Blake's Wood & Lingwood Common facts for kids

Blake's Wood & Lingwood Common

Site of Special Scientific Interest
Area of Search	Essex
Grid reference
Interest	Biological
Area	93.2 hectares
Notification	1986
Location map	Magic Map

Blake's Wood & Lingwood Common is a special natural area in Danbury in Essex, England. It covers about 93 hectares, which is like 230 football fields! This place is so important for nature that it's called a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The National Trust, a charity that protects special places, owns and looks after it.

What Makes This Place Special?

This area is unique because of its soil. It has a mix of sand and gravel from ancient glaciers, sitting on top of London clay. This creates different types of natural homes, called habitats, for plants and animals. You can find woodlands, open heathland, and even boggy areas here.

Ancient Woodlands and Their Trees

Blake's Wood is a very old forest, known as an ancient woodland. It sits on a slope with small valleys and streams running through it. The most common trees you'll see are mighty oak trees. But there are also other cool trees like hornbeam and sweet chestnut.

Amazing Plants and Flowers

Underneath the tall trees, the forest floor is covered with beautiful flowers. In spring, you'll find a carpet of bluebells and bright primroses. These flowers make the woodland look magical!

Wildlife You Might See

This area is a great spot for birds. You might be lucky enough to see a hawfinch or hear the beautiful song of a nightingale. These birds love the mix of trees and open spaces.

There are also some very rare insects here. Two types of moths, called Deltote bankiana and Elaphria venustula, live in the acid grassland. This grassland is mostly covered by a plant called red fescue.

The Heathland

Lingwood Common is a heathland, which is an open area with low-growing plants. However, trees and a plant called bracken are slowly starting to grow into the heathland. This changes the habitat for the animals that live there.

How to Visit

You can get into Blake's Wood & Lingwood Common from a road called Riffhams Chase. This road actually separates the two main parts of the site. Blake's Wood is to the north of the road, and Lingwood Common is to the south. It's a great place to explore and enjoy nature!