Lineover Wood

Lineover Wood (grid reference SO987187) is a 20.3-hectare (50-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, notified in 1986.[1][2]

Lineover Wood
Site of Special Scientific Interest
Lineover Woods – Dowdeswell Woods beyond on the left
Location within Gloucestershire
Area of SearchGloucestershire
Grid referenceSO987187
Coordinates51.867326°N 2.01956°W / 51.867326; -2.01956
InterestBiological
Area20.3 hectare
Notification1986
Natural England website

The site is owned and managed by the Woodland Trust, and is near the communities of Charlton Kings, Cheltenham and Dowdeswell. The Cotswold Way National Trail runs through the site, crossing the A40 from the opposite side of the valley where it runs along the edge of Dowdeswell Woods and below the dam of Dowdeswell Reservoir.

The site is listed in the 'Cotswold District' Local Plan 2001-2011 (on line) as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS).[3]

Location

The site is in the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, is on the north-facing slope of the scarp and is steep. It overlies limestone of the Inferior Oolite and clays and sands of the Upper Lias layer. The designated site is part of a larger woodland area which has been replanted with conifers and broad-leaved species. There are seepage areas and a spring in the north of the site.[1]

Woodland

The wood is an example of the ancient semi-natural coppice woodland which was common in the Cotswolds. Species include ash, pedunculate oak, whitebeam, small-leaved lime and large-leaved lime (nationally rare). The understorey is hazel, field maple, hawthorn and there are lime-loving shrubs in particular areas.[1]

Flora

The steep slopes support bramble and dog's mercury. At the base of the slope, meadow saffron and herb paris can be found. There are recorded rare plants which include angular Solomon's seal and lily-of-the-valley.[1]

Fauna

The site is known for beetles including uncommon species. There are a wide variety of butterflies and moths recorded including the pearl-bordered fritillary.[1]

References
  1. Natural England SSSI information on the citation
  2. Cotswold District Local Plan, Appendix 1, Sites of Special Scientific Interest Archived 26 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  3. Cotswold District Local Plan, Appendix 2, Key Wildlife Sites Archived 13 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine

SSSI Source

Media related to Lineover Wood at Wikimedia Commons

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