Piddles Wood

Piddles Wood is a small area of woodland south of the River Stour, Dorset, and a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).[1] The site was notified as an SSSI in 1985.[1] The nearest settlement is the town of Sturminster Newton. The local planning authority is North Dorset District Council and Dorset County Council, but part of the site is managed by the Dorset Naturalists' Trust.[1]

Piddles Wood
  • Puttekwurth
  • Putteleswurthe
  • Hanging Ground
A view towards Fiddleford and Piddles Wood
TypeWoodland
LocationDorset, England
Nearest townSturminster Newton
Coordinates50.915695°N 2.291861°W / 50.915695; -2.291861
Area62.2 hectares (154 acres)
StatusSSSI

Piddles Wood was first documented in the 13th century as Puttekwurth[2] and Putteleswurthe.[3] A "wurth" is an enclosure, and "Pyttel" was an Old English surname, so the name could mean "Pyttel's enclosure".[4] However, another etymology is possible as "puttoc" is an Old English word for a kite,[5] with "pyttel" or "piddle" also being used.[4] It is also known as "Hanging Ground".[6]

The area of the site is 62.2 hectares (154 acres).[1] Woodlands in North Dorset are scarce, and Piddles Wood is one of only a handful of such sites.[7] Due to the heavy neutral and lighter acid soil types—caused by the underlying Kimmeridge Clay and Plateau Gravels[1]—the site has a varying woodland flora, containing broadleaved, mixed and yew lowland.[8] However, it is dominated by oak and coppiced hazel—for which reason the site was listed as an SSSI—and its flora and fauna is typical of oak woodland in Dorset.[1] Piddles Wood has an abundance of ground flora, including woodruff (Galium odoratum), sanicle (Sanicula europaea), early purple orchid (Orchis mascula), wood spurge (Euphorbia amygdaloides) and orpine (Sedum telephium). The site is also very rich for insect fauna, and among the butterflies found on the site are the white admiral (Limenitis camilla), wood white (Leptidea sinapis) and silver-washed fritillary (Argynnis paphia);[1] it was previously home to the pearl-bordered fritillary (Boloria euphrosyne), although this is now believed to be extinct in Dorset.[9] Adjacent to the edge of the site is an extensive poultry farm, containing approximately 100,000 birds.[8]

See also

References
  1. "Piddles Wood (SSSI citation)" (PDF). Natural England. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
  2. Roberts, James (1995). Walking in Dorset. p. 66. ISBN 185284180X.
  3. Mills, Anthony David (1989). The hundreds of Redlane, Sixpenny Handley, Sturminster Newton, Whiteway, Buckland Newton, Brownsall, Sherborne. p. 192.
  4. Mills, Anthony David (1989). The hundreds of Redlane, Sixpenny Handley, Sturminster Newton, Whiteway, Buckland Newton, Brownsall, Sherborne. p. 193.
  5. Reaney, P. H. (1991). Dictionary of English Surnames. p. 2558. ISBN 041505737X.
  6. Guttridge, Roger. "A Dorset Life for Me" (June 2012). {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  7. "A Guide to the Countryside of Rural Dorset" (PDF). Dorset County Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 August 2013. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
  8. Mark A. Sutton; Samantha, M. H.; Baker, Stefan Reis (2009). Atmospheric Ammonia: Detecting Emission Changes and Environmental Impacts : Results of an Expert Workshop Under the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution. Springer. pp. 60, 271. ISBN 9781402091216.
  9. "Metalmarks and Fritillaries". Butterfly Conservation. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
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