Astridge Wood facts for kids
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
Astridge Wood
|
|
| Area of Search | Gloucestershire |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 51°46′35″N 2°39′26″W / 51.776478°N 2.65726°W |
| Interest | Biological |
| Area | 19.42 hectare |
| Notification | 1985 |
Astridge Wood is a special natural area in Gloucestershire, England. It covers about 19.42 hectares, which is like 48 football fields! This place was officially recognized in 1985 as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This means it's a very important spot for nature and wildlife. It's also listed as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS) in the 'Forest of Dean Local Plan Review', showing how valuable it is for local animals and plants.
Astridge Wood is located in the beautiful Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). An AONB is a special place in the countryside that has amazing natural beauty and is protected. It's also found near Highbury Wood National Nature Reserve (NNR), which is another protected area for wildlife. The woodlands in the Wye Valley, including Astridge Wood, are part of something even bigger called a Special Area of Conservation (SAC). This is a European-level protection for habitats and species that are rare or endangered.
What Makes Astridge Wood Special?
Astridge Wood is one of the most important places for protecting woodlands in the United Kingdom. The trees here are "semi-natural," meaning they grew mostly on their own without much human help. This area has been a woodland for a very long time, connecting to other important woods along the Lower Wye Gorge SSSI. Because of this long history, many different types of trees and plants grow here, including some that are rare or only found in a few places. These woodlands are part of a mix of different natural areas, like untouched grasslands, which makes the whole area a rich home for wildlife.
Trees and Plants
The ground in Astridge Wood is mostly made of Carboniferous Limestone, with some Old Red Sandstone on the lower parts. This type of soil helps many unique plants to grow. The wood is known for its "calcareous mixed coppice," which means it has a mix of trees that like lime-rich soil and are managed by a method called coppicing. Coppicing is when trees are cut back to ground level regularly to encourage new shoots to grow, which helps keep the woodland healthy and provides wood.
Some of the trees you can find here include:
- Ash
- Small-leaved Lime
- Alder
- Sessile Oak
- Field Maple
On the ground, you might see plants like:
- Dog's Mercury
- Bramble
- Hart's-tongue Fern
There are also some rarer plants, such as:
- Broad-leaved Helleborine
- Spurge Laurel
- Wild Daffodil
Besides these, many different kinds of mosses and liverworts (small, simple plants) have been found here, adding to the rich plant life of Astridge Wood.
SSSI Source
