Grafton Wood Nature Reserve

Official Reserve Web Page Grafton Wood Blog

How to get there 2017 Butterfly Transect

Map Showing Rights of Way

Grafton Rides

The Main Rides and Paths
The wood is 150 Acres and there is 3.5 miles of paths and rides
The rides are up to 40m wide and are managed on a 4 year rota
Blackthorn thickets are also cut every 4 years to provide breeding habitat for Brown Hairstreak

Management Plan

Coppice with Standards on a 12 year cycle shown in dark Green
Regenerating Broad leaved scrub after the removal of conifer – Blue
The edges of the main rides are cut on a 4 year cycle.
Rides a mown in July and in winter.
Management Work is carried out by a team of volunteers.

Grafton Wood has 31 species of Butterfly identified counted by weekly Transect counts over the 17 years. The average yearly count is 3200 butterflies and a peak of 4800
Key Species – Brown Hairstreak – White Admiral – Brown Argus – Purple Hairstreak – Silver-washed Fritillary White Letter Hairstreak, Dingy and Grizzled Skipper and Wood Whites have also been recorded.