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Site Description
Knipefold Coppice was donated to the Woodland Trust in 1984. It is a small wood (1.6ha) which is on a north eastern facing slope of a ridge which forms part of Park Fell and Black Crag a ridge of sedimentary rock north of Hawkshead, part of the south Cumbria low fells character area, as identified by the Countryside Agency. There are magnificent views of central Lakeland to the north and east. The wood has a steep general gradient to the northeast but two small streams have incised the ground enough to create a more complex landform with some northwards and southward slopes. One of the streams forms the northern boundary and the other runs west to east from the middle of the wood to form a small valley head and spring within the wood itself. These variations in slope and gradient caused by the streams have added greatly to the character of the wood. The surrounding land is predominantly semi improved grazed pasture with scattered trees and scrub/hedges. There is a significant red and roe deer population in the area.


The highest part of the wood towards the northwest is a mature copse dominated by larch (circa 1920s). Below this is an area that was previously pasture with scattered scrub here there has been widespread planting and replanting since 1986. A small section in the extreme east next to the road hedge has been left unplanted and now the grass is tussocky. In addition there are a few long established large anthills.


Within the variously aged planted trees there is some established natural regeneration of trees and shrubs, including birch, rowan, hawthorn and holly and some quite large oak along the western edge at the top of the slope. In addition there are the remnants of well-established hedgerows of hawthorn and hazel. Some of the hazel stools are large and possibly of significant age. There are small sections of 'gill' woodland (ash, alder, oak, hazel) along the northern boundary and on both banks of the spring in the centre of the wood. Remnant dry stone-wall with some sections of old hedgerow form the western boundary. An electricity line crosses the wood from north to south, under this there has been shrub planting.


Much of the wood has an indistinct vertical structure with a patchy understorey; the recent planting is at wide spacing, which adds to the open character of the wood. The ground flora is relatively varied due to the differences in soil moisture caused by changes in slope and aspect. Under the mature trees at the top of the site the soil is thin with only a light grass dominated flora, although there is also wood sorrel and regenerating bilberry, hazel and birch. Down the slope particularly in the small valley the ground is very damp with moss, ferns and grasses. Between these two extremes there is a patchy covering of bracken with grassy glades. Under the bracken and the planting trees there are frequent anthills, which are active.


The wood is open to the public, little used apart from immediate neighbours and visitors to High Grassings B&B. The access point is difficult to locate as it is shared with the entrance to the neighbouring property High Grassings. There is room to park two cars on the grass at this entrance. There is a squeeze style into the woodland. There are no managed footpath routes. There is a small section of the wood adjacent to the road, which is used as a storage area.