To date (between winter 2011 and Spring 2018), we have focused on the plants. During 2011, the trees growing on over one third of LKW’s area were surveyed by the Trust, as shown in the table.

We now have active Moth lists and below that our latest Bat survey.

Total tree numbers (> 2m high) in Lime Kiln Wood, ranked by abundance.

* Some observers report that bird cherry (Prunus padus) is also present in the wood, but the large specimens appear to be Prunus avium.

A few infrequent tree species were missed by this survey, notably sitka spruce (Pichea sitchensis), field maple (Acer campestre) and guelder rose (Viburnum opulus). Further details about the size and geographical distribution of the trees can be found in our management plan. It will be apparent that not all the tree species present are native to Cumbria, and it seems likely that species such as beech, larch, spruce and horse chestnut were planted deliberately during the last 50-100 years. Nevertheless, the species assemblage is broadly representative of what one might expect of ancient semi-natural woodland growing on limestone in south Cumbria. The underlying geology is limestone pavement which is overlain by a thin veneer of soil, so it seems very unlikely that the wood was ever subject to any sort of agriculture (although we would like to hear from anyone who knows about the history of the wood).

Turning to the ground flora, a list based on a brief walk-through was made for Cumbria County Council in 1999 by Jane Lusardi. We have added to that by identifying and counting all the plants in a 1m² quadrat in each of 87 25×25 metre blocks distributed across the whole wood. The full list of ground flora recorded in 1999 and 2011 is shown in the table below. However, it should be noted that in addition to the >80 species shown, there are probably several more bryophytes (ferns and mosses etc.), and we have not even begun to record the fungi.

Ground flora recorded in Lime Kiln Wood, 1999 and 2011

Several species of ground flora in this list, for example Herb Paris, are considered good markers of ancient woodland. However, reference to our management plan will show that the species diversity of ground flora is only high in the northeast quadrant of the wood, and the flora in the southern half is rather poor, probably due to excessive shading from the tree canopy and smothering by beech leaves.

Moth species recorded in Lime Kiln Wood 2016-2018

Led by local expert Edwards Mills – to most of us a moth is just a moth – we have trapped ,identified and of course released the following magnificent list.

Bat species recorded in Lime Kiln Wood May 2015 to May 2022

The following species of bats have been found in various locations both natural and man-made. Different types of bat box constructions have been tried with Polycrete and larger wooden maternity boxes being the most successful.

Bats have been found in all states of activity including hibernation and normal activity. Out of the 8 bats found in Cumbria we have already found 5 species resident in the wood. These are:-

Common Pipistrelle – The country’s commonest bat

Soprano Pipistrelle

Brown long-eared bat

Natterer’s bat

Noctule bat – The country’s largest bat

Bird species recorded in Lime Kiln Wood May 2015 to 2022