117 RIDING SPINNEY

RIDING SPINNEY IS PROTECTED BY A GROUP TREE PROTECTION ORDER AND ALSO IN A CONSERVATION AREA

In a map dated 1819 this spinney is shown as 'acorn planted in 1702'.

Wednesday 27th March 2002

A lovely spring day, sunny and warm.
This spinney was purchased from Rothley Temple Estates and is well looked after as an extension to a garden on The Ridgeway, Rothley. When it was surveyed in 1988 it was classed as a site of interest at Parish Level. (Not how they are assessed in 2012).
The following trees were recorded in 1988:
Field maple, Sycamore, Hornbeam, Hawthorn, Ash, Holly, Wild Privet, Wild Cherry, Common Oak. The oak was dominant. Ground cover was Bluebell and Dogs Mercury.

At the time of our visit in the early spring the Dogs Mercury was abundant as were the bluebells which were just coming into flower. The Wild Garlic had been introduced in the early 1990's and had spread well, the same for the Yellow Archangel. Wood Anemone also present.

There is a large stone pond which is a spawning ground for frogs and toads. Common Newts are also abundant. The garden planting attracts butterflies and insects and the spinney a good nesting site for birds.

Four of the trees were recorded as part of the Ancient Tree Survey. An Oak Tree 28 with a girth of 3.7m and Oak Tree 29 with a girth of 3.8m.
Ash Tree 614 has a girth of 3.7m and stands in the spinney on the Ancient Temple Boundary together with Ash Tree Stump 616 with a girth of 2.3m. This stump is important as it stands on part of the Ancient Temple Boundary where it changes direction.

Riding Spinney had 13 active Rook nests at the time of our visit in March 2002 and is part of a larger Rookery that has been active for many years.

In November 2008 we started to record the Ancient Temple Boundaries within the Rothley Ancient Ecclesiastical Boundary. This is part of Detached 2 of the Ancient Temple lands. The first stint began in Hicklings Spinney Site 270, along The Ridings, over The Ridgeway and into Riding Spinney.

There is much evidence of this boundary, especially the wide boundary ditch with old, individual hawthorn trees running the length. Oak Tree 614 by the side of the ditch has a girth of 3.7m. Close to the stint further down into the spinney there is a ditch that goes off to the right with stones on both sides. Sad to say, no wall was found but this is still a significant point. About a metre into this right hand ditch there is evidence of an old parkland railing gate as the hinges are shown on an iron post which is part of the parkland railings.
Carrying down along the main ditch to the end of the spinney there is an old stump recorded as Ash Tree 616 with a girth of 2.3m. Ash Trees are common boundary trees in Rothley.
This is also the end of our boundary research in Riding Spinney as we now turn into Lawn Bottom, Site 265