Old Wood - Sheringham

Site Description

Old wood is situated south Sherringham on the Holt Cromer ridge and is accessible from a car park at Pretty corner, or from surrounding woodland own by the local authority and Anglican water. The 57acre (23.15 Hectare) woodland is predominantly a Coniferous plantation over a site, which historically had been dominated by a heathland and acid grassland mosaic, with scattered trees to the north in the valley bottoms. The coniferous species, which are represented within Oldwood, are listed in order of dominance: Corsican pine, Douglas fir, Grand fir, Western Hemlock, Scots pine and hybrid larch. Throughout Oldwood there are interspersed areas of broadleaves, with the majority of the populations being situated within the valley bottoms.

The whole site slopes steeply to the North, giving a variety of undulating slopes and ridges, none of which are south facing. The south edge of the site is at an altitude of 96 meters making it one of the highest points in Norfolk. Good views are attainable from a number of points within the wood to the town of Sherringham and the North Sea. These views will in time add to the visitor enjoyment of the site. The rest of the site is accessible through a structured surfaced and un-surfaced pathway system. A car park is available at Pretty corner and the wood is accessible from the surrounding woodland to the west and north owned by Norfolk County Council, and Anglican water respectively. There are plans in the future to provide a continuous way-marked walk for the visiting public between these sites.

The flora within Oldwood is naturally diverse, with a mixture of heathland and woodland habitats. Although being predominantly secondary woodland there has been identified areas that are potential remnant ancient woodland situated within the south-western part of the wood. Within the heathland and acid grassland areas the previous restoration has developed isolated communities of Calluna vulgaris (Ling Heather), Deschampsia flexuosa (Wavey hair grass) Ulex europaeus (Gorse).

The fauna within Oldwood also supports a diverse range of species including a number represented on the long, middle and short lists of globally threatened species. There are also three species that are represented within Oldwood that are protected under the Wildlife and countryside act 1981. These are listed as follows: Pipistrelle Bat, Adder and slow worn.