The following text is taken from the Natural England website as the citation for it being designated a SSSI.

The wood, which is basically of the ash-maple type, has developed on soils derived from strata of the underlying Glacial Boulder Clay and Triassic Keuper Marl. The woodland canopy is characterised by the abundance of ash Fraxinus excelsior together with smaller numbers of pedunculate oak Quercus robur, while the basic constituents of the shrub layer are hazel Corylus avellana, field maple Acer campestre, hawthorn Crataegus monogyna, elder Sambucus nigra, and privet Ligustrum vulgare, with rose Rosa spp. also common. The ground vegetation contains abundant tufted hair-grass Deschampsia caespitosa, rough meadow grass Poa trivialis, dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis, red campion Silene dioica and enchanter's nightshade Circaea lutetiana, together with a range of plants typical of ancient woodland, including yellow archangel Galeobdolon luteum, wood anemone Anemone nemerosa, wood millet Milium effusum, wood sorrel Oxalis acetosella, sanicle Sanicula europaea, ransoms Allium ursinum, toothwort Lathraea squamaria and giant bellflower Campanula latifolia. In the northern part of the wood sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus has invaded and modified the stand type, while in he south alder Alnus glutinosa dominates an area of woodland developed on wetter soils. Within the alder wood the shrub layer is characterised by the presence of dogwood Swida sanguinea, Hazel Corylus avellana and guelder rose Viburnum opulus, while the ground vegetation contains abundant Mercurialis perennis and lesser celandine Ranunculus ficaria, and frequent bugle Ajuga reptans, marsh marigold Caltha palustris, cleavers Galium aparine and wood avens Geum urbanum. The centre of the wood is largely bare of trees and is dominated by bracken Pteridium aquilinum.