HERDINGS WOOD - THE SITE

GEOLOGY
The rocks underlying the woodlands of the Gleadless Valley belong to the Coal Measures and were formed between 325 and 280 million years ago, during the Carboniferous period of geological time.

The rocks consist of alternating bands of shale and sandstone, with shales generally being dominant.

LANDSCAPE
Although in a valley, Herdings Wood is one of the higher woodlands in the Gleadless Valley, nearby Herdings Meadows reaching an altitude of 220 metres. It lies on a slope running down to the Meers Brook, the source of which lies at the edge of the site.

The Meers Brook is the main watercourse in the Gleadless Valley, through which it flows in a mainly westerly direction. It is joined by a small tributary which runs in a north-westerly direction through the western half of Herdings Wood. Within the wood the Meersbrook is, like other streams in the Gleadless Valley, generally shallow. It becomes much deeper and broader further down the valley, the lowest stretch having some meanders, patches of mud and silt, and relatively deep pools.

SOILS
Three main soil types underlie the woodlands of the Gleadless Valley: acidic soils, neutral soils and waterlogged soils. The soils in Herdings Wood are generally less acid than those in other woodlands in the Gleadless Valley.

Thin dry 'acidic soils' occur over sandstone, particularly on higher ground, as well as over shales on steep slopes. The depth and acidity of the soils is strongly affected by slope, with the thinnest and most acid soils being found on steeply sloping sites. Deeper and less acidic soils occur on flatter ground, even over sandstone.

Neutral soils are mainly found on flat to moderately sloping ground over shales. They vary in depth and clay content and also from dry to seasonally wet, the wettest areas being on stream banks, in valley bottoms and by springs and wet nutrient rich areas known as flushes.

Waterlogged soils are found in association with streams, springs and flushes. They occur mainly over shale, particularly where this meets sandstone strata. These conditions occur on the valley slopes as well as in the valley bottoms and by streams. Some of the springs are wet all year round but the flushes are more seasonal.

VIEWPOINTS
Being situated in a valley, views from Herdings Wood are limited. However views across the woodland can be obtained from the open spaces of Nether Spring Open Space and Herdings Meadows which lay to the north and south of the wood respectively.