Area 1: Mature Woodland

This is the largest area in the Pocket Park, and is designated a County Wildlife Site.  This title is given to sites that are of value for wildlife in a county context.  It is a small mature wood of approximately 2 acres (0.85 hectares).

The borough boundary is marked by an obvious bank running along the southern edge of this wood in an ESE to WSW direction; mature hawthorn and standard trees along the bank could possibly be remnants of an old hedgerow. The west boundary of the woodland is also marked by an old bank adjacent to the main footpath through the Spinney.

The canopy is dense but diverse – ash (Fraxinus excelsior), pedunculate oak (Quercus robur), sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus), beech (Fagus sylvatica) and horse-chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) predominate with occasional cherry (Prunus avium) and Scots  pine (Pinus sylvestris). The shrub-layer is similarly diverse including common species but also less common species such as wych elm (Ulmus glabra) and spurge laurel (Daphne laureola).

Ivy (Hedera helix) dominates on all but the trampled paths which criss-cross the wood; other species were recorded occasionally and these are listed below.

There is a good amount of standing and fallen dead wood; this provides excellent habitat for certain invertebrate species, which in turn provide food for birds such as woodpeckers.

Area 2: Recently established ash woodland

The bank on the southern edge of the mature woodland follows the borough boundary and marks a boundary between the old woodland and more recently established woodland (probably dating from the 1980s). The canopy is almost exclusively ash, with very occasional shrubs – common hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) and cherry (Prunus avium).  The field-layer is dominated by cow parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris).

This is much less disturbed than the mature woodland, presumably due to the close proximity of the young trees inhibiting access.

Area 3: Blackthorn Scrub

Where the two boundary banks of the mature wood meet is a small area of blackthorn scrub forming a dense, dark canopy. The field-layer is again dominated by ivy (Hedera helix), with very occasional herb robert (Geranium robertianum), hedge garlic (Alliaria petiolata) and cuckoo pint (Arum maculatum).

This provides excellent nesting habitat for birds and will also provide food in the form of sloes through the autumn and winter.

Area 4: Grassland

A small corner in the south-west of the site comprises tall, coarse grassland, together with bramble thickets. The grassland is dominated by tall oat-grass (Arrhenatherum elatius), with some field horsetail (Equisetum arvense), cock’s-foot (Dactylis glomerata), rosebay willlowherb (Chamerion angustifolium) and a few other species together with scattered young shrubs and trees – common hawthorn and ash.

Detailed list of species.

1. Mature woodland

Woody species – canopy and shrub layers

Field layer species:

Woody species listed here were present in the field-layer as saplings.

2. Recent ash woodland

Woody species – canopy and shrub layers

Field layer species

3. Blackthorn scrub

Woody species – canopy and shrub layers

Field layer species

4. Grassland

 The abundance of species found on the site is measured by use of the DAFOR scale: D (dominant), A (abundant), F (frequent), O (occasional), R (rare). L is used to represent a species that is local in occurrence, e.g. LF would represent a species that is frequent in a few areas but not elsewhere.

The status of plants in Northamptonshire is taken from The Flora of Northamptonshire (Gent & Wilson, 1995).