Salcey Forest

Location - Southeast of Northampton. North of Hartwell village.

Where to park - Main car park SP79435166 (overflow parking across the road when it’s busy), Horsebox Car Park SP81035087.

Parking Charge - Yes, in both car parks

Notable species - Wood White, Purple Hairstreak, Black Hairstreak, Purple Emperor, White Admiral, Silver-washed Fritillary.

Managed by Forestry England Salcey Forest has become, especially in recent years, one of the most important butterfly sites in Northamptonshire. Ample parking can be found in the main car park where there is also a cafe and a children’s play area. During busy periods overflow parking is opened over the road. There is also parking in the Horsebox car park too but please keep the woodland access gate and the large horsebox bays clear. Please note that both car parks require payment to park. Salcey Forest is one of the best sites in the county to see a variety of woodland and grassland butterflies with key butterflies including the Wood White, Black Hairstreak, Purple Emperor and White Admiral. Wood Whites can be seen all around the woodland but they fly in the best numbers along the rides to the north, especially the ride north of the Horsebox Car Park towards the Piddington Crossroads and any adjacent rides too. The Purple Emperor seems to be increasing in Salcey Forest and many people now prefer to visit here to avoid the crowds at Fermyn. Purple Emperors can be recorded anywhere in the woods although the best areas tend to be the Horsebox car park itself, the ride south of the Horsebox car park and the ride north of the Horsebox car park especially around the first clearing. Please bear in mind that although the Purple Emperors here do often come down to the ground the best place to see “groundings” is still Fermyn Woods. White Admirals and Silver-washed Fritillaries can also be recorded in good numbers and in recent years a few Silver-washed Fritillary form valezina have been seen although they still remain quite a rare sight. Black Hairstreaks can be seen along the ride south of the Horsebox car park and scanning any blackthorns in the area can be very productive. If you follow this ride as it takes a right hand turn at the bottom of the hill you will eventually come across two grassy rides heading north, the first is off the main track and the other is behind a picnic bench. Both of these rides can be excellent for Black Hairstreaks. The other good location for Black Hairstreaks in Salcey Forest is the area known as the motorway meadow. If you didn’t want to walk here there is a small area for parking just off the road before the M1 bridge. If you park here and look southeast you will be confronted by two access gates, if you walk passed the one on the right you will come out into the Motorway Meadow. Follow the path by the small pond on the left and then you reach a larger clearing with a large blackthorn hedge that runs along the north. This is a superb area to stand and watch for Black Hairstreaks and they can sometimes come down low, although if it’s photographs you’re after a trip to Glapthorn Cow Pastures is recommended. The various clearings and glades around Salcey Forest can also be great places to look for commoner grassland species, especially the Marbled White which can be abundant here, especially in the motorway meadow.

You may have noticed that I have talked about the Horsebox car park rather a lot in the above account, and I do think there is definitely something else worth mentioning about it. The ride south of this car park is a hard track with a gentle slope which, being so close to the car park, makes it a good place to look for butterflies for anyone less able to get about or for anyone with accessibility issues. It is the only public ride in the county where you can see Wood Whites, Black Hairstreaks, Purple Hairstreaks, Purple Emperors, White Admirals and Silver-washed Fritillaries all in a short distance.

For more information about Salcey Forest visit Forestry England’s website