East Wood, Great Casterton

East Wood, Great Casterton was designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) under Section 28 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 as being one of the best surviving examples in Central England of a semi-natural woodland. It is situated on private land with no public access. One edge is bounded by a sinuous hedge-bank. The soil is composed of boulder clay of glacial origin over Middle Jurassic limestone from the Great Oolite Group. The mature trees forming the canopy are predominantly European ash and pedunculate oak, interspersed with the occasional small-leaved lime, wych elm and wild service tree. Smaller trees and shrubs include hawthorn, hazel, spindle, common dogwood and privet. In wetter parts of the wood, tufted hair-grass provides the main ground cover, but in drier areas there is a diverse flora characteristic of undisturbed ancient woodlands which includes wood anemone, primrose, sweet woodruff, yellow archangel and common violet, as well as a number of less common species which are seldom found in this area.[3]