Foxley Wood
Foxley Wood is a nature reserve in Foxley, Norfolk, England, the largest ancient woodland and coppice in Norfolk. The Norfolk Wildlife Trust, which manages this reserve, bought it in 1998.[1] It is 123 hectares (300 acres) in size.[2][3] It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest,[4][5] a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade 2,[6] and a National Nature Reserve.[7]
Location and history
Foxley Wood is 25 kilometres (16 mi) north-west of Norwich, 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) away from the Fakenham road (the A1067), near Honeypot Wood.[3][8][9]
The nature reserve is currently the largest ancient woodland and coppice in Norfolk. The woodland is recorded in Domesday Book and parts of it are known to be over 6,000 years old.[1] For the past 1,000 years, it was a source of wood (including hazel), but demand decreased in the 20th century.[1][8] Because of the drop in demand, Foxley Wood became neglected. In the 1990s it was privately owned and managed by the Forestry Commission,[10] and was acquired by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust in 1998.[9]
It is open to the public every day except Thursday.[3]
Flora and fauna
The woodland is rich in flora with over 250 species recorded. These include herb paris, early purple orchid, lily of the valley, common bluebell, dog's mercury, purple hairstreak, meadowsweet, water avens, fleabane (common name for flowering plants in family Asteraceae) and meadow brown.[3] Bluebells are among the main attractions for visitors in spring.[9]
Trees growing in the reserve include oak (found in the centre of the wood on sandy ground[6] Conifers were planted throughout as timber,[8] disturbing the original distribution of stand types;[10] they are being removed.[8] Areas have been indiscriminately sprayed with herbicides in the past.[10]
Fauna include insects such as dark bush-crickets, white admiral and ringlet butterflies, and bird species such as sparrowhawks, tawny owls, great spotted woodpeckers and European green woodpeckers. Songbirds and sparrowhawks are popular sights.[11]
Besides conifer planting, spraying with herbicides, and the cutting of all saleable trees (before the Forestry Commission began managing the wood), the wood is damaged by roads and ditches resulting from timber exploitation: "Foxley Wood has been badly damaged by modern forestry."[10]
References
- ^ a b c "Foxley Wood". UK Attraction - East of England. 18 July 2002. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
- ^ "Reserves Map". Norfolk Wildlife Trust. Archived from the original on 14 June 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
- ^ a b c d "Foxley Wood". Norfolk Wildlife Trust. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
- ^ "Designated Sites View: Foxley Wood". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
- ^ "Map of Foxley Wood". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
- ^ a b Ratcliffe, Derek, ed. (1977). A Nature Conservation Review. Vol. 2. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. p. 59. ISBN 0521-21403-3.
- ^ "Designated Sites View: Foxley Wood". National Nature Reserves. Natural England. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
- ^ a b c d Holly Hughes; Julie Duchaine (2011). Frommer's 500 Places to See Before They Disappear. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 170–. ISBN 978-1-118-04600-5. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
- ^ a b c Laurence Mitchell (2010). Slow Norfolk & Suffolk. Bradt Travel Guides. p. 91. ISBN 9781841623214.
- ^ a b c d Peterken, George Frederick (30 September 1993). Woodland Conservation and Management. Springer. pp. 238–39. ISBN 9780412557309. Retrieved 13 June 2012.
- ^ Barkham, Patrick (2 May 2012). "Bird Song Dawn Chorus". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
52°45′40″N 1°02′39″E / 52.760999°N 1.044183°E / 52.760999; 1.044183
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- Alderfen Broad
- Alderford Common
- Ant Broads and Marshes
- Aslacton Parish Land
- Badley Moor
- Barnham Cross Common
- Beeston Cliffs
- Beetley and Hoe Meadows
- Blo' Norton and Thelnetham Fens
- Booton Common
- Boughton Fen
- Breckland Farmland
- Breckland Forest
- Breydon Water
- Bridgham and Brettenham Heaths
- The Brinks, Northwold
- Broad Fen, Dilham
- Bryant's Heath, Felmingham
- Bure Broads and Marshes
- Burgh Common and Muckfleet Marshes
- Buxton Heath
- Calthorpe Broad
- Cantley Marshes
- Castle Acre Common
- Cawston and Marsham Heaths
- Cockthorpe Common, Stiffkey
- Coston Fen, Runhall
- Cranberry Rough, Hockham
- Cranwich Camp
- Crostwick Marsh
- Damgate Marshes, Acle
- Decoy Carr, Acle
- Dereham Rush Meadow
- Dersingham Bog
- Didlington Park Lakes
- Dillington Carr
- Ducan's Marsh
- East Harling Common
- East Ruston Common
- East Walton and Adcock's Common
- East Winch Common
- East Wretham Heath
- Eaton Chalk Pit
- Edgefield Little Wood
- Elm Road Field, Thetford
- Felbrigg Woods
- Field Barn Heaths, Hilborough
- Flordon Common
- Forncett Meadows
- Foulden Common
- Foxley Wood
- Fritton Common, Morningthorpe
- Gawdyhall Big Wood, Harleston
- Geldeston Meadows
- Great Cressingham Fen
- Great Yarmouth North Denes
- Grime's Graves
- Gunton Park Lake
- Hall Farm Fen, Hemsby
- Halvergate Marshes
- Hardley Flood
- Hedenham Wood
- Hilgay Heronry
- Hockering Wood
- Holly Farm Meadow, Wendling
- Holt Lowes
- Honeypot Wood
- Hooks Well Meadows, Great Cressingham
- Horningtoft Wood
- Horse Wood, Mileham
- Hunstanton Cliffs
- Islington Heronry
- Kelling Heath
- Kenninghall and Banham Fens with Quidenham Mere
- Leziate, Sugar and Derby Fens
- Limpenhoe Meadows
- Lower Wood, Ashwellthorpe
- Ludham - Potter Heigham Marshes
- Mattishall Moor
- Middle Harling Fen
- Narborough Railway Embankment
- New Buckenham Common
- North Norfolk Coast
- Old Bodney Camp
- Old Buckenham Fen
- Ouse Washes
- Overstrand Cliffs
- Paston Great Barn
- Poplar Farm Meadows, Langley
- Potter and Scarning Fens, East Dereham
- Potter's Carr, Cranworth
- Priory Meadows, Hickling
- Pulham Market Big Wood
- Redgrave and Lopham Fens
- Ringstead Downs
- River Nar
- River Wensum
- Rosie Curston's Meadow, Mattishall
- Roydon Common
- Scoulton Mere
- Sea Mere, Hingham
- Sexton Wood
- Shallam Dyke Marshes, Thurne
- Shelfanger Meadows
- Sheringham and Beeston Regis Commons
- Shotesham Common
- Shotesham-Woodton Hornbeam Woods
- Sidestrand and Trimingham Cliffs
- Smallburgh Fen
- Snettisham Carstone Quarry
- Southrepps Common
- Stanford Training Area
- Stanley and Alder Carrs, Aldeby
- Stiffkey Valley
- Swangey Fen, Attleborough
- Swannington Upgate Common
- Swanton Novers Woods
- Sweetbriar Road Meadows, Norwich
- Syderstone Common
- Thetford Golf Course and Marsh
- Thompson Water, Carr and Common
- Tindall Wood, Ditchingham
- Trinity Broads
- Upper Thurne Broads and Marshes
- Upton Broad and Marshes
- Warham Camp
- The Wash
- Wayland Wood, Watton
- Weeting Heath
- Wells Chalk Pit
- Westwick Lakes
- Weybourne Cliffs
- Whitwell Common
- Winterton-Horsey Dunes
- Wiveton Downs
- Wretham Park Meres
- Yare Broads and Marshes
- Bawsey
- Beeston Cliffs
- Bilsey Hill
- Blackborough End Pit
- Bramerton Pits
- Breckland Forest
- Briton's Lane Gravel Pit
- Broome Heath Pit
- Caistor St Edmund Chalk Pit
- Catton Grove Chalk Pit
- Cranberry Rough, Hockham
- Dersingham Bog
- East Runton Cliffs
- East Walton and Adcock's Common
- Glandford (Hurdle Lane)
- Glandford (Letheringsett Road)
- Gooderstone Warren
- Grime's Graves
- Grimston Warren Pit
- Happisburgh Cliffs
- Heacham Brick Pit
- Holkham Brick Pit
- Hunstanton Cliffs
- Hunstanton Park Esker
- Leet Hill, Kirby Cane
- Morston Cliff
- Mundesley Cliffs
- North Norfolk Coast
- Overstrand Cliffs
- Setchey
- Sidestrand and Trimingham Cliffs
- St James' Pit
- Stanford Training Area
- Wells Chalk Pit
- West Runton Cliffs
- Weybourne Cliffs
- Weybourne Town Pit
- Wiggenhall St Germans
- Winterton-Horsey Dunes
- Wiveton Downs
- Wretton