Yockletts Bank
23 hectares of SSSI ancient woodland on a chalk escarpment with clay cap.
The slope of the valley supports mixed woodland of ash, hornbeam and beech
with a hazel understorey. Regular coppicing maintains the
biodiversity of woodland plants and animals, and several small
areas of chalk grassland are kept open by mowing annually to
further enhance the variety of wildlife. This is probably one of
the best sites for lady orchid and there are excellent colonies
of twayblade, common spotted, early-purple, fly and other
orchids. Spring flowers are also prolific, with violets,
primrose, wood spurge and, on thin clay cap, bluebells.
The reserve is also very diverse in birds such as nightingales,
warblers and great spotted, lesser spotted and green woodpeckers, as well as
reptiles such as adder, grass snake and slow-worm.
