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 1950-60’s 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 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 1980’s 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 leads it to recover SSSI status.

Species Observed

Invertebrates

Beautiful Demoiselle Calopteryx virgo

Emperor Dragonfly  Anax imperator

Hairy Dragonfly Brachytron pratense

Dark Bush-cricket  Pholidoptera griseoaptera  (Nymphs)

Hawthorn Shield-bug  Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale

Forest Bug  Pentatoma rufipes

Black & Red Froghopper Cercopis vulnerata

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

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

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

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