Piddles Wood

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Piddles Wood
  • Puttekwurth
  • Putteleswurthe
  • Hanging Ground
View towards Fiddleford and Piddles Wood - geograph.org.uk - 437962.jpg
A view towards Fiddleford and Piddles Wood
Piddles Wood
Interactive map of Piddles Wood
Type Woodland
Location Dorset, England
Nearest town Sturminster Newton
Coordinates 50°54′57″N2°17′31″W / 50.915695°N 2.291861°W / 50.915695; -2.291861
Area62.2 hectares (154 acres)
Status SSSI

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 Dorset Council, but part of the site is managed by the Dorset Naturalists' Trust. [1]

Contents

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. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "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. 1 2 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. 1 2 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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