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.
Click on the galleries shown below to expand the albums.
August 2021
I do not know where August has gone this year, the month seems to have come and disappeared in a flash.
Sunday 1st August was Yorkshire Day, a humid and overcast morning with drizzle early on which made for a damp and wet walk through the woodland. The day started with quite a bang at 8.00am when four of the eight cooling towers at Eggborough Powers station were demolished. The power station is one of three clearly visible landmarks seen from the perimeter footpath on the Barff. This coal powered Power station was built back in the early 1960’s and started producing electricity in 1967 for over 2 million homes, it was finally closed down in September 2018, some fifty years later.
Walking round the Barff at this time of year is always a delight with plenty of wildlife about, Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler can still be heard in the undergrowth, though these will be getting less and less as the month passes as they head south for their Autumnal migration. Nuthatch, Wren and Robin can be heard all year round each with their distinctive call, as can Tree Creepers, Bull Finches, Chaffinch and Blue and Great Tits. One of the several highlights for me though was being able to listen to the calling of a juvenile Sparrow Hawk, which was born earlier in the year amongst the woodland on the top of the Barff. I could hear it calling most mornings from the second week in August through to the end of the month when it finally fledged. I’ve heard and occasionally seen our resident Buzzard, circling high above the tree line, it is always nice to hear these predators it means the Barff must be providing it with a good hunting ground.
Another highlight for me on the Barff this month has been the number of insects and butterflies, including Meadow Brown, Gatekeepers, Green Veined White and Small White are just some of the butterflies, along with Common Darters and Migrant Dragonflies. I have seen a lone Buddleia bush high up on the Barff which started to flower in mid-August this year, which attracts Red Admirals and Peacocks two beautiful and colourful butterflies. I also seem to be wiping spider’s webs from my brow most mornings at the moment, which can get a little tedious especially on a warm, humid morning.
There are still plenty of wildflowers thriving amongst the woodland, Ragwort is still in flower, Birds Foot Trefoil, Tufted and Meadow Vetch, Great Willow Herb and a variety of Thistles, especially the Spear Thistles, to name just a few.
Weatherwise for August it has been largely unsettled with a fair bit of rain between the 5th and 13th though the days I have had to wear my waterproof jacket have been few and far between. The second half of the month was much drier with high pressure lingering around till the end of the month. Morning temperatures at the start of our walks have been between 12C to 15C and quite humid at times.
The Grey Squirrels seem to constantly thrive in the woods, skurrying up and down and along the tree trunks and branches. I hope they are going to be able to find a sustainable food source this year as many of the old oak trees seem quite barren of Acorns this year.
We had a week’s holiday down in Kent towards the end of the month which was very nice, but it is always good to return to the Barff on your return.
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