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Nearest
towns: Preston, Grimsargh
Grid references: SD 579314 to SD 590340,
Landranger 102, Explorer 286 The
woods run in a narrow band along a terrace above the tidal River Ribble and the
valley of its tributary, the Tun Brook. They form one of the largest remaining
areas of ancient, semi-natural, deciduous woodland in Lancashire, Greater Manchester
& Merseyside. They support insect species unusual in Lancashire, and have a rich
woodland flora. Boilton
Wood
That an accessible woodland nature reserve should lie so close to
an urban centre is always a bonus, but Boilton Wood is exceptional. It has a great
deal to offer both the seasoned naturalist and the beginner. The western end of
the Wood contains a distinctive area of even-aged, multi-stemmed sycamore, which
has regenerated following felling during the 1939-45 war. Sycamore and wych elm
dominate the remaining woodland. Although it has suffered from Dutch Elm Disease,
the elm is regenerating well. Ash, oak, gean (wild cherry), hazel and holly are
also present, and ivy can be seen winding up the trunks of trees. Spring is the
best time to visit. Then there's an attractive display of bluebells and lesser
celandine, with ferns and wood avens emerging during the summer. Wild flowers
that are less obvious include ground-ivy, dog-violet and cuckoo-pint. Towards
the bottom of the slope, in the marshy areas crossed by boardwalks, yellow iris,
marsh marigold and meadowsweet are quite common. Boilton
Wood is also a haven for birds including treecreepers, spotted flycatchers, great
and lesser spotted woodpecker, and various finches and tits. You may also see
grey squirrels scampering up the trees, but the red squirrel is extinct here. Red
Scar Wood, Tunbrook Wood and Nab Wood
Red Scar, Tunbrook and Nab Woods
together make up a fine example of lowland ash-wych elm woodland and valley alder
carr. The
slumping that occurs on the steep valley-sides exposes calcareous clays that produce
a base-rich, red soil - hence the name "Red Scar". The rich ground flora that
develops on this soil includes patches of dog's mercury, enchanter's nightshade
and giant fescue, along with herb-Robert, wood-sorrel, wood anemone, lesser celandine,
early-purple orchids, and various species of violet. A patch of yellow archangel
is found at its most northerly location in Great Britain at the junction of the
Tun Brook and the River Ribble. It thrives on the richer soil there. Hairy St.
John's-wort and sweet woodruff can also be seen in Red Scar Wood. The woodruff
gives off the scent of vanilla when it's bruised. The
woods have a good, mixed structure with ash, sycamore and gean (wild cherry),
and alder (in the valley) all represented. There's also some planted beech and
larch. There's an area of oak in the south-west of Red Scar Wood, but the wych
elm there has nearly all died back as a result of Dutch Elm Disease. Field maple
is rare here, but there are a few mature examples in the woods. Hawthorn, hazel
and holly make up the healthy shrub layer. Amongst
the recorded invertebrates is the white-letter hairstreak, a butterfly that prefers
the margins of deciduous woods and is on the wing in July and August. It's closely
associated with elm, particularly wych elm, as its caterpillars feed on the leaves
and flowers. The devastation wrought on elms by Dutch Elm Disease means that this
butterfly species has now become very rare. An impressive list of moths is associated
with the reserve: the angle shades, the snout, the mottled beauty, the silver-ground
carpet, the twin spot carpet, the barred straw, the July highflier, the clouded
magpie, and the mother-of-pearl are amongst those recorded. The oak bush-cricket
is also found here. The
woods provide excellent breeding habitat for kestrel, woodcock, tawny owl, green
woodpecker, great spotted and lesser spotted woodpecker, warblers, tits and treecreepers.
You might see fieldfare, redwing, brambling and siskin if you visit in winter. Moles,
common shrews, water shrews and bats have all found refuge throughout the woods;
and smooth newts, common toads, and common frogs breed in nearby ponds. Management
Mature sycamore in Boilton Wood has been progressively thinned to restore a more
natural structure and mix of tree species. The boardwalks, footpath and steps
are maintained, and improved as resources allow. Because this Wood is open to
the public, some windblown, dead or dying trees also have to be felled occasionally
for safety reasons. Nab
Wood was extensively planted with sycamore in the past and this had made it very
dark. Some of the sycamore was thinned in 1994 to allow more light into the wood
and to encourage natural regeneration by ash and the development of a shrub layer. Red
Scar and Tunbrook Woods are largely self-managing. Periodic slumping of the unstable
clays on which the trees grow causes some to fall over whilst exposing new soil
in which self-sown seed can take root and grow. The
whole woodland is fenced off from the surrounding pasture. This prevents livestock
from entering the wood and grazing off the wildflowers and tree-seedlings, but
maintaining such a long stretch of fencing can be a never-ending task! Interpretation
and signage is being improved throughout the nature reserve. The
Higher Brockholes sand quarry lies between Boilton Wood and the Ribble and can
be seen from the path through the Wood. The owners, Hanson plc, are to restore
it to a nature conservation after-use once extraction has ceased. Indeed, it's
already becoming very important for wetland birds. Please don't enter, as a working
quarry can be a very dangerous place!
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