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Wildlife at Potton Wood Ampthill Forest
Bedfordshire
England
Potton / Gamlingay is the nearest town or village.
OS Grid Reference: TL 247498
 Potton Wood is an ancient coppice woodland, and contains a rich range of plants and animals. It is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest. It is home to many rare plants, including several species of orchid.
Mammals: Both the fallow and shy muntjac deer can be seen in Potton, if you don't make too much noise! You are also likely to see rabbit, grey squirrel, fox and brown hare. Moles, a woodland creature, make their characteristic molehills as they tunnel along, looking for worms and grubs to eat. We have information about Fallow deer and Badger
Birds: Potton is lucky enough to be home to the migrant nightingale, because of its thick coppiced areas, which the nightingale favours. Other summer visitors are chiff chaff, blackcap, whitethroat, garden and willow warbler. If you hear some coo-ing up above you, it's either woodpigeon, or stock dove; turtle dove lives here too, but makes a trilling sort of noise.
Insects and reptiles: Potton is a good wood for butterflies, with large populations of all the more common butterflies such as comma, peacock and red admiral. You will also find the rarer white admiral and purple hairstreak here. Habitats: Potton is such a good example of oak/ash/field maple ancient woodland on the Beds/Cambs border that it has been designated a SSSI. (This type of habitat is now very rare in this part of England).
How to get there:
Potton Wood is located by the water tower 2 miles due east of Potton Village on the Cockhayne Hatley road.
Local Weather Forecast (Multimap)
Other places to go in Ampthill Forest
Stanford Wood
Wilstead Wood
Maulden Wood
Contact:
Northants Office
01780 444920
e-mail: northants@forestry.gsi.gov.uk
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What's of interest
Potton was once part of a medieval deer park, from which the present wood evolved. It used to be called "Potton Great Wood", indicating it's size. For a long time the woodman lived in a house in the wood, and there was even a sawmill here for many years.
What to see now If you are quiet you may be lucky enough to spot one of the shy deer on a woodland ride.
Did you know A plane came down in this wood in WWII and you can still see the impact area where it crashed.
What else is here
Find out more
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