Symonds Yat West - Symonds Yat, Ross-On-Wye
Site Description
Symonds Yat West comprises 5.6ha semi-natural woodland (primarily ancient semi-natural woodland) within the extensive Upper Wye Valley Woodlands which are of national landscape and nature conservation importance (designated AONB, SSSI and SAC). The site is in a prominent position, visible from the heavily visited viewpoint at Symonds Yat rock and forming a wooded backdrop to the village of Symonds Yat West. A Herefordshire Nature Trust reserve is adjacent.
The central body of the woodland is dominated by beech (mainly mature coppice) with occasional mature ash and oak, giving way, at the margins, to a locally younger and more diverse canopy with much ash, oak, beech, wild cherry, silver birch and wild-service tree. To the north-east of the site there is a large cliff (partly quarried in the past), below which is a more recently developed stand dominated by mainly young (occasional mature) ash and beech. Dead wood is abundant at the site, though this is mainly small diameter.
The woodland occurs on thin soils overlying limestone with ironstone intrusions which have a long history of exploitation in the area. Past mining activities, primarily related to the extraction of limestone and ironstone dating from the 18th to 19th centuries (though the origins may be somewhat earlier), are evident at the site including a large number of shallow scoops up to 3m in depth, a series of 3 circular mine shafts, irregular pits which may be the result of collapse into underground workings and remains of a limekiln. Non-industrial archaeological features present include walls and boundary stones marking former ownership and agricultural boundaries. The majority of these archaeological features (many of which have been fenced) are concentrated in the southern section of the wood.
The shafts may well be used as bat roosts, with both lesser and greater horseshoe bats recorded using other mine shafts in the locality as winter roosts. Dormouse (a specially protected species) has been confirmed present in the woodland.
Although situated in the much visited Symonds Yat area, the site’s steep nature and poor accessibility mean it is mainly visited by local residents and is less subject to visitor disturbance than some other areas of woodland in the vicinity. Public footpaths run along the western and north-eastern boundaries and two short lengths of public footpaths cross the south-western tip of the site. Public access through the site is possible along a permissive path running from the public right of way on the western boundary, descending the cliff to a track on the north-eastern boundary (though note that the final section of this path to the north is not on Trust land).
The key features of the site are:
the ancient and semi-natural woodland habitat which includes beech coppice and supports dormice and bats;
low key public access.
The site is also of importance in the local landscape and the many archaeological features present are considered to be locally significant in the context of the industrial development of the Whitchurch and Symonds Yat communities.
