Grass Wood, Wharfedale

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Grass Wood is an 88 hectare woodland in Wharfedale, Yorkshire, England.

The area was notified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1955. The site is also listed in the Nature Conservation Review (under the "Conistone Old Pasture and Bastow Wood" entry).

The site is managed as a nature reserve by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.

Two adjacent sites Bastow Wood and Conistone Old Pasture are also recognised as SSSIs.

[edit] Site description

Grass Wood is situated on the west and south-facing slopes of a Carboniferous Limestone spur in Upper Wharfedale, to the south of Conistone Moor. Rock outcrops, scree and limestone pavement areas occur throughout the wood. The site is an ancient woodland, with Ash, Wych Elm and Sessile Oak as its principal canopy tree species. An understorey of coppiced Hazel was formerly managed by coppicing. During the 19th Century the lower slopes were interplanted with Beech and Sycamore, and in the 1960s the north-eastern part of the site was replanted with Norway Spruce, European Larch, Scots Pine and Beech. Localised variations in soil conditions mean that the site's flora contains a mixture of plants associated with well-drained and with waterlogged areas, and both calcicoles and calcifuges occur in proximity.

Areas of grassland occur, both within the wooded areas as woodland rides and as grassland banks on slopes adjacent to the wood.

[edit] Biodiversity interest

The site's designation as an SSSI is primarily due to its rich ground flora, both in the woodland and limestone grassland areas.

Among the more unusual species are Lily-of-the-valley Convallaria majalis, Stone Bramble Rubus saxatilis and Mountain Melick Melica nutans. The rides favour a meadow flora characterised by the occurrence of Great Burnet Sanguisorba officinalis, Melancholy Thistle Cirsium helenioides and Lady's-mantle Alchemilla glabra.

Associated with limestone outcrops are several locally uncommon species including Rock Whitebeam Sorbus rupicola and Angular Solomon's Seal Polygonatum odoratum. In more open situations, a limestone grassland flora has developed in which Blue Moor-grass Sesleria albicans is accompanied by herbs such as Common Rock-rose Helianthemum nummularium, Bloody crane's-bill Geranium sanguineum, Salad-burnet Sanguisorba minor and Betony Stachys officinalis.