Haugh Wood, Herefordshire

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Haugh Wood

Haugh Wood is a woodland above the River Wye in Herefordshire, on the east side of the Wye between Mordiford to the west , Broadmoor Common (by Woolhope) to the east and Common Hill (above Fownhope to the south.

This is a mixed woodland of nearly 850 acres and managed by the Forestry Commission. A section of the wood known as 'Poor's Acre' belongs to National Trust

The name Haugh, pronounced "hoff", is believed by local folk to be the name of an Anglo-Saxon owner, or it could be a plain Old English word, such as haga; 'enclosure'.

Conservation

A pool within the wood

Local birdwatchers have recorded 95 species of bird in Haugh Wood, including the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker.

The wood has been designated a 'Site of Special Scientific Interest' as a nationally important site for butterflies and moths, with over 600 species reported, and hence designated as a SSSI.[1]

Legend

A local legend tells of the Dragon of Mordiford, which had its lair in Haugh Wood and would amble down from the wood to drink from the confluence of the Rivers Wye and Lugg near Mordiford village.

Location

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("Wikimedia Commons" has material
about Haugh Wood, Herefordshire)

References

  1. SSSI listing and designation for Haugh Wood