Combe Wood and Linkenholt Hanging facts for kids
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
 |
|
| Area of Search | Berkshire |
|---|---|
| Interest | Biological |
| Area | 106.5 hectares (263 acres) |
| Notification | 1987 |
| Location map | Magic Map |
Combe Wood and Linkenholt Hanging is a very special natural area in Berkshire, England. It covers about 106.5 hectares, which is like 263 football fields! This amazing place is protected because it's a "Site of Special Scientific Interest" (SSSI). This means it has really important plants, animals, or unique land features.
It's also part of the North Wessex Downs, a beautiful landscape known as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Most of this site is natural woodland. These woods grow on different kinds of soil, including shallow, rich soils, and also chalky or acidic soils. You can also find open grassy areas on chalk and some bushy spots here.
Contents
What Makes Combe Wood and Linkenholt Hanging Special?
This area is home to many different animals and plants. The woods are a great place for Fallow Deer and many kinds of birds. The grassy areas are full of interesting chalk-loving plants and a wide variety of insects. It's a fantastic example of a healthy natural environment.
Amazing Animals You Can Find
Combe Wood and Linkenholt Hanging is buzzing with wildlife! Here are some of the cool creatures that live there:
Mammals Living Here
You might spot several types of deer roaming through the woods:
Other mammals you could see include:
Birds Flying Around
Keep an eye out for different birds. One special bird found here is the:
Cool Insects and Bugs
The site is home to many interesting insects, including butterflies and other creepy crawlies:
- Pyrochroa coccinea (a type of beetle)
- Malthodes fibulatus (a soldier beetle)
- Malthodes maurus (another soldier beetle)
- Malthodes mysticus (yet another soldier beetle)
- Volucella pellucens (a hoverfly)
- Neoitamus cyanura (a robber fly)
- Speckled wood (a butterfly)
- Limenitis camilla (the White Admiral butterfly)
- Purple hairstreak (a butterfly)
- Platycheirus scutatus (a hoverfly)
- Pyrausta nigrata (a moth)
- Tetrix undulata (a groundhopper)
- Melanargia galathea (the Marbled White butterfly)
- Dark green fritillary (a butterfly)
- Hummingbird hawk-moth (a moth that looks like a hummingbird!)
Wonderful Plants and Trees
The plant life here is just as diverse and interesting as the animals.
Trees You Might See
The woodlands are filled with many types of trees:
Other Plants Growing Here
Beyond the trees, many other plants thrive in this special environment:
- Bracken
- Rosebay willowherb
- Bluebell
- Dog's mercury
- Wood spurge
- Solomon's seal
- Wood anemone
- Early purple orchid
- Wood forget-me-not
- Toothwort
- Herb Paris
- Sweet woodruff
- Autumn gentian
- Meadow saxifrage
- Clustered bellflower
- Common spotted orchid
- Hawthorn
- Dogwood
- Wild privet
- Wood avens
- Common rock-rose
Tiny Plants: Lichens and Mosses
Even smaller plants like lichens and mosses are important here. They show how clean the air is and how healthy the habitat is. Some examples include:
- Bacidia biatorina (a lichen)
- Bacidia atropurpurea (a lichen)
- Opegrapha ochrocheila (a lichen)
- Pertusaria hemisphaerica (a lichen)
- Thelotrema lepadinum (a lichen)
- Strangospora ochrophora (a lichen)
- Peltigera horizontalis (a lichen)
- Orthotrichum lyellii (a moss)
- Zygodon baumgartneri (a moss)
- Leucodon sciuroides (a moss)
- Neckera pumila (a moss)
- Heterocladium heteropterum (a moss)
Visiting Combe Wood and Linkenholt Hanging
If you want to explore this amazing natural area, you're in luck! There are public footpaths that cross through the site. This means you can walk through and enjoy the beautiful woodlands and grasslands. Remember to stay on the paths and respect the wildlife and plants.
