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This guide is intended as an introduction to the wildlife of
Grafton Wood. It shows walks from Grafton Church, Kington and Dormston Village
Hall car parks and the Flyford Arms across farmland on public footpaths to the
wood. Please keep to the footpath and keep dogs on leads. The wood itself is
open to the public who may use any of the paths and rides.
The guided walk within the wood is waymarked with ORANGE ARROWS. The whole walk
takes 1.5 to 2 hours but may be cut short at any point. Grafton Wood is on Lias
Clay which can be wet at any time of the year so heavy boots or shoes are
recommended.
Location of Grafton Wood
Waymarked Walks
Grafton Wood
Grafton Wood is the largest of the remnants of Feckenham Forest. It is a nature
reserve jointly owned by Worcestershire Wildlife Trust and Butterfly
Conservation with SSSI status. It comprises approximately 150 acres of hazel and
ash coppice with oak standards. The wood was previously owned by the Croome
Estate who, apart from planting two small plots of conifers and leasing the
shooting rights, undertook very little management work. Coppice management has
now been reintroduced in the centre of the wood and the rides have been opened
up to allow more light to reach woodland floor. This will encourage a better
flora and therefore more invertebrates. The management work is done partly by
professionals financed from grants and also a good deal of volunteer work from
members of the two organisations. Since its purchase in 1997, the wildlife has
improved considerably. Surveys of the birdlife, butterfly populations, flora and
small mammals are carried out by volunteers year to monitor the effects of
management.
Butterflies
Woodland is a very important habitat for Britain's butterflies with the best
woods in southern England supporting upwards of 30 species. Historically, some
of the richest woods for butterflies and moths were those where regular woodland
management meant that trees were cut on rotation, creating areas open to the sun
where wild flowers and shrubs, many of which were used for nectaring and
egg-laying, could flourish. This form of woodland management known as coppicing
has mainly died out and most of our woods have become dark and shady places,
largely unsuitable for insects and also plants which require open sunny areas in
which to thrive. In parts of Grafton Wood, the old system of rotational
coppicing is being reintroduced and some rides and tracks are being gradually
widened to benefit insects requiring open and sunny conditions. Butterflies are
the most obvious beneficiaries of this work.
Invertebrates
There are more than 1800 different invertebrate species in Britain and Ireland
which are dependent on decaying wood in order to complete their life cycles.
This represents about 6% of the entire British invertebrate fauna - decaying
wood is a major resource! This means more than 1800 different lifestyles , since
each species has very particular requirements. These statistics really bring
home just how diverse a habitat decaying wood can be. Very few invertebrates
possess the necessary gut enzymes to break down the principal components of wood
- cellulose and lignin. Most rely on fungi and/or micro-organisms to convert
these compounds into more digestible materials. Conservation of decaying wood
communities requires the protection of a diverse age structure of woody plants
in order to ensure continuity of habitats.
Woodland Management
A lot of the work done in Grafton Wood is undertaken by volunteers. This work
includes coppicing, ride widening and maintenance. The volunteers meet on the
second Sunday of each month from October through to March. All helpers are
welcome.
Grafton Wood Events
Grafton Wood has an Open Day most years. This takes place in late April or early
May and coincides with the blooming of the Bluebells. There are guided walks and
displays of various country crafts. The event is based in the Three Parishes
Hall in Grafton Flyford.
There is normally a Brown Hairstreak Day in late August or early September - an
opportunity to see this elusive butterfly.
A Fungus Foray is held in the Autumn also starting from the Three Parishes Hall.
For more information on Work Parties or the events, contact:
John Tilt (Reserve Manager)
Phone: 01386 792 458
Or email: john.tilt2@btopenworld.com
Springtime at Grafton
Ancient Trees
Grafton has about 40 ancient trees around its perimeter. These are old pollards
mostly of Oak, a few Ash and Field Maple. Old trees are considered very
important by naturalists as they have their own flora and fauna, particularly
lichens, mosses and liverworts. Nationally rare fungi and beetles have also been
found in ancient trees. It is thought that the poles from these trees were used
as firewood by local people before the wide distribution of coal. The act of
pollarding helps to lengthen the life of the tree. However, in recent years the
lack of coppicing has meant that these old trees have been shaded out by the
more vigorous growth of the younger Ash. Recently, this problem has been
addressed by arboreal work around the trees to let more light in.
The Grafton specimens have been numbered and entered into a database as part of
a national initiative.
The Walk
The wood can be entered from 3 directions. From Kington and Dormston Village
Hall, Grafton Church or the Flyford Arms. In all cases, a circular walk can be
done by following the orange
way-mark arrows. There are other paths on the map
which can be explored if time allows.
Brown Hairstreak
Worcestershire's rarest butter-fly is only found in the Forest of Feckenham and
attracts visitors from far and wide. The nationally endangered Brown Hairstreak
is now extinct from all surrounding counties but survives in this small corner
of
Worcestershire.
The most attractive of all Britain's Hairstreak butterflies, the Brown
Hairstreak breeds on sloe bushes around the edges of Grafton Wood and also on
blackthorn hedgerows in the surrounding fields. The adult butterfly is on the
wing from mid-August through to the end of September and the females can often
be spotted basking on blackthorn leaves between bouts of egg-laying. The male
butterfly is much more elusive spending most of its life at treetop level mainly
around Ash trees growing on the woodland edge or along rides. Eggs remain on the
blackthorn throughout the winter and are very vulnerable to annual flailing of
hedgerows. It is estimated that every year some 90% of all eggs laid are lost in
this way and the butterfly's long term future depends upon the introduction of
more sympathetic hedgerow management by local farmers. A number of hedges are
already being managed on a rotation basis to benefit the Brown Hairstreak and an
advisory leaflet is available from Butterfly Conservation detailing how
landowners
can become 'Hairstreak Champions'. Special Hairstreak days are also organised
for those wishing to see the butterfly or to help with vital monitoring work and
details can be obtained from the Reserve Manager.
Fungi
Autumn is the best time to explore Grafton for Fungi. The Beefsteak Fungus grows
on oak and causes brown rot of the wood. The resulting timber is valued by
furniture makers for its rich colouring. The wet conditions allow a large and
varied number of fungi to grow.
Each year a group of enthusiasts, accompanied by an expert, record the species -
over 100 so far have been found.
Flora
The spring flora in Grafton is quite spectacular. The south of the wood has a
mass of Bluebells and the north a fine display of Ramsons (Wild Garlic). Grafton
is also proud of its Orchids - Early Purple, Great Butterfly and Birds-nest
Orchids in Spring and later in the summer Violet Helleborine. One of the
rarities for the county is the tiny Lesser Centaury which on the rabbit-grazed
rides. Herb Paris, a classic indicator of ancient woodland may also be found.
The broad rides and glades are the places to look for ground flora that prefer
damp conditions, e.g. Hairy St. John's-wort, Ragged Robin and Marsh Ragwort. The
trees in Grafton are predominately Ash, Field Maple and Oak. Whilst the Ash and
Field Maple grow naturally, many oaks were planted at the start of the 20th
century. The under-storey is Hazel, Bramble, Spindle and Dogwood. The evergreen
Spurge Laurel may be found in several places - this blossoms in early spring.
Birds
Grafton has over 40 species of breeding birds. Whilst there are no rarities,
good numbers of typical woodland birds may be seen: Sparrowhawk, Great Spotted
and Green Woodpecker, Nuthatch and the typical woodland warblers. It is a
pleasure to have the Buzzard breeding again in this part of the country. It
seems to be one of the few birds to be increasing in population in recent years.
In the winter, the wood hosts flocks of foraging tits joined by flocks of Siskin
and Lesser Redpoll who feed on the conifers. Woodcock may also be flushed from
the undergrowth. It is hoped that the reintroduction of coppicing will increase
the density and variety of birds. Coppice is the ideal habitat for Nightingales
who are at present confined to the south of the county. In a survey back in 1980
Grafton was home to six of this delightful songbird.