Brampton Wood

Brampton Wood is located off the A14 in Cambridgeshire, four miles from Huntingdon. The woodland covers 132 hectares and it is one of the largest remaining blocks of ancient woodland in the county.

Situated on chalky boulder clay, it is of the wet ash-maple woodland type which is nationally restricted to heavy soils in lowland England. The rides support a rich neutral grassland flora, representing additional plant communities which are now uncommon in the county. The variety of habitat makes this a valuable site for invertebrates for which it is additionally noted.

Management

Brampton Wood is a good example of plantation forestry. Scots pine, Corsican pine and Norway spruce dominate about one fifth of the woodland. These plantations were seeded in the 1950s by the Forestry Commission, shortly after they purchased the wood. The plantations are planted in rows for ease of exploitation.

Coppicing is used to encourage growth and indefinite succession of new crops but also provide a food source for the many Muntjac deer in Brampton Wood.

The exceeded carrying capacity of deer means security fencing surrounding the coppiced trees must be installed to ensure that the new growth is not eaten. The medieval practice of pollarding could be introduced.

Wildlife

Flora

Approximately 280 species of fern, conifer, flowering plant and tree have been recorded in Brampton Wood. These include species such as Dog's Mercury, bluebell, primrose and violets. Also notable to the woodland are the ‘major oaks’ which stand at the entrance to the main ride.

Fauna

Brampton Wood is especially attractive due to the thriving colonies of Black Hairstreak, one of Britain’s rarest butterflies. The butterfly survives due to careful management of the rides. This involves trimming of the pats at intervals in the year when the population can cope. Brown Argus, White Admiral and Purple Hairstreak can also be spotted at Brampton Wood.

Also currently thriving in Brampton Wood is the Edible Dormouse population. The species was reintroduced in 1992 and live in low densities across the wood. They thrive on hazel, bramble and a variety of flowers. The Muntjac deer in Brampton Wood have well exceeded the forest’s carrying capacity of 13 animals, yet over 100 live and breed in the area. Fencing has recently been installed on the boundaries of the forest to prevent the animals spoiling farmers' crops on nearby fields. The deer also cause difficulties through the consumption of recently coppiced trees and the scratching of bark, known as 'fraying'. They do this to mark their territory.

Recreation

Brampton Wood is used by dog walkers and nature reserve visitors.

External links

* [http://www.wildlifebcnp.org/reserves/reserve.php?reserveid=39 The Wildlife Trust entry for Brampton Wood]