Fineshade Wood, Northants

Fineshade Wood in the north of Northamptonshire is the largest surviving remnant of Rockingham Forest. Most of the wood is managed by Forestry England.  It includes ancient mixed broadleaf and areas of former conifer that are being allowed to regenerate. There are over 20 ponds, a stream, glades, swallow holes and a disused railway line. Please visit Friends of Fineshade website for more details - www.fineshade.org.uk.

FE have for years been operating an Ancient Woodland Project here and have recently embarked on a ride-widening project. In 2017 it became the central site for one of the Back from the Brink projects: Roots of Rockingham successfully re-introduced the Chequered Skipper and protected many other threatened species. The wood is on Natural England’s list for possible future designation as a SSSI.  

In 2014, the wood was the subject of an unsuccessful application by Forest Holidays and FC to create a holiday village in the least disturbed part of the wood. It emerged during that application process that many of the historic ecological records collected by FC had been “lost”, so the Friends of Fineshade have been promoting the recording of the rich variety of wildlife that is found here. Please get in touch if you can help.

Last modified: 

Tuesday, March 12, 2024 - 11:04
Barrie's picture

Latest addition: 

12/3/24 Another 11 moths recorded by Ron Follows last year 7/1/23 Ron Follows' 9 new moth species last year. Plus 15 fungi by John Haughton 30/9/22 10 records from survey of ponds by Kev Rowley and John Showers 01/02/22 8 more micro-moths recorded last year..... 12/07/21 Various new moth, fly and plant species..... 01/01/21 19 fungus species identified by Tony Vials..... 22/12/20 Ron Follows' moth records for the year. 19 new moth species..... 29/2/20 Brian Eversham's ID of Elm species..... 27/12/19 Ron Follows' moth records for the year. 11 new moth species..... 14/9/19 FC provide results of botanic survey. 28 more plants inc. Violet Helliborine..... 23/8/19 Sean Karley's records of plant galls have upped the numbers of mites, midges, wasps and fungi..... 25/3/19 Graham Warnes' records from two visits in 2018 provided 42 extra species..... 31/12/18 Another 11 additions to the Bryophyte list.... 23/12/18, another 28 moths caught in second part of year..... 3/11/18, county recorders spend a day in 3 of our best ponds - 38 extra species..... 30/10/18, Huntingdon Fungus group visit - 48 species added..... August 2018, 15 new species added (common-ish invertebrates plus Polecat)..... 31/7/18, results of mini-bioblitz at end of June. 224 new species added..... 22/7/18, moth trapping for Back from the Brink project - 35 new species.....

Size: 

497.00hectares

Species total: 

2477

Ranking breakdown

Breakdown of species counts by category

Algae: 

0

Slime Moulds: 

9

Protists other than Algae and Slime Moulds: 

0

Lichens: 

18

Fungi other than Lichens, including fungoid organisms: 

157

Bryophytes: 

86

Vascular Plants: 

475

Sponges: 

0

Comb-jellies: 

0

Cnidarians: 

0

Molluscs: 

13

Bryozoans: 

0

Annelid worms: 

5

Platyhelminth worms: 

0

Sea-spiders: 

0

Arachnids: 

45

Myriapods: 

6

Crustaceans: 

11

Springtails, proturans and 2-tailed bristletails: 

1

Insects: 3-tailed Bristletails: 

0

Insects: Odonata: 

18

Insects: orthopteroids: 

10

Insects: hemipteroids: 

97

Insects: Hymenoptera: 

36

Insects: Coleoptera: 

253

Insects: Diptera: 

163

Insects: Lepidoptera: butterflies: 

36

Insects: Lepidoptera: moths: 

872

Insects: remaining small orders: 

22

Echinoderms: 

0

Tunicates: 

0

Fish: 

2

Reptiles: 

4

Amphibians: 

5

Birds: 

102

Mammals: 

31

other Animals (Placozoa, Myxozoa, rotifers, other worms, Hemichordata, etc.): 

0