorge, are what remains of the wood of the Bishops of Bath and Wells in the thirteenth century and of King Edmund
the Magnificent's wood in the tenth. It lies on carboniferous limestone with rock showing through the thin topsoils. In 1801 the wood was larger than it is today. During the nineteenth century its lower fringes were grubbed out to make strawberry
fields, most of which have reverted to woodland. It was coppiced until 1917.
This site compromises a range of habitats which includes ancient and secondary semi-natural broadleaved woodland, unimproved neutral grassland and a mosaic of calcareous grassland
and acidic dry dwarf-shrub heath. Two nationally rare plant species are present. Additional interest lies in the invertebrate fauna. Cheddar Wood is one of only a few English stations for Starved Wood-sedge (Carex depauperata), which grows in the lane along the east side of the wood. The nationally rare Purple Gromwell
(Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum) grows in the lane along the west side of the wood.
Butterflies include Silver-washed Fritillary
(Argynnis paphia), Dark Green Fritillary
(Argynnis aglaja), Pearl-bordered Fritillary
(Boloria euphrosyne), Holby Blue (Celastrina argiolus) and Brown Argus
(Aricia agestis). The slug
Arion fasciatus
, which has a restricted distribution in the south of England, and the soldier beetle
Cantharis fusca
also occur.
The site is managed as two nature reserves by Somerset Wildlife Trust
Cheddar Wood Edge which covers 7.1 hectares (18 acre) of old strawberry fields, is now reverting to semi species-rich limestone grassland and scrub with ancient woodland hedges, and Cheddar Wood itself which has restricted access allowed by permit.
Cheddar
Cheddar is a large village and civil parish in the Sedgemoor district of the English county of Somerset. It is situated on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills, north-west of Wells. The civil parish includes the hamlets of Nyland and Bradley Cross...
in the Mendip Hills
Mendip Hills
The Mendip Hills is a range of limestone hills to the south of Bristol and Bath in Somerset, England. Running east to west between Weston-super-Mare and Frome, the hills overlook the Somerset Levels to the south and the Avon Valley to the north...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, 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...
, notified in 1967.
Cheddar Wood and the smaller Macall's Wood near Cheddar Gorge, are what remains of the wood of the Bishops of Bath and Wells in the thirteenth century and of King Edmund
Edmund I of England
Edmund I , called the Elder, the Deed-doer, the Just, or the Magnificent, was King of England from 939 until his death. He was a son of Edward the Elder and half-brother of Athelstan. Athelstan died on 27 October 939, and Edmund succeeded him as king.-Military threats:Shortly after his...
the Magnificent's wood in the tenth. It lies on carboniferous limestone with rock showing through the thin topsoils. In 1801 the wood was larger than it is today. During the nineteenth century its lower fringes were grubbed out to make strawberry
Strawberry
Fragaria is a genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, commonly known as strawberries for their edible fruits. Although it is commonly thought that strawberries get their name from straw being used as a mulch in cultivating the plants, the etymology of the word is uncertain. There...
fields, most of which have reverted to woodland. It was coppiced until 1917.
This site compromises a range of habitats which includes ancient and secondary semi-natural broadleaved woodland, unimproved neutral grassland and a mosaic of calcareous grassland
Calcareous grassland
Calcareous grassland is an ecosystem associated with thin basic soil, such as that on chalk and limestone downland. Plants on calcareous grassland are typically short and hardy, and include grasses and herbs such as clover...
and acidic dry dwarf-shrub heath. Two nationally rare plant species are present. Additional interest lies in the invertebrate fauna. Cheddar Wood is one of only a few English stations for Starved Wood-sedge (Carex depauperata), which grows in the lane along the east side of the wood. The nationally rare Purple Gromwell
Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum
Lithospermum purpurocaerula or Purple Gromwell is a herbaceous perennial rhizomatous plant of the genus Lithospermum, belonging to the family Boraginaceae.-Etymology:...
(Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum) grows in the lane along the west side of the wood.
Butterflies include Silver-washed Fritillary
Silver-washed Fritillary
Argynnis paphia is a common and variable butterfly found over much of the Palaearctic ecozone – Algeria, Europe, temperate Asia and Japan.-Subspecies:*A. p. butleri Krulikovsky, 1909 Northern Europe, Central Europe...
(Argynnis paphia), Dark Green Fritillary
Dark Green Fritillary
The Dark Green Fritillary is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family.The insect has a wide range in the Palearctic ecozone - Europe, Morocco, Iran , Siberia, Central Asia, China, Korea and Japan.-Subspecies:...
(Argynnis aglaja), Pearl-bordered Fritillary
Pearl-bordered Fritillary
The Pearl-bordered Fritillary is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family.It is orange with black spots on the upperside of its wing and has a wingspan of 38–46 mm. On the underside of the wings there is a row of silver pearly markings along the edge, which give the species its name...
(Boloria euphrosyne), Holby Blue (Celastrina argiolus) and 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...
(Aricia agestis). The slug
Slug
Slug is a common name that is normally applied to any gastropod mollusc that lacks a shell, has a very reduced shell, or has a small internal shell...
Arion fasciatus
Arion fasciatus
Arion fasciatus, common name the Orange-banded Arion, is a species of air-breathing, completely shell-less, land slug, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk in the family Arionidae, the round-back slugs, first described by Sven Nilsson in 1823....
, which has a restricted distribution in the south of England, and the soldier beetle
Soldier beetle
The soldier beetles, Cantharidae, are relatively soft-bodied, straight-sided beetles, related to the Lampyridae or firefly family, but being unable to produce light. They are cosmopolitan in distribution. One common British species is bright red, reminding people of the red coats of soldiers, hence...
Cantharis fusca
Cantharis fusca
Cantharis fusca is a species of soldier beetle.C. fusca reaches a length of . Except for parts of the head and thorax, which are red or orange, this species is completely black. The body is flat and long, with a weak exoskeleton...
also occur.
The site is managed as two nature reserves by Somerset Wildlife Trust
Somerset Wildlife Trust
Somerset Wildlife Trust is a wildlife trust covering the county of Somerset, England.The trust, which was established in 1964, aims to safeguard the county's wildlife and wild places for this and future generations and manages almost 80 nature reserves. Examples include Fyne Court, Westhay Moor,...
Cheddar Wood Edge which covers 7.1 hectares (18 acre) of old strawberry fields, is now reverting to semi species-rich limestone grassland and scrub with ancient woodland hedges, and Cheddar Wood itself which has restricted access allowed by permit.