Limekiln Wood Nature Reserve
Encyclopedia
Limekiln Wood Nature Reserve is a nature reserve
managed by the Cheshire Wildlife Trust
.
Standing on the north-west slope of the Mow Cop
ridge, Limekiln Wood is part of a larger wood complex that has cloaked the ridge since the end of the last Ice Age. The trees reflect the thin soils and exposed location rising above the Cheshire plain: oak, downy birch
and rowan predominate, with alder in the wetter patches and dense stands of holly beneath the canopy. There are a number of wet flushes through the wood, and these are home to a particularly rich ground flora. Opposite-leaved golden-saxifrage, marsh marigold, yellow pimpernel
, meadowsweet
and lesser celandine
are all abundant. In drier areas honeysuckle, greater stitchwort, wood sorrel and foxglove add colour. In the autumn variety of fungi including foxy spot, stinkhorn
and blushing bracket can be found.
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
managed by the Cheshire Wildlife Trust
Cheshire Wildlife Trust
The Cheshire Wildlife Trust is a wildlife trust covering the county of Cheshire and parts of the counties of Greater Manchester and Merseyside, England...
.
Standing on the north-west slope of the Mow Cop
Mow Cop
Mow Cop is an isolated village which straddles the Cheshire–Staffordshire border, and is thus divided between the North West and West Midlands regions of England...
ridge, Limekiln Wood is part of a larger wood complex that has cloaked the ridge since the end of the last Ice Age. The trees reflect the thin soils and exposed location rising above the Cheshire plain: oak, downy birch
Downy Birch
Betula pubescens is a species of birch, native and abundant throughout northern Europe, Iceland, northern Asia and also Greenland....
and rowan predominate, with alder in the wetter patches and dense stands of holly beneath the canopy. There are a number of wet flushes through the wood, and these are home to a particularly rich ground flora. Opposite-leaved golden-saxifrage, marsh marigold, yellow pimpernel
Yellow pimpernel
Lysimachia nemorum is a flowering plant of the genus Lysimachia in the family Myrsinaceae....
, meadowsweet
Meadowsweet
Filipendula ulmaria, commonly known as Meadowsweet, is a perennial herb in the family Rosaceae that grows in damp meadows. It is native throughout most of Europe and Western Asia...
and lesser celandine
Lesser celandine
Lesser celandine is a low-growing, hairless perennial plant, with fleshy dark green, heart-shaped leaves. The plant is found throughout Europe and west Asia and is now introduced in North America. It prefers bare, damp ground and in the UK it is often a persistent garden weed...
are all abundant. In drier areas honeysuckle, greater stitchwort, wood sorrel and foxglove add colour. In the autumn variety of fungi including foxy spot, stinkhorn
Stinkhorn
The Phallaceae are a family of fungi, commonly known as stinkhorn mushrooms. Belonging to the fungal order Phallales, the Phallaceae have a worldwide distribution, but are especially prevalent in tropical regions. They are known for their foul smelling sticky spore masses, or gleba, borne on the...
and blushing bracket can be found.