About the reserve

This resreve consists of an ancient woodland with a small field on the south side. Interesting plants such as cow-wheat, wild madder and bitter vetch occur. The most interesting feature of the reserve is the former arable field that contains a rich calcareous flora - starting in early Spring with Wild Daffodils, Primrose Cowslips, Early Purple and Greater butterfly orchid, and Hairy Violet, through to summer with Adder's tongue fern, Common Rock-rose, Wild Thyme, Field Scabious, Salad Burnet, Common Restharrow, Marjoram, Cow-wheat, Ox-eye daisy, Pignut, Fairy flax and Burnet saxifrage, to name but a few.

Many species of butterfly and moth frequent the grassland, and a visit on a sunny day in mid-July should provide views of large numbers of Marbled Whites, Ringlets, Meadow Browns and Silver-washed fritillary. Other scarce species to look out for include White Admiral, Grizzled skipper and Wood white, as well as day-flying moths such as Narrow-bordered Five-spot and Six-spot Burnets, Burnet companion and Mother Shipton. Ant mounds dot the pasture and provide evidence of the long history of non-cultivation. Woodside is part of The Doward Living Landscape.