Woolmer Forest facts for kids
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
 |
|
| Area of Search | Hampshire West Sussex |
|---|---|
| Interest | Biological |
| Area | 1,298.5 hectares (3,209 acres) |
| Notification | 1994 |
| Location map | Magic Map |
Woolmer Forest is a special natural area covering about 1,300 hectares (3,200 acres). It is located south of Bordon in Hampshire and West Sussex, England. This amazing place is known as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) because of its unique plants and animals.
It is also a Special Area of Conservation and part of a Special Protection Area for birds. Woolmer Forest used to be a "royal hunting forest." This means kings and queens used it for hunting deer long ago. Common people could also graze their animals there.
Today, Woolmer Forest is mostly a type of habitat called lowland heath. It has both dry and wet areas. It is one of the most important heathlands in southern England. It's the only place in England where you can find all twelve native species of reptiles and amphibians! It's also home to many important plants, birds, and insects. The small village of Woolmer is located within the forest.
Contents
What Makes Woolmer Forest Special?
Woolmer Forest sits on the edge of two different river areas: the River Wey and the River Rother. The sandy soil here means that streams have carved wide valleys into the gently rolling land.
Plants and Habitats
- Dry Heath: On the higher, drier spots, you'll find plants like heather (Calluna vulgaris) and bell heather (Erica cinerea). Some very rare plants that like dry, sandy places also grow here.
- Wet Heath: Where the soil holds more water, you'll see cross-leaved heath (Erica tetralix) and purple moor-grass (Molinia caerulea).
- Bogs and Mires: In the wettest valley bottoms, you'll find sphagnum moss and even carnivorous sundew plants! These wet areas are called "mires" and have bumpy hummocks and pools. Woolmer Forest has the largest populations in England of the trailing bog cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccos).
The woodlands around the heath have been shaped by people for hundreds of years. You'll see beech (Fagus sylvatica) and oak (Quercus robur) trees. Many old trees have been "pollarded," which means their upper branches were cut off regularly. This helps new growth appear and creates a diverse understory (the plants growing under the main trees). Here you can find holly (Ilex aquifolium), whitebeam (Sorbus aria), and rowan (S. aucuparia), along with birch trees.
Amazing Animals
Because very few chemicals have been used in the forest, it has a huge variety of insects and other invertebrates (animals without backbones).
Woolmer Forest is famous for its wildlife. It's the only place in Britain that has all six native reptiles, including the sand lizard (Lacerta agilis) and smooth snake (Coronella austriaca). It also has all six native amphibians, like the great crested newt (Triturus cristatus).
Many important birds live here too, such as the European nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus), wood lark (Lullula arborea), Dartford warbler (Sylvia undata), Eurasian hobby (Falco subbuteo), hen harrier (Circus cyaneus), and merlin (Falco columbarius).
A Look Back in Time: Woolmer Forest's History
Long, long ago, during the Bronze Age, the natural woodlands in this area were cut down. On the light, sandy soil, heathland grew in their place.
Roman Times
When the Romans were in Britain, they built a road through Woolmer Forest. This road connected Chichester and Silchester. Traces of Roman villas (large country houses) have been found nearby. People also made pottery here, likely cutting down more trees to fuel their kilns.
A very interesting discovery, called the Blackmoor hoard, was found here. It was a collection of almost 30,000 coins from around 296 CE. This was when Emperor Constantius Chlorus defeated the army of a ruler named Allectus. The coins might have been Allectus's army's pay that was hidden and then left behind after their defeat.
After the Romans
After the Romans left, the area was called Wulfamere, which means "wolves' pool." This name suggests that trees grew back, or it might have been an older name translated.
In the 1700s, a famous naturalist named Gilbert White wrote about "Wolmer" (Woolmer) in his book The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne. He said the soil was sand covered with heath and fern, with "not one standing tree." He also noted that the bogs (wet, muddy areas) used to have "subterranean trees" (trees buried underground), which local people used for building houses.
In White's time, the Black Grouse (a type of bird) had disappeared from the area. The red deer, which were once hunted by poachers, had been moved to Windsor.
Woolmer Forest was once managed together with Alice Holt Forest, which was nearby. Alice Holt Forest had rich, loamy soil and grew many oak trees, which was very different from the sandy Woolmer Forest.
Protecting Woolmer Forest
Woolmer Forest is protected by several important rules and designations to keep its special habitats and wildlife safe.
Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)
The Woolmer Forest Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) was first recognized in 1971. Other parts, like Conford Moor and Blackmoor, were added later. The SSSI covers about 1,294 hectares (3,197 acres). This designation means that Woolmer Forest is considered the largest and most important area of lowland heathland in Hampshire and the Weald of southern England.
Special Area of Conservation (SAC)
The Woolmer Forest Special Area of Conservation (SAC) was set up in 2005 and covers about 667 hectares (1,648 acres). Its main habitats are heathland, conifer woodlands, and dry grasslands.
Important features of the SAC include its open water areas, especially Cranmer Pond and Woolmer Pond. Cranmer Pond is a shallow 8-hectare (20-acre) pool that might have been created by people cutting peat (a type of soil made from decayed plants). The SAC also protects large areas of European dry heaths, which are considered some of the best in the UK.
Special Protection Area (SPA)
Woolmer Forest is also part of the Wealden Heaths Phase 2 Special Protection Area. This area, covering about 2,054 hectares (5,076 acres), was created in 1993. It protects the rare heathland birds mentioned earlier, like the Dartford warbler and European nightjar, which need these habitats to survive.
