Brayton Barff Through the Seasons.
Set in the Vale of York, South West of the market town of Selby and between the villages of Thorpe Willoughby and Brayton, lies Brayton Barff, a sandstone Hill approximately one hundred and fifty feet in height which was formed by glacial movement during the last Ice Age. It is a significant landmark in an otherwise flat landscape.
Today the site is primarily owned by Yorkshire Water with Selby District Council owning a small patch of the land adjacent to the A63 Selby bypass. A large underground reservoir occupies the centre of the site which delivers water to around 4.7 million customers throughout Yorkshire.
Within the Barff woodland over 40% of the trees are Sessile Oak which are generally found in semi natural woodlands in the north of the country. These trees are so called because its acorns are not held on stalks, like those of the English Oak (Pedunculate), but attached directly to the outer twigs. There are also several English Oak trees as well as some cross-hybrid oaks. These trees are known to support many species of flora and fauna, invertebrates, mosses, lichen and fungi.
During the Victorian times it is thought that the shipbuilders on the east coast would come over to the Barff for selected cuts of timber to build their sea going vessels.
The Barff also has a variety of other trees including Silver Birch, Beech, Sycamore, Holly, Rowan, Scots Pine, Alder, Hawthorne and European Larch. There are also several Yew, Willow, Hazel, Horse Chestnut and Wych Elm. As with similar woodlands there are a variety of bushes, including Honeysuckle, Elderberry, Gorse, Broom and Buddleia.
The history of Brayton Barff is quite vague, apparently during 1803 a beacon was lit on the Barff when the country was threatened with an invasion by Napoleon. In May 1935, to celebrate King George V's Silver Jubilee, a Bonfire was lit on the Barff as part of the celebrations.
Early issues of Ordnance Survey Maps dated 1903 clearly show a rifle range on the Barff, extending out to Mill Lane. During the 
Second World War 1939-1945 a Prisoner of War Camp was built on the site. Today, nothing is left of these buildings less some areas to the South and West of the Barff where some of the brick foundations may be seen.
Between 2001 – 2004 the A63 Selby bypass, 10km twin lane single carriageway was constructed which severed the South West corner of the Barff, adjacent to Selby Golf Course and resulted in a slight redesign of several holes on the golf course. Wooden fencing was erected as a result of this new road running alongside of the Barff and a footbridge constructed over the ‘new road’ following the line of the Bridal way which extends from Mill Lane. Around 2005/2006 a definite 2metre wide limestone aggregate footpath was laid forming a circular path around the outer edges of the woodland. This footpath is approximately 1.2 miles in length and takes about 30 minutes to circumnavigate at a leisurely pace.
In 2012 the Barff was declared an Ancient Oak Woodland and as such throughout 2012 and 2013 significant work had been carried out by the relevant agencies to cut and remove large swathes of non-native trees, creating at that time huge scars on the landscape. Some three years later the planting of the native trees have become well established and are flourishing. Ongoing maintenance work on the footpath around the bottom of the Barff was completed during the Summer of 2016.
A second phase of woodland maintenance commenced during the Autumn of 2019 with the removal of many old and diseased trees and the cutting back of the Gorse and Broom bushes, especially adjacent to the ‘bypass trail’, this work continued through till March 2020 with re planting continuing into April 2020.
Brayton Barff is a popular site for walkers and bird watchers alike and a path circling the outer perimeter of the Barff makes a pleasant thirty minute walk, giving views looking over towards Selby and the village of Brayton as well as the power stations of Drax and Eggborough..jpg)
For the early risers it is a great place to see some stunning sunrises over the villages of Brayton looking towards Drax Power Station, the same with the Sunsets looking over towards Eggborough and Monk Fryston.
The Barff changes with the Seasons and every visit can reveal something new, the woodland is a haven for wildlife. Records show that since 1982 one hundred and twelve species of bird have been seen in the woodland and at least 40 of those have bred here, including Tawny Owl, Buzzard, Green Woodpecker, Spotted Flycatcher, Goldcrest and Nuthatch to name just a few. On average over 70 species of bird are recorded each year. Further details of the bird life on the Barff can be found on the Brayton Barff Group Facebook page, especially the posts from Derek Cooper. Today ‘The Friends of Brayton Barff group’ led by Derek and a small team of volunteers help keep and maintain the cleanliness of the site as well as recording the wildlife and bird sightings.
The Barff is also home to fifteen different species of mammals, including Muntjac Deer, Pipistrelle Bat, Fox, and Field Vole.
Over eighty species of plant and wildflowers have been recorded, included Bee Orchid, Northern Marsh Orchid, Wood Anemone, Marsh Ragwort, Bluebell, White Bluebell, Bittersweet and Purple and White Foxgloves. Over twenty species of Butterfly have been recorded, including Marbled White, Brown Angus, Speckled Wood, Comma and Brimstone.
During the Autumnal months fungi thrives in this woodland environment, species including Fly Agaric, Beefsteak Tree Fungi, Chicken of the Wood, Sulphur Tufts, Stinkhorn, Ink cap, Puffballs and Hoof Bracket are just some of the many varieties that can be found here.
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January 2025
Here is my first monthly round up of 2025 whilst I have been out with Meg and Gracie on our daily walks in the woodlands of Brayton Barff.
The first week of January got off to a dull and cold start, with daily temperatures staying in the low single figures throughout the week. Overnight frosts started on Thursday 2nd and stayed with us till Sunday when we saw our first snowfall of the year. Two to three inches fell in the early hours continuing till 9.00am that morning, thereafter, turning to sleet and rain which persisted for most of that day. The rain cleared much of the snow away by Sunday evening, but the rain continued throughout that night till around 9.00am on Monday 6th January, making for a very wet and slushy walk around the woodland. Robin, Blue Tits, Blackbirds, Collard Doves and Wood Pigeons remained quite active and vocal around the Barff despite the cold weather, and the Greater Spotted Woodpecker had been busily drumming away amongst the trees close to the car park every day this week. Tuesday 7th we woke up to temperatures of -2c at 7.30am, most of the snow has gone from the woodland, just the odd patch remains in the more sheltered areas. The Bluebells remain well hidden under the leaf litter for the time being, the cooling North Westerly winds and overnight frosts have absorbed all the moisture from the weekends snow and rain and the ground is quite firm, crisp and crunchy underfoot.
The second week of January has continued the cold theme, with overnight temperatures dropping to -4c all week and daytime temperatures struggling to get above 1c. A lot of snow pockets are still visible and shows no sign of melting anytime soon. Although bitterly cold we have had some bright, cold and sunny days, the sun rising around 8am with lovely clear blue skies. The Greater Spotted Woodpecker continues to be busy close to the car park area. Blue tits, Robins, Great tits, Coal Tits and Blackbirds have been very vocal and active along with Goldfinch and Long Tailed Tits. I have seen and watched several Goldcrest amongst the Holly bushes close to the service road, how this tiny bird survives in these conditions I do not know. Tree Creepers are becoming more visible, and it has been good to watch the Redwing, one of our winter visitors hanging around the winter-feeding station. Milder temperatures around the 14th of January melted the remnants of last weekend’s snow with afternoon temperatures reaching 12c. Despite the cooler weather Birch Polypore continues to grow on the Silver Birch trees. One of the standout features of January has been the number of vibrant sunrises we have had, no two are ever the same and each one produces a myriad of colours which fills the sky. At this time of year the sun rises at around 8.00am after which we get the golden hour when the daylight is redder and softer than when the sun is higher in the sky and fills the woodland with a beautiful golden glow.
The third week has been quite dull, overcast and cold, low cloud and mist has prevented us from seeing any colourful sunrises as we did during the first two weeks of the month. The temperature as you would expect has hovered between 0c early in the morning to 5c by lunchtime, it has remained primarily dry with just a couple of light showers during the evening of the 20th. Several winter fungi have appeared this week including Yellow Brain Fungi, Black Bulgar and the colourful Scarlet Elf cup. Birdsong has lifted the spirits though on the dull and cloudy mornings. The Robin is the chief chorist and chaperone on the Barff and can be heard all over the woodland, Chaffinch, Blue Tit and Great Tits have been very vocal too and a close second to the Robins. Wood Pigeons, Black Birds and Tree Sparrows can be heard and seen most days too. The Greater Spotted Woodpecker has now moved closer to the Service road entrance. Clusters of Molehills have started to appear all over the Barff this week with small mounds shooting up all over the woodland floor. The breeding season for moles generally occurs in the spring, a time of renewal and growth, during which time the male moles actively search for females, engaging in elaborate courtship rituals to attract a mate. These rituals involve intricate displays of digging and vocalizations, showcasing the male’s strength and desirability, so I expect to see more molehills over the next few weeks.
The last week of the month started off cold, dull and overcast with very little sunshine, accompanied with squally rain showers. The temperature hovering between 0c to 5c. Storm Eowyn arrived in the County on Friday 24th, coming over from the Atlantic, fortunately for us the wind speed only got up to about 32mph around the Barff during the morning and generally eased off during the afternoon, though nothing like the wind speeds recorded on the west coast and Scotland and Northern Ireland where it reached over 100mph. We awoke the following day to an overnight frost, bright sunshine and a lovely dry and calm winters morning! The tiny shoots of the Bluebells are just beginning to poke through the leaf litter. Blue Tit, Great Tit, Robin and Mistle Thrush are very vocal along with the Nuthatch. Winter fungi continue to thrive, with Yellow Brain Fungus appearing in various places around the Barff, along with Scarlet Elf Cup and Birch Polypore, the keener eye might also spot the Candle Snuff and Dead Mans Fingers. Grey Squirrels continue to be active; they do not hibernate over the winter months and one or two can be seen most mornings either rummaging around amongst the leaf litter or chasing each other up and down the tree trunks or even sitting on the fence posts around the car park busily eating the food that has been left out for the birds! As the month comes to an end it is good to see signs of spring appearing in the woodland, the Bluebells are just poking through, many of the trees and shrubs are beginning to bud and the days are getting longer. I fear that winter is not yet over, so let’s make the most of the dry bright and sunny mornings whilst we can.
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