Twywell Plantation - Kettering

Site Description

Twywell Plantation was planted with Larch in 1932, on steeply undulating ground left by former mineral extraction (iron stone, limestone).

During the 1950's further planting of Larch, scot's pine, sycamore, oak, spruce and Corsican pine was carried out.

In some areas ash, birch, willow and sycamore have found gaps in the canopy.

Due to the previous dense conifer cover (heavily thinned in 2003) and very poor soils there is ill defined shrub layer and species poor field layer.

Shrubs such as elder, hawthorn, blackthorn, willow, dog rose and regenerating ash, sycamore and birch are on the increase

The field layer is similarly poor. There are two small badger setts within the plantation

The stretch of land nearest the A14 is flatter and exhibits more natural woodland structure due to its more varied planting and greater age

There is one permanent pond in the centre of the woodland block which has an associated glade vegetation of rushes and sedges. Other semi permanent water bodies form in the deeper furrows in wet weather.

A number of wide open rides criss cross the wood, these are heavily browsed by rabbits, ant hills are being formed on the dryer areas, and the main ride also forms a public foot path that connects to Twywell Village in the east and the rest of Twywell Hills and Dales countryside area in the west.

The wood is bounded on the south side by the A14 trunk road, on the north and west sides by Twywell Gullet SSSI and on the east side by an area of improved pasture.

The site is well used by locals from Twywell village and by visitors from further a field who park in the nearby Hills and Dale’s car park. The wood forms part of the Twywell Hills and Dales area managed in association with Rockingham forest Trust and The Wildlfie Trust