Moldrams Local Nature Reserve

About Moldrams Local Nature Reserve

Moldrams Ground Local Nature Reserve (LNR) is a small local nature reserve situated in South Somerset within the Penselwood village and parish, approximately 4 miles away from the larger town of Wincanton. Moldrams is a small site at just 2.4 hectares (5.93 acres) with a wealth of wildlife. Habitats on site are varied and include scrub, hazel coppice, ponds, wet willow woodland and grassland, which host a number of European Protected Species., including the Hazel Dormouse and the Great Crested Newt.

Historical Information

Sadly, there is little known about the history of Moldrams Ground LNR. There were three Moldrams brothers of German origin who lived in a cottage on the site, which no longer exists, and ran a family business making worsted stockings. Their descendant, George Moldram, lived in the village and had 10 children. His daughter, Olive, still lived in Penselwood up until 2000, but passed on a few years ago.

The site was owned by Wessex Water and used for rearing chickens until 1987 when it was acquired by South Somerset District Council. It became a designated local nature reserve in 2000, and is now owned by Somerset Council, managed by the Green Estates team.

Habitats and Wildlife

Moldrams has a central grassland core (with some scrub and bracken encroachment) and good peripheral tree stock, which contains some ancient oaks and ash trees.  There is also a boundary hedge line, which is dominated by holly but also has a good mix of native broadleaved trees including hazel.  There is a network of ponds on site and the western slope of the site is boggy and wet, which allows both willows and irises to flourish.  There are also pockets of scrub across the site, which consist primarily of bramble. The central area which comprises unimproved grassland and an acidic bog is no longer grazed and as a result bracken has encroached onto this area and is threatening to out-compete the bluebell habitat, which covers this area at a lower canopy level.

Three ponds on site are managed as open water, providing an important habitat for amphibians including all three native species of newt. The top ponds are named Dragonfly pond and Newt pond. Newt pond is relatively new and was dug by volunteers in 2010. Great crested newts are found on site in high numbers and the management of the ponds is aimed at providing optimal habitat for this species.

92 different species of plants have been recorded at Moldrams ground, which includes the majestic oaks and wet- loving willows to the swathes of bluebells and the more rare early purple orchids. However the dates of some of these records is unknown so further survey work would benefit the site to ensure management is kept current.
193 species of invertebrates have been recorded at Moldrams Ground, from a previous survey carried out in 1998 by a volunteer and more recently by the Yeovil and District Natural History Society in 2009.  These records include common invertebrates such as seven spot ladybirds, meadow grasshoppers and freshwater shrimps.  Butterflies such as small tortoiseshell, meadow browns and speckled wood are common throughout the site, with peacock butterflies taking advantage of the nettle areas to lay their eggs.  However, Moldrams is significantly understudied and therefore there is hope that these figures may only be a small proportion of the actual species present.

40 species of birds have been recorded at Moldrams, with the Yeovil and District branch of Somerset Wildlife Trust (SWT) taking a keen interest and carrying out surveys more regularly.  Some of the birds recorded are seasonal visitors including redwing and fieldfare, which are winter migrants. Summer migrants recorded include the willow warbler, garden warbler and chiffchaff.  A selection of bird feeders were introduced on to site near the bird hide by local naturalist Eric Andrews and since his passing in 2024, the  bird feeders are maintained by the local community, as well as a wellbeing group run by the Balsam Centre.

Moldrams hosts some of the UK’s largest mammals including red fox, roe deer and badger.  Grey squirrels are also present, yet the most important mammal species identified on site in terms of conservation importance is the Hazel dormouse.  This was identified as being present on site in 2010 after a visiting ecologist found some dormouse nibbled hazelnuts at the base of a hazel tree.  Dormice are protected by law under the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) and The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010, making the dormouse a European Protected Species. Dormice are protected by law due to their significantly diminished population over the last century.

Site Management

Pathways that are existing between all entry points within Moldrams are strimmed four times a year by by the Green Estates ranger team to maintain access for members of the public around the site. During these visits, the rangers assess any tree works that need to be carried out, and will also ensure that any branches, limbs or other tree material blocking any access routes will be removed.

Annual bramble cutting usually occurs between October to February, during the time of the year when birds and mammals are unlikely to nesting. Bracken is removed between July to September, once the bluebells have flowered; whilst the usual method of cutting and raking is still being applied within the management of the site by the rangers, an allocated area of bracken is now being ‘pulled’ by volunteers, removing the root system with this practice. This is a trial to see if there is a different outcome between the varying styles of removal techniques.

Pond clearance work takes place between September and November to avoid the breeding season during the spring and summer and hibernating fauna in the winter. The bottom pond requires a more severe type of management at this stage, due to the length of time vegetation and silt have been left to accumulate within it. Machinery would need to be involved to increase the depth of the pond to make it more habitable for amphibians.

Volunteers from the local parish have begun to lend a hand on visits with the Green Estate team and have been involved with tree work, pond clearance and bracken pulling and raking.  In 2024, a corporate group from Heidelburg took part in a corporate volunteering day at Moldrams, led by the ranger team. The Green Estates team has seen an increase in demand for this type of volunteering activity over the last year and the rangers do their best to accommodate any requests.

Public Access

Moldrams is open for access to the public all year round, twenty-four hours a day.  There is a public footpath that cuts across the site to the wider countryside and a number of other paths that navigate around the site itself.  There is access to a secluded bird hide on site and some benches around the reserve. Being in such a rural setting means that the site doesn’t have a high volume of visitors, with the majority of visitors being situated in the parish of Penselwood itself.

Please note that there are no toilet facilities at this reserve, nor are there any allocated parking locations. There are no public events held on this site, but community group events may be delivered on occasion when requested.