nature reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...
near the village of
Grafton Flyford
Grafton Flyford is a village about east of Worcester, in Worcestershire, England.
It neighbours Stock Green, with the large farm house Hill Top Farm standing on the border.
In 1377, or 1378, Henry de Ardern was granted the manor of Grafton Flyf ...
, about east of
Worcester
Worcester may refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England
** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament
* Worcester Park, London, Engla ...
, in
Worcestershire
Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands of England. The area that is now Worcestershire was absorbed into the unified Kingdom of England in 927, at which time it was constituted as a county (see His ...
, England.
Description
The reserve, area , is designated a
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of ...
Worcestershire Wildlife Trust
Worcestershire Wildlife Trust is one of 46 wildlife trusts throughout the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1968 to conserve, protect and restore the county's wildlife.
The Trust owns and manages over 70 nature reserves across the county, part ...
ash
Ash or ashes are the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non-aqueous, non- gaseous residues that remain after something burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, ash ...
and
oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...
. Until the 1950s, the wood was managed as
coppice with standards
Coppicing is a traditional method of woodland management which exploits the capacity of many species of trees to put out new shoots from their stump or roots if cut down. In a coppiced wood, which is called a copse, young tree stems are repeate ...
, providing wood for broom handles, pea sticks and other products; the Trust is aiming today to replicate this traditional wood management.
Butterflies and bats
Grafton Wood is the centre of the only colony of the
brown hairstreak
The brown hairstreak (''Thecla betulae'') is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. The range includes most of the Palaearctic.
Description
The following description of this butterfly was written by Adalbert Seitz in 1909:
''Z. betulae'' L. B ...
butterflies in the
Midlands
The Midlands (also referred to as Central England) are a part of England that broadly correspond to the Kingdom of Mercia of the Early Middle Ages, bordered by Wales, Northern England and Southern England. The Midlands were important in the Ind ...
."Grafton Wood" ''Worcestershire Wildlife Trust''. Retrieved 8 July 2021. Laight Rough is also important for other butterflies such as white admiral,
white-letter hairstreak
The white-letter hairstreak (''Satyrium w-album'') is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae.
Appearance and behaviour
A dark little butterfly that spends the majority of its life in the tree tops, feeding on honeydew (secretion), honeydew, making ...
and the
silver-washed fritillary
The silver-washed fritillary (''Argynnis paphia'') is a common and variable butterfly found over much of the Palearctic realm – Algeria, Europe, temperate Asia, and Japan.
Description
The silver-washed fritillary butterfly is deep orange with ...
. In 2009 the
Bat Conservation Trust
The Bat Conservation Trust (BCT) is a registered British charity dedicated to the conservation of bats and their habitats in the UK. BCT was founded in 1991 and is the only national organisation solely devoted to bats. Its vision is a world where ...
launched a detail study of 10 counties in England to determine the range of the
Bechstein's bat
Bechstein's bat (''Myotis bechsteinii'') is a species of vesper bat found in Europe and western Asia, living in extensive areas of woodland.
Description
Bechstein's bat is a medium-sized and relatively long-eared bat. The adult has a long, fluf ...
and in 2010 a lactating female Bechstein's was discovered in Grafton Wood suggesting that there was a breeding colony in the wood or close by. The
People's Trust for Endangered Species
Peoples Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) is a charitable organisation registered in England and Wales. It exists to promote the conservation of rare or declining species and habitats in the UK and worldwide through environmental monitoring, m ...
are funding further research work.''Bats about Bechstein’s '' James Hitchcock Worcestershire Life August 2012 p99 In October 2014 it was reported that the scarce Brandt's bat has also been found at the 300-year-old woodland.