- Vincients Wood
Vincients Wood is a small
nature reserve , an area of semi-natural broadleavedwoodland located on the far west of the town ofChippenham, Wiltshire .infobox UK place
country = England
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latitude= 51.46
longitude=-02.15
official_name =
population =
shire_district=
shire_county=Wiltshire
region= South West England
constituency_westminster=
post_town=
postcode_district =
postcode_area=
dial_code=
os_grid_reference= ST897733On the west side of Vincients Wood is a small grass strip and then a bypass; other than that the wood is completely surrounded by housing. The large
Moss Mead housing estate is on the north side, past a long, narrow strip of grass named theLong Dragon Piece and some willow pollards; to the east are Awdry Close and Brinkworth Close, and to the south are Turpin Way and Brittain Close.The
hazel bushes that grow beneath theoak s were regularly cut in the past, a tradition known ascoppicing . The cut wood was used for building fences and provided fuel. Periodic removal of selected trees creates sunny glades. Combined with the coppicing, this benefitswildlife by letting the sunlight in and creating ideal conditions for many animals, birds, insects and plants.Vincients Wood is divided into two unequal parts by a medieval
woodbank and ditch stretching its entire width. The southern section of the wood is older than the larger northern section - so much so that it is considered to beancient woodland . The wood is well maintained by theWiltshire Wildlife Trust , who have owned it since 1990 and manage the reserve along withvolunteer s. Afootpath through the wood circles most of the reserve for approximately one mile, and there are multiple entrances and exits into the wood. A welcome sign, created by the Trust in conjunction with the Countryside Commission (now theCountryside Agency ), is posted at the north-by-northwest entrance and states that a Nature Trail Leaflet is available.The woodland is a reserve intended to protect many species of wildlife, plants and fungi. Visitors are encouraged to keep to the main paths, not to drop
litter , and leave the flowers for others to enjoy.Common
Biota in Vincients WoodFauna
*
Grey Squirrel
* Hedgehog
*Great Spotted Woodpecker
*Chiffchaff
* Wren
* Bullfinch
*Blackcap
* Nuthatch
*Goldcrest
* Tit
*Speckled Wood Flora
* Ash
*Maple
*Oak
*Crab Apple
*Aspen
*English Elm
*Sallow
*Horse Chestnut
*Larch
*Hazel
*Spindle
* Hawthorn
*Guelder Rose
*Wayfaring tree
*Blackthorn
*Dogwood
*Dog Violet
*Privet
*Wood Anemone
*White Wood Anemone
*Common Bluebell
*Early Purple Orchid
*Buttercup
*Goldilocks Buttercup
*Lesser Celandine
*Red Campion
*Stitchwort
*Woodruff
*Honeysuckle
*Ivy
*Ground Ivy Fungi *
Blewit
*Wood Blewit
*Crumble Cap
*Fairies Bonnets External links
* [http://www.wiltshirewildlife.org/ Wiltshire Wildlife Trust Official Website]
* [http://www.countryside.gov.uk/ The Countryside Agency Official Website]
* [http://www.wiltshire-web.co.uk/ The Wiltshire Web]
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