Wain Wood is a 19.2 (47.4 acre) Biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Preston

Preston, Hertfordshire

Preston is a village and civil parish about south of Hitchin in Hertfordshire, England.The village grew up around the Templar holdings at Temple Dinsley, and Princess Helena College is now on the site...

, North Hertfordshire

North Hertfordshire

North Hertfordshire is a local government district in Hertfordshire, England. Its council is based in Letchworth.The district was formed on 1 April 1974 by the amalgamation of the urban districts of Baldock, Hitchin, Letchworth, and Royston and the Hitchin Rural District.From eastward clockwise,...

. The site was notified in 1986 under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981

Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981

The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom and was implemented to comply with the Directive 2009/147/EC on the conservation of wild birds...

. The wood lies on a north-east facing slope of decalcified boulder clay and is home to habitat not found in many areas of the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 anymore due to deforestation

Deforestation

Deforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a nonforest use. Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use....

 or felling

Forestry

Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...

. The woodland area is also home to Pedunculate Oak

Pedunculate Oak

Quercus robur is commonly known as the Pedunculate Oak or English oak. It is native to most of Europe, and to Anatolia to the Caucasus, and also to parts of North Africa.-Taxonomy:Q...

 and Quercus petraea, with much of the south of the area consisting of acidic grassland. The site is now home to a large butterfly community, including Thecla quercus.