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Finchale Priory

Woodland Habitats

Mature deciduous woodlands comprise some of the richest and most diverse habitats in County Durham, having developed their complex interdependent communities of plants and animals over many hundreds of years. Woodland history in Britain began at the end of the last ice age in about 11 000 BC. Tree species colonised the British Isles as the ice caps melted, and by 6500 BC almost all of the land was covered by woodland. Different species competed to form distinct ‘climax’ communities, influenced by environmental factors such as temperature and rainfall. These woodland communities remained relatively unchanged until Neolithic settlers arrived in Britain, about 6000 years ago. These people were Britain’s first farmers, and spread rapidly through the country, felling trees to provide land for grazing or crop growing, and within 2000 years, had converted large tracts of woodland into farmland or heath. In County Durham, remnants of original wildwood survive on steep valley sides and coastal denes, as at Castle Eden Dene, where the land was unsuitable for farming or development.


Hamsterley Forest
Most high quality woodlands have been managed, often for centuries. Trees are a renewable resource regenerating indefinitely when sensitively managed, and use of traditional techniques such as coppicing help to maintain the structural diversity of the woodland, creating sunny glades beloved by woodland butterflies, and thick scrubby thickets, where woodland birds and small mammals can breed in comparative safety.

High quality ancient woodlands often display a characteristic structure of canopy, shrub layer and ground flora, which seldom occur in plantation or secondary woodlands. Roughly a third of Durham’s woodlands are classified as ancient woodlands. These are usually the most valuable woodlands and have remained continuously wooded since 1600. Within the county a variety of these woodland communities occur, with canopy species ranging from ash and elm on the magnesian limestone plateau, to oak, which grows on the more acid soils of the Derwent Valley. Some of the river valleys, where the ground is damper, contain woodlands composed almost entirely of alder, and in Teesdale the largest juniper wood in the country can be found.

The woodland understorey is made up of smaller trees and shrubs that can grow in the limited light levels available underneath the canopy. The species occurring here vary from woodland to woodland, but often include shrubs such as privet, spindle and dogwood, which produce a host of colourful berries during the winter months, a resource eagerly exploited by woodland birds. At ground level, twigs and leaves are broken down by fungi, to produce the rich deep soil characteristic of woodland habitats. This soil, combined with low light levels allows characteristic woodland flowers such as bluebell, ramsons and primrose to thrive.

One of the most valuable features of any woodland is dead wood, as it supports a host of invertebrate species, which in turn provide food for many birds and small mammal species, including woodpeckers and shrews. A healthy woodland is a delicately balanced system and large ancient woodlands such as Backstone Bank are home to a diverse collection of flora and fauna, and provide food and nest sites for a host of bird species including sparrow hawks, and flycatchers.

Some of the most ecologically interesting woodland sites in County Durham include: