Mortimer Forest is a
forest
A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense ecological community, community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, ...
on the
Shropshire/
Herefordshire border in
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
, near the town of
Ludlow. It covers hilly terrain, including the
marilyn of
High Vinnalls, rising to .
History
Mortimer Forest was an ancient hunting forest, similar to areas including
Bircher Common. According to
Forestry England, it is a remnant of the ancient Saxon hunting forests of Mocktree, Deerfold and Bringewood. Remains of this 'ancient battleground' include a castle mound that was owned by powerful
Marcher lords, who had considerable fortified bases at
Wigmore and Ludlow. The name of the forest derives from the
Mortimers, who were Marcher lords.
Natural history includes very old
limestones and
shales laid down by the sea some 400 million years ago.
Location
Mortimer Forest is located on the county boundary of Shropshire and Herefordshire, in the
West Midlands region of England. The OS positioning is: SO480730, it is near the town of
Ludlow, which is on the
A49 road.
Climate
Mortimer Forest has typical forest climate, with lower-than-average light levels and a slightly cooler
temperature
Temperature is a physical quantity that quantitatively expresses the attribute of hotness or coldness. Temperature is measurement, measured with a thermometer. It reflects the average kinetic energy of the vibrating and colliding atoms making ...
. It is also in a hilly part of England, meaning it has a damp climate.
Geology
The limestones and shales of Mortimer Forest are around 400 million years old, making them round the
Silurian/
Ordivician age.
Fossil
A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserve ...
s are common in the Mortimer Forest, especially
coral
Corals are colonial marine invertebrates within the subphylum Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact Colony (biology), colonies of many identical individual polyp (zoology), polyps. Coral species include the important Coral ...
s,
trilobites and shells. This indicates that at one time the area of Mortimer Forest was underwater.
Multiple patches of Mortimer Forest were together designated as a
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain, or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle ...
(SSSI) in 1992. This designation is because of the
fossils found in the area. Most of the land designated as Mortimer Forest SSSI is owned by the
Forestry Commission
The Forestry Commission is a non-ministerial government department responsible for the management of publicly owned forests and the regulation of both public and private forestry in England.
The Forestry Commission was previously also respons ...
.
Tourism
Mortimer Forest is owned by
Forestry England, which has done a number of things to facilitate tourists, including a website, signage, picnic tables, car parks, and laying out walking tracks for different fitness abilities.
National Cycle Network route 44 passes through, en route between Ludlow and
Leominster. Also passing through the area is the
Mortimer Trail, a
long-distance footpath.
References
External links
Forestry England's page on The Mortimer Forest
{{coord, 52.36, -2.76, type:forest_region:GB-HEF_dim:2500, display=title
Forests and woodlands of Shropshire
Forests and woodlands of Herefordshire
Ludlow