Billsmoor Park and Grasslees Wood facts for kids
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
| Area of Search | Northumberland |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 55°15′42″N 2°05′03″W / 55.2618°N 2.0843°W |
| Interest | Biological |
| Area | 112 hectares (280 acres) |
| Notification | 1954 |
| Location map | DEFRA MAGIC map |
Billsmoor Park and Grasslees Wood is a special natural area in Northumberland, North East England. It was officially recognized as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in 1954. This means it's a very important place for nature.
Billsmoor Park is a large woodland mainly filled with alder trees. This type of forest is becoming quite rare in the area. Grasslees Wood is much smaller and is mostly made up of oak trees. Both areas are protected to help keep their unique plants and habitats safe.
Where are Billsmoor Park and Grasslees Wood?
Billsmoor Park and Grasslees Wood are located in the northern part of Northumberland, in the north-east of England. They are about 2 miles (3.2 km) north of a village called Elsdon. They are also about 7.5 miles (12 km) west-south-west of Rothbury.
Billsmoor Park used to be a special area where deer were kept. It sits on the sides of a valley with a stream called Park Burn. This stream flows north through the park. The park covers about 108.3 hectares (267.6 acres). It goes from about 240 meters (787 feet) above sea level down to the stream, which is around 140-150 meters (459-492 feet) high. A road, the B6341, runs along the east side of the park.
Grasslees Wood is a smaller area located just north of Billsmoor Park, across the road. It's a strip of woodland about 0.3 miles (0.5 km) long and up to 0.1 miles (0.16 km) wide. It covers about 4.3 hectares (10.6 acres) and is about 150 meters (492 feet) above sea level.
Both Billsmoor Park and Grasslees Wood are important because they are rare examples of alder and oak woodlands. Many similar woodlands have been cut down or over-grazed by animals. This stops new trees from growing, making these types of forests uncommon.
What Plants Grow Here?
The wooded parts of Billsmoor Park are home to many alder trees (Alnus glutinosa). You can also find some hazel (Corylus avellana) in the wetter, lower areas. The ground underneath these trees has plants like soft rush (Juncus effusus) and tufted hair grass (Deschampsia cespitosa). You might also see different types of sedge plants, such as wood-sedge (Carex sylvatica).
On the steeper parts of the valley, you can find Birch trees. Above the woodlands, there are open areas with bracken and some birch trees. The grasslands here have plants like mat grass (Nardus stricta) and sheep's fescue (Festuca ovina).
In very wet parts of the site, there are special boggy areas. Here, you can find plants like bog myrtle (Myrica gale) and purple moor-grass (Molinia caerulea). Around the springs, you might spot yellow pimpernel (Lysimachia nemorum) and water mint (Mentha aquatica).
Grasslees Wood is mostly covered by sessile oak trees (Quercus petraea), along with some birch (Betula pubescens). The plants on the ground here like dry, acidic soil. These include wood sorrel (Oxalis acetosella), tormentil (Potentilla erecta), and bracken (Pteridium aquilinum). You might also see oak fern (Gymnocarpium dryopteris).
In 2013, experts checked on the health of these woodlands. Grasslees Wood was found to be 'favourable-recovering'. This means it was getting better, though there were some concerns about deer eating too many young plants. Billsmoor Park was in an 'unfavourable-recovering' condition. However, fences put up to stop deer from grazing seemed to be working well, helping the park to recover.
