The Flora of Bilberry Wood

Bilberry Wood was planted in the mid-Victorian period, at about the same time as Nethergill was built as a lodge.

Heather

Heather, also known as ling, Calluna vulgaris, grows in the drier parts of the wood, including on tussocks raised about the boggy areas and, here, from a crevice on a fallen pine trunk. Heather is an indicator of dry acid soils. The abundant heather and bilberry here are a sign that the wood has been only lightly or moderately grazed.

Lightly-grazed pinewood with tall heather is classified as National Vegetation Classification community W18.

Bilberry

The dwarf shrub that gives the wood its name, bilberry, Vaccinium myrtillus, is more tolerant than heather of cold, shade and grazing, so perhaps this explains why it covers extensive areas in the drier parts of the wood.

Cross-leaved Heath

I found a few plants of cross-leaved heath, Erica tetralix, growing in a damper patch of the wood. It’s greyer with paler, pinker flowers than heather and, as the species name tetralix indicates the leaves are arranged on the stem in groups of four (not three as in heather).

Tormentil

Straggling about some of the grassy patches, tormentil, Potentilla erecta, is another plant which is typical of acid soils. The Potentilla in its genus name refers to potent herbal qualities, which give tormentil some protection against grazing animals.

Marsh Thistle

A few rosettes of marsh thistle, Cirsium palustre, grow amongst grasses and rushes in damper areas.

Common Sorrel

The leaves of common sorrel, Rumex acetosa, are edible, with a sharp lemony taste.

Rushes

To increase biodiversity, the management plan for Nethergill aims to create a patchwork of soft rush, Juncus effusus, alongside more open areas. Rushes were once cut and used as winter bedding for cattle, a practice that Chris and Fiona Clark revived after one dry summer when hay was in short supply.

The stems of soft rush feel smooth to the touch; hard rush has vertical grooves.

Sharp-flowered Rush

Sharp-flowered rush, Juncus acutiflorus, a common rush in marshy places.

Broad Buckler-fern

Like so much of the vegetation in the wood, broad buckler-fern, Dryopteris dilatata, is typical of acid soils. It has pale brown scales on its stem, each scale with a dark stripe down the centre.

Fungi

This white-gilled fungus growing amongst the bilberry and moss looks like a Russula.

This scaly fungus has gills that divide in a ‘Y’-shaped pattern towards the edge of the cap.

Bark Beetle

These galleries made by insect larvae on the inner bark of a pine are more random than those of the elm bark beetle, the chambers of which are so well organised that the pattern looks like a printed circuit board. The circular holes in this pine bark may indicate where the adult insect emerged after metamorphosis.

Scots Pine

Scots Pine, Pinus sylvestris, was once widespread in the Dales but went into decline during the 18th century because of the demand for timber and increased grazing. The pines of Bilberry Wood were planted in the mid-Victorian period.

Sphagnum Moss

Several species of Sphagnum moss have been recorded at Nethergill. This wispy, yellow-green species, growing extensively in the damper areas of Bilberry Wood looks to me Sphagnum cuspidatum, typical of ‘very wet, acidic depressions among bogs’ but which is also found in pinewoods.

Polytrichum Moss

Polytrichum moss grows on drier tussocks.

Ellbeck Wood

In December 2007, after lengthy discussion with the Yorkshire Dales National Park and the Forestry Commission, Chris and Fiona Clark of Nethergill Farm, started a tree planting scheme totalling over 18,000 trees adjacent to Bilberry Wood. They named Ellbeck Wood after their two daughters, Becky and Ella:

“Large-scale woodland planting such as this will encourage a huge increase in biodiversity within the area . . .In the years that have followed we have planted another 12,000 trees and shrubs to maintain the correct habitat for Black Grouse, Short Eared and Long Eared Owls, Woodcock etc. . . . We have also planted up the gill sides to help prevent erosion as well as planting small shrubs such as Juniper and Holly to increase ground cover for a wider variety of bird life.

Chris and Fiona Clark, Nethergill Information folder.

Further Reading

This survey of plants in Bilberry Wood was inspired by coming across David Joy’s book Discover Your Woods, Trees in the Dales, in the Hawes National Park Centre. The book that I’ve referred to most when looking up the plants is Plants and Habitats, An introduction to common plants and their habitats in Britain and Ireland by Ben Averis.

I like the emphasis on habitats in Ben Averis’ guide. Heather gets eight pages of photographs and notes clearly describing how its appearance gives clues to the grazing and burning regime on a moor.