Local Wildlife Sites

Some 28 wet woodlands are included in Local Wildlife Sites. The following Local Wildlife Sites include willow carr:

11 Gunthwaite Dam, Clough Wood

24 Worsbrough Reservoir*

46 Elsecar Reservoir

48 Bretton Park,

23 Rockley Woods

26 Cliffe Wood,

25 Barnsley Canal at Wilthorpe,

40 Forge & Tin Mill Rocher

*From 2021, the Worsbrough Reservoir Willow Carr is included in the Dearne Valley Wetlands SSSI.

Areas where there are sites that might be considered for Local Wildlife Site designation for the Wet Woodland priority habitat include: the River Dove north of Wombwell, Worsbrough Dale, Hermit Hill, River Don south of Thurgoland, River Don at Oxspring and Berry Moor, as well as Edderthorpe, New Park Spring, north-west of Dearne Valley Country Park, and in Standhill wood.

Local wildlife sites may be designated for their wet woodland ≥0.25ha with National Vegetation Classifications: W4, W5, W6 and W7.

They may also be selected for being ancient woodland, having a good range of ancient woodland indicator or other notable plants, or supporting good populations of species of conservation importance eg bats, birds, invertebrates

Wet woodland Sites are well represented in Barnsley including 18 areas of Willow Carr with those near Worsbrough Reservoir, Elsecar Reservoir, and Gunthwaite Dam the best examples, with an Alder Carr at Gunthwaite as well.

As well as in floodplains of the rivers Don, Dearne and Dove, Wet Woodland may also be found near streams and flushes. There are ten Wet Woodland areas within larger woods, and one site of scattered Willow

A number of wet woodland sites are designated as Local Wildlife Sites (see below) and some are within the new Dearne Valley Wetlands SSSI including the Willow Carr at Worsbrough Reservoir.

Wet Woodland sites