Aller and Beer Woods

Infobox SSSI


name=Aller and Beer Woods
aos=Somerset
interest=Biological
gridref=gbmappingsmall|ST404305
area=56.9 hectares (140.6 acres)
notifydate=1952

http://www.natureonthemap.org.uk/map.aspx?
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Aller and Beer Woods (gbmapping|ST404305) is a 56.9 hectare (140.6 acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest near Aller in Somerset, notified in 1952.

This Somerset Wildlife Trust reserve, which is about 3.5 km north-west of Langport and 11 km south-east of Bridgwater, consists of large blocks of semi-natural ancient woodland along the west-facing slope of Aller Hill, overlooking King's Sedgemoor. [cite web | title=Aller and Beer Woods | work=Wildlife Trusts | url=http://www.somersetwildlife.org/reserve_23.php | accessdate=2006-08-12]

Aller and Beer Woods are outstanding examples of ancient, escarpment woodland managed in a traditional coppice-with-standards system. The woodland is a variant of the Calcareous Ash/Wych Elm stand-type, with Pedunculate Oak ("Quercus robur"), andAsh ("Fraxinus excelsior") the dominant canopy trees throughout, and with scattered concentrations of Wych Elm ("Ulmus glabra"). Ancient woodland indicators include Small-leaved Lime ("Tilia cordata"), and Wild Service Tree ("Sorbus torminalis"), both of which are locally common. Plants of particular interest include Bird's Nest Orchid ("Neottia nidus-avis"), Greater Butterfly Orchid ("Platanthera chlorantha") and the very rare Red Data Book species Purple Gromwell ("Buglossoides purpurocaerulea"). [cite web | title=Aller and Beer Woods | work=English Nature | url=http://www.english-nature.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1003646.pdf | accessdate=2006-08-12]

Nearby is the Aller Hill SSSI.

References