Limekiln Wood

This ancient semi-natural SSSI woodland lies on the north west slope of the Mow Cop ridge.

Location
Limekiln Wood is near Mow Cop, Congleton (O.S. Grid Ref.: SJ862587). It occupies 13.1 hectares (32.4 acres).

Access
Please keep to the paths. No dogs allowed.

Status
Limekiln Wood together with Grotto Wood and Hanging Wood form the Roe Park Wood complex. This woodland complex (including Limekiln Wood) has been designated as a site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) as it forms Cheshire's most extensive area of semi-natural woodland.

Flora and Fauna
The canopy consists mainly of oak, downy birch and rowan with a dense understorey of holly. Alder occurs where there are wet flushes and along the stream.

The woodland ground flora ranges from dense and species rich in places, to sparse and species poor in other areas, largely due to the changing nature of the wood. In the wetter flushes the ground flora is herb rich, species which predominate here include the opposite-leaved golden-saxifrage, marsh marigold, yellow pimpernel, meadowsweet and lesser celandine and honeysuckle. Species which can be found in the drier areas along the wood side rides include the greater stitchwort, wood sorrel, foxglove, wavy hair-grass, heath bedstraw and bramble.

Many different species of lichen and fungi can be found on this site including foxy spot, stinkhorn, birch polypore and blushing bracket.

A variety of caddis fly larvae, mostly case less can be found in the stream along with mayfly and stonefly larvae, including a species ( Leuctra nigra ) discovered in 2002, believed to be the first record in Cheshire.

The woodland has a large small mammal population which includes bank voles and wood mice. The wood also supports a variety of bird life including the song thrush, chiff-chaff and great spotted woodpecker.