Cerisy Forest
| Cerisy Forest | |
|---|---|
| Forêt de Cerisy | |
 Pathway in the forest | |
  Location in France | |
| Location | Cerisy-la-Forêt, Montfiquet, France |
| Coordinates | 49°11′00″N 0°53′30″W / 49.18333°N 0.89167°W |
| Area | 2,127 hectares (5,260 acres) |
Cerisy Forest (forêt de Cerisy or forêt de Balleroy) is a 2,127-hectare (5,260-acre)[1] beech woodland (75% of the land), located in the French Calvados and Manche departments.
Since 1976 it has been a national nature reserve managed by the National Forests Office. Its goals include conservation of an endemic golden sub-species of carabus auronitens, which is protected at national level.
Fauna
[edit]
Fauna in the woodland includes roe deer, boars, badgers and foxes.
Bird species include black woodpecker, middle spotted woodpecker and long-eared owl. Amphibians and insects include the golden carabus auronitens (Chrysocarabus auronitens ssp cupreonitens),[2][3] Alpine newt, palmate newt, agile frog and salamanders. There are also butterflies and reptiles including the adder and common lizard.[4]
Flora
[edit]Cerisy Forest is made up 75% of beech, 12% oak and 3% Scots pine. Other trees and shrubs include birch, chestnut, black alder, holly, knee holm, walnut. Plant species include wood spurge, foxglove and thimbleweed.
-
Chênesse forest road -
Titre pond -
Royal milestone
Surroundings
[edit]
- Cerisy-la-Forêt is a village to the west of the forest. Its 11th century abbey was built on the site of a priory founded in 510 by Saint Vigor, bishop of Bayeux. it is a Benedictine monastery.
- Le Molay-Littry is a town north of the forest. It hosted the only coal mine in Normandy, of which a museum now stands.
- Balleroy is a village south of the forest. Balleroy Castle (designed by François Mansart) was built from 1626 to 1636.
Other sites
[edit]- La maison de la Forêt et du Tourisme (expositions sur la faune et flore en forêt de Cerisy, métiers liés au bois, animations pour groupes et individuels).
- Le moulin de Marcy au Molay-Littry.
- Les jardins de Castillon.
- Les étangs de Planquery.
- Le jardin d'Elle à Villiers-Fossard.
- Le parc des Sources d'Elle.
References
[edit]- ^ "Les forêts domaniales du Calvados" (PDF).
- ^ La Normandie, Coll. La bibliothèque du naturaliste, pages 222, 223, Delachaux et Niestllé SA, Lonay (Suisse), 2003
- ^ "Le réseau des réserves naturelles de Basse-Normandie". Archived from the original on 2007-10-10. Retrieved August 19, 2007.
- ^ "Les animaux de la forêt de Cerisy". Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2014-07-04.