NORTHUMBERLAND WILDLIFE TRUST
Nearest Town: Slaley village
OS Map: NY977587 (OS 50 000 Sheet 87)
This 8ha SNCI comprises ancient semi-natural woodland with areas of new planting in between.
Location and access: Car parking is available in Slaley village. Access to the reserve is along the public footpath to Marley Cote Walls.
This site is an area of ancient semi-natural woodland in two parts. The area between the woods was formerly agricultural grassland, but was replanted with trees in 1991. The western wood has a fairly uniform canopy dominated by oak with some rowan, birch and wild cherry. Regeneration is limited to rowan seedlings. The understorey is generally sparse but includes hazel and holly. The field layer is mainly grassy, but to the south it becomes richer, with several plant species indicative of ancient woodland. The trees planted in the central part of the site are predominantly oak, together with with some alder and birch. Coarse grasses dominate the ground vegetation here, but towards the edge woodland plants such as dog's mercury occur. There is no access to the smaller eastern wood, which is of a similar age and composition to the western area, with a canopy dominated by oak. The woods have a very good bird fauna, including barn, tawny and little owls, wood warbler, pied flycatcher and tree creeper. A wide range of woodland mammals also occurs including roe deer, stoat and weasel.