Ricketts Wood

Ricketts Wood is ancient semi-natural woodland within the Green Belt forming part of a larger and continuous linear strip of woodland on the slopes of a small seasonal stream which is a tributary to the Deanoak Brook to the north. The wood extends to 2.5 hectares and is situated in the intimately mixed agricultural landscape of south-eastern Surrey on the heavy Weald Clay with direct road frontage onto Stan Hill Road 1.5 miles to the north-west of Charlwood village. The woodland is oak high forest dating from the 1900s with a well developed under storey of hornbeam of coppice origin. The dense shade cast by the latter has encouraged the oak to grow straight and tall with few epicormic side branches, a silvicultural practice more commonly found in northern France. The dense shade cast by this species combination results in a sparse under storey of shrubs and flora, except for bluebells which provide a spectacular display every spring. Their visual presence is enhanced by the unimpeded vistas across the shallow valley of the central stream. Some limited coppicing in the northern extremity of the site took place in 1991 where greater light levels have allowed a diverse shrub layer to develop. Approximately 0.5ha of the oak in the south-west was selectively thinned in 1997. This was the last silvicultural operation to take place in Ricketts. Deer pressure (roe and fallow) on the site is significant and no evidence of natural regeneration is evident other than amongst dense bramble created by opening of the over storey.