Longleat Woods
Longleat Woods is a 249.9 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest south of Frome in Somerset, notified in 1972.
This site includes the Ashen Copse Nature Conservation Review site. This site is a large, ancient, semi-natural, broadleaved woodland with a predominantly high forest structure which is unusual in South West Britain. Over the majority of the site, where soils are poorly drained but not waterlogged, the major canopy-forming tree is pedunculate oak, with ash being locally common and distributed throughout. Hazel is the commonest shrub and occurs throughout. Many plant species normally found only in ancient woodlands occur, including broad-leaved helleborine and wood small-reed. One of the largest plantations of coast redwoods in Britain is also located here, mostly within the grounds of Center Parcs Longleat. These grounds are also home to the U.K.'s tallest giant redwood.
The breeding bird community includes woodcock, tree pipit, wood warbler, common redstart, common buzzard, tawny owl, greater spotted woodpecker, lesser spotted woodpecker and European green woodpecker. The breeding invertebrates include white admiral, silver-washed fritillary and small pearl-bordered fritillary butterflies and hornets.
