Grid Ref: SK953687

Status:     Site of Nature Conservation Importance (Lincolnshire Trust)

Boultham Moor Wood is the part of Boultham Moor to the east of Tritton Road. It is 3.2ha of secondary oak and birch woodland with areas dominated by pine and larch, over what was probably heathland. It has been designated as Critical Natural Asset for the following reasons:

1) The site supports heathland habitat types under the woodland canopy. Although the areas of heathland flora are small and fragmented (and hence the total area of heathland is difficult to assess), species found here are indicative of dry lowland heath. They include:

Heather   Calluna vulgaris  (4 sites)

Cross-leaved heath  Erica tetralix (2 sites)

Shepherd's cress     Teesdalia nudicaulis (1 site)

Taken alongside the Starmers Pit site as the Boultham Moor complex, the heathland communities here are important fragments of a declining habitat resource locally and nationally.

2) The site also supports species indicative of semi-natural woodland, consistent with oak and birch regeneration on acid/heath soils. Boultham Moor Wood is one of 9 woodland sites in Lincoln accounting for approximately 2.7% of Lincoln's woodland. Typical woodland ground flora species present include:

Foxglove  Digitalis purpurea

Hedge wound wort           Stachys sylatica

Bluebell   Hyacinthoides non-scripta          

                       

Lincolnshire, as an agriculturally intensive county possesses a small, highly localised woodland resource. There is currently 22,500ha of woodland in Lincolnshire, just over 3% of the total area of the county. This is below the national average.

3) Boultham Moor Wood is a green site in an area otherwise dominated by urban development. It supports the following rare and endangered species:

Tree sparrow                                 Passer montanus

The tree sparrow has suffered a drastic decline in the last 25 years, estimated at 89% nationally.

The reasons for this decline are unclear, but a similar decline in the numbers of other farmland passerines may point to a change in agricultural management as a possible cause.  The species was recorded here in 1995.

Landscape Value               

Mature woodland important for informal recreation and as a visual amenity within a predominantly built-up area. Also important to the appearance of main road approach to the City.