Background

College Wood is a remnant of the old Whaddon Chase royal hunting forest, granted to the Giffard family in 1242 and a private hunting chase until 1840. It covered about 2,200 acres and included Shenley and Howe Park woods which we are familiar with from previous visits.

The wood is located in Great Horwood parish, whose lord of the manor at one stage was New College, Oxford; hence the name College Wood.  Horwood is Anglo Saxon for muddy wood, which if you come here at most times of the year is a fair description of the place.  The ancient status of the wood is indicated by plants such as Bluebell, Dog’s Mercury and Yellow Archangel.

The whole wood was subject to a 1950s-60s felling and planting regime by the Forestry Commission; the planted species including Norway Spruce, Larch, Western Red Cedar, Oak, Beech and Scots Pine.

The wood now extends to 52 Ha and is owned by the Woodland Trust, who purchased it in 1999 when the small College Copse, by the car park, was planted.

The woodland was once a SSSI for its invertebrate records but was unfortunately de-notified. Butterfly species such as the Wood White, White Admiral and Purple Hairstreak are present on the site. The Wood White is a rediscovery, having last been seen in the 1980s and thought to be extinct. These species may be responding to increasing light levels in the woodland, particularly along the rides which have been opened up. This, and removal of conifers, is the principal management activity undertaken in the wood, which aims to restore this damaged ancient woodland.

Ash Dieback

There is a lot of Ash in the wood, probably derived from natural regeneration. Much of the Ash is very dense and thin-stemmed, and Ash dieback is widespread and noticeable.

Ash dieback is caused by the fungus Hymenoscyphus fraxineus, of eastern Asian origin. Spores are dispersed by wind.

The disease was first confirmed in the UK in February 2012 in a consignment of infected Ash plants sent from a nursery in The Netherlands to a nursery in Buckinghamshire; however, there is evidence that it first entered Great Britain some time before 2006.

Because of the dramatic impact on the landscape caused by the loss of Elms in the ‘70s to Dutch Elm Disease, also caused by a fungus (Ophiostoma novo-ulmi) and in this case spread by Elm Bark Beetles, there is a fear that Ash could also disappear from the landscape. Elm in Britain reproduces largely asexually by suckers, which limits new genetic diversity, and there appears to be no genetic resistance to the disease. On the other hand, ash reproduces sexually and not all trees die of the infection – some appear to have genetic factors which give them tolerance of, or resistance to, the disease.

The disease appears to be more severe on moist sites with high Ash density, as at College Wood. Ash in hedgerows, enjoying better air circulation and more sunlight, appears less affected.

Breeding tolerant Ash is an active research area.

The prevailing management approach to the disease is to fell trees that pose a danger from falling trunks or branches but otherwise to leave dead or dying trees for wildlife.

The visit

From the car park we started along the main entrance ride and made a circular route along cleared rides. More of the ancient woodland flora can be observed from a footpath that runs along much of the perimeter of the wood; however, the going is rough and was not so suitable for our group.

The visit was originally planned for June 27 but was postponed owing to bad weather. In the event, we had a day of sunny intervals and a group of 12 participants.

We found much of natural history interest to look at, photograph and comment on. Stand-outs amongst the plants included plentiful Ragged Robin, and Common Spotted Orchid, just coming into flower. Ash dieback much in evidence but good to see oaks, which look like they were suppressed by the canopy prior to ride clearance, now able to develop. Numerous Beautiful Demoiselle adults and Drinker Moth caterpillars. And among the birds, Garden Warbler and Blackcap singing, and a Sparrow Hawk was viewed by three of us as it sped along a ride.

Being extensive, located close to Milton Keynes but relatively unfrequented, and demonstrating a planted ancient woodland in recovery, makes the site well worth visiting. It would be a great success if the management initiated activity leads it to recover SSSI status.

Species Observed

Invertebrates
Beautiful Demoiselle Calopteryx virgo

Beautiful Demoiselle (m) Photo©Janice Robertson

Beautiful Demoiselle (f) Photo©Janice Robertson

Emperor Dragonfly  Anax imperator
Hairy Dragonfly Brachytron pratense

Hairy Dragonfly Photo©Janice Robertson

Dark Bush-cricket  Pholidoptera griseoaptera  (Nymphs)
Hawthorn Shield-bug  Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale
Forest Bug  Pentatoma rufipes
Black & Red Froghopper Cercopis vulnerata

Black and red froghopper (Cercopis vulnerata) Photo©Janice Robertson

Large Skipper Butterfly  Ochlodes venata
Orange Tip butterfly  Anthocaris cardomines
Small White Butterfly  Pieris rapae
Large White Butterfly  Pieris brassicae
Red Admiral Butterfly  Vanessa atalanta

Red Admiral Photo©Janice Robertson

Meadow Brown Butterfly  Maniola jurtina
Speckled Wood Butterfly  Pararge aegeria
Yellow-barred Long-Horn Moth  Nemophora degeerella
Green Oak Tortrix  Tortrix viridana
Drinker Moth  Euthrix potatoria  (full grown larvae)
Straw Dot Moth  Rivula sericealis
Bloodvein Moth  Timandra comae
Common Carpet Moth  Epirrhoe alternata
Great Pied Hoverfly  Volucella pellucens
A green sawfly  Rhogogaster viridis
European Hornet  Vespa crabro
Red-headed Cardinal Beetle  Pyrochroa serraticornis
Harlequin Ladybird  Harmonia axyridis
7-Spot Ladybird  Coccinella 7-punctata
Swollen-thighed Beetle Oedemera nobilis
A Longhorn Beetle  Stenocorus meridianus

Longhorn Beetle (Stenocorus meridianus) Photo©Janice Robertson

Common Scorpionfly  Panorpa communis
Common Green Lacewing  Chrysopa pallens
And many unidentified species of hoverfly, wasp and bee

Trees and Shrubs
Ash Fraxinus excelsior (also many seedlings)
Aspen Populus tremula
Beech Fagus sylvatica
Birch, Silver Betula pendula
Blackthorn Prunus spinosa
Cherry, Wild Prunus avium
Dogwood Cornus sanguinea
Elder, Sambucus nigra
Guelder-rose Viburnum opulus
Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna
Hazel Corylus avellana
Maple, Field Acer campestre
Oak, Pedunculate Quercus robur
Pine, Scots Pinus sylvestris
Poplar, Lombardy Populus nigra ‘Italica’
Poplar, Hybrid Black P. x canadensis
Privet Ligustrum vulgare
Spindle Euonymus europaeus
Willow, Goat Salix caprea

Flowering Plants
Alkanet, Green Pentaglottis sempervirens
Bindweed, Field Convolvulus arvensis
Bird’s-foot-trefoil, Greater Lotus pedunculatus
Bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta
Bramble Rubus fruticosus
Bryony, Black Tamus communis
Bugle Ajuga reptans
Buttercup, Creeping Ranunculus repens
Celandine, Lesser Ranunculus ficaria
Cleavers Galium aparine
Clover, White Trifolium repens
Comfrey, Common Symphytum officinale
Creeping-Jenny Lysimachia nummularia
Cuckoo Flower Cardamine pratensis
Daisy, common Bellis perennis
Dandelion Taraxacum officinale
Dock, Broad-leaved Rumex obtusifolius
Enchanter’s-nightshade Circaea lutetiana
Figwort, Common Scrophularia nodosa
Garlic Mustard Allaria petiolate
Ground-elder Aegopodium podagraria
Ground-ivy Glechoma hederacea
Herb-Robert Geranium robertianum
Honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum
Meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria
Mercury, Dog’s Mercurialis perennis (recce only)
Nettle, Common Urtica dioica
Orchid, Common Spotted Dactylorhiza fuchsia

Spotted Orchid Photo©Charles Kessler

Plantain, Ribwort Plantago lanceolata
Ragged-Robin Lychnis flos-cuculi
Rose Rosa sp
Speedwell Veronica sp
Stitchwort, Greater Stellaria holostea
St John’s Wort Hypericum sp
Thistle, Marsh Cirsium palustre
Vetch, Bush Vicia sepium
Willowherb, Great Epilobium hirsutum
Archangel, Yellow Lamiastrum galeobdolon (recce only)

Grasses, Sedges and Rushes
Cocksfoot Dactylis glomerata
Dog’s-tail, Crested Cynasurus cristatus
Meadow-grass, Rough-stalked Poa trivialis
Rush, Compact Juncus conglomeratus
Sedge, Glaucous Carex flacca
Sedge, False Fox Carex otrubae
Sedge, Pendulous Carex pendula
Sedge, Remote Carex remota
Sedge, Wood Carex sylvatica
Hair-Grass, Tufted Deschampsia caespitosa

Ferns and Horsetails
Male Fern Dryopteris Felix-Mas

Mosses
Atrichium undulatum

Birds
Blackcap
Buzzard
Chaffinch
Chiff-chaff
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
Jay
Kestrel
Kite, Red
Nuthatch
Sparrow hawk
Swift
Tree-creeper (Recce only)
Warbler, Garden
Woodpecker, Great-spotted
Wren

Thanks to
Martin Kincaid for organization, directing the car parking and invertebrate list. Janice Robertson for the invertebrate list and invertebrate photos. Forest Research, Woodland Trust and Gt Horwood Parish websites for information.

Charles Kessler,  June 2025

Brief History

Salcey Forest is an ancient woodland, once part of a royal hunting ground in medieval times.  The forest provided timber for ship building in the Napoleonic Wars and was later used as a training ground for troops in WWII.  It is now managed by Forestry England with a focus on environmental protection and outdoor recreation.

It is home to a wide variety of species of flora and fauna.  This includes ‘The Druids’ a number of ancient oaks, i.e. over 400 years old, some of which are now fallen providing habitat for saproxylic (deadwood) invertebrates, with a few remaining standing.

Group Visit

14 members of the Society visited the SSSI within Salcey Forest on a warm and sunny evening on 20^th May 2025.  The walk took us roughly north from the Horse Box car park (SP 81030 50882) along one of the main tracks through the forest.  Towards the end of the out-bound walk the group took a narrower grass path to visit the magnificent Queen Hive Oak (SP 80947 51450).  This grass path revealed a number of different species from the main track, suggesting that with more time to delve deeper into the wood an even greater number of species may have been revealed.  Nonetheless, even the relatively straight-forward walk up and down the main track saw the identification of a great variety of wildlife, as illustrated by the species list which follows.

Species List

The following list has been created from the group visit on 20^th May, supported by reconnaissance visits by the walk leaders on 4^th and 16^th May.  The reconnaissance visits covered slightly more ground and therefore include a few species not seen on the main walk. (Hover over images below to see caption or click to view an individual image. Numbers are referenced in the species list)

1. The Queen Hive Oak (Quercus robur) (Photo©Julian Lambley)

2. Spindle (Euonymus europaeus) (Photo©Julian Lambley

3. Common Swift moth (Korscheltellus lupulina) (Photo©Julian Lambley

4. Common Swift Moth showing pheromone organs (Photo©Julian Lambley)

5. Black Cloak Tortrix Moth (Notocelia cynosbatella) Photo©Julian Lambley

R – seen only on reconnaissance trip             U – Uncertain identification

Number following common name denotes photograph reference.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all those who turned out for the event, but particular thanks go to Martin Kincaid, Charles Kessler, Joe Clinch and Mike LeRoy, who provided support in the identification and recording of species on the day, as well as improving the quality of this trip report.  Special thanks, also, to Julian Lambley for the photographs.

Richard Schmidt & Jane Bidgood

Introduction

The evening visit to the Reserve on 13^th May was the first since 17^th May 2022.  It took place after an exceptionally sunny and dry March and April, and for our visit the sunshine continued. Some 25 members and 1 visitor participated.

The event started with a brief history of the Reserve which was established in 1979, initially managed by BBOWT, before the Parks Trust took over ownership and management in the early 1990s (click here for more information about the site).  A Species Checklist including habitat areas for plants was distributed to participants, the listed being based on the 2022 visit report and the recce undertaken with Jenny Mercer. The Leader thanked Jenny and the three members who had agreed to list species during the event: Martin Ferns Plants, Mervyn Dobbin Birds, and Linda Murphy Invertebrates.

Plant Species and their Habitats

The circular route from the car park was anti-clockwise and our first stopping point was at the edge of one of the ponds where we were able to see Yellow Iris at the bankside just coming into flower and Water Plantain growing within the water (thank you Charles Kessler for providing the correct identification). The route then followed the woodland strip along the periphery of the Reserve and parallel to the noisy A5. At the entry to this woodland we stopped to look down from a bridge to a dried-up watercourse where the distinctive leaves of Gypsywort were showing well. Our next pause was at the site once occupied by the now demolished east side hide. Celery-leaved Buttercup was an interesting addition to the plants listed in 2022 as was Annual Wall Rocket. There was no sign of the 2022 listed Nettle-leaved Bellflower.

Celery-Leaved Buttercup (Photo©Bob Phillips)

The next stop was at the Meadow Strip in the shadow of the A5 viaduct over the Ouse floodplain. The planting is a legacy of the time when the reserve was managed by BBOWT and is a good example of how meadow biodiversity can be achieved through intervention in a comparatively short period of time. Amongst the plants In flower were Bulbous and Meadow Buttercup, Common Vetch, Meadow Cranesbill, Common Birds-foot Trefoil, Cow Parsley and one of the small difficult to identify Speedwell species with Great Knapweed, Lady’s Bedstraw, and Yellow Rattle to flower soon. There was no sign of Ragged Robin seen previously perhaps because of the unusually dry conditions.

The bank of the River Ouse offered another change in habitat but before moving off many members had good views of newly emerged Mayflies flying back and forth over the water (to learn more about Mayflies there is a short account from Mike Le Roy on the Wildlife news page on Society’s website. Click here to access it). The river is lined with trees and shrubs including Willow sp. such as Goat, Crack and the commercially grown Cricket Bat Willow.  Shrubs included Spindle which was infested by Ermine Moth caterpillars stripping its leaves. This is a widespread problem this year with Bird Cherry also being infested in this way with many of the younger specimens likely to die.  A few herbaceous plants were in flower including a White Comfrey sp, White Dead Nettle, Yellow Iris plus some unidentified Sedge species. Other species had to be identified by leaves alone for example, Meadowsweet, Greater Burdock, and Great Willow Herb. Hemlock and Water Figwort identification was based on dead plant stems and seed heads from last year.

Ermine moth caterpillars (Photo©Julian Lambley)

After leaving the riverside we followed the long strip of woodland parallel to Queen Eleanor Street. This brought a surprise sighting by Julian Lambley – Three-cornered Garlic not previously listed here. This is a non-native invasive species which we have reported to the Parks Trust which, as owner of the land, is responsible for preventing the species from spreading. It is not recorded in the publication ‘Milton Keynes More Than Concrete Cows’ published in 2000 and In the ‘A Checklist of the Plants of Buckinghamshire’ published by the Society in 2005 and authored by Roy Maycock and Aaron Woods it is described as ‘Very Rare’. Its spread northwards has clearly been fairly rapid.

Three Cornered Garlic (Photo©Julian Lambley)

Our circular route ended with the small meadow to the side of the entrance road. This is the only part of the reserve that has survived the gravel extraction of the early 1970s and was still in use as a horse paddock up to about 1980. This makes it important in its own right but also as the habitat for Meadow Saxifrage which we found in flower in several small patches competing with the surrounding grasses, Meadow Buttercup, Cow Parsley. and Red Clover: it is found in only one other location in Milton Keynes. Hidden away to the side of the grass path we were also able to identify Field Wood-Rush but we were unable to find Bush Vetch and Yellow Rattle which had been listed in flower in 2022.

Other Species

During the tour round the site several bird species were added to the 2022 list including four species of Warbler: Garden, Cetti’s, Reed, and Sedge. Absent on this visit were Common Tern, Oyster Catcher, Coot, Moorhen, and Cuckoo. Two Lapwings were the only potential island nesting birds seen and these were busy mobbing a threatening Fox. The island itself is overgrown so less attractive to pebble surface ground nesters and the Tern platform has been removed. It seems likely that this reduction of species is the result of predation with otters, foxes, crows, and raptors all known to be in the vicinity. Just four species of Invertebrates were seen, not unsurprising for an evening visit (for details see Checklist here).

Joe Clinch, Visit Leader