Alder Wood and Meadow

{{Short description|Protected area in England}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}

{{Infobox SSSI

|image= Alder Wood 1.jpg

|image_caption =

|name= Alder Wood and Meadow

|aos= Northamptonshire

|interest=Biological

|gridref={{gbmappingsmall| SP 837 846 }}

|area= 13.2 hectares

|notifydate= 1985

|map=[http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%271004488%27 Magic Map]

}}

Alder Wood and Meadow is a {{convert|13.2|hectare|acre|adj=on}} biological Site of Special Scientific Interest south-west of Corby in Northamptonshire.{{cite web|url= https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteDetail.aspx?SiteCode=S1004488&SiteName=alder&countyCode=&responsiblePerson=|title=Designated Sites View: Alder Wood and Meadow | series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|accessdate = 6 February 2017}}{{cite web|url= http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%271004488%27|title=Map of Alder Wood and Meadow|series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|accessdate= 6 February 2017}}

The semi-natural ancient broadleaved woodland is a surviving fragment of the Royal Forest of Rockingham. It is mainly ash, and the ground flora on base rich soil includes tufted hair-grass, dog's mercury and enchanter's nightshade. The meadow is agriculturally unimproved, and it has surviving medieval ridge and furrow.{{cite web|url=http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1004488.pdf |title=Alder Wood and Meadow citation |series=Sites of Special Scientific Interest |publisher=Natural England |accessdate=6 February 2017 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303235703/http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1004488.pdf |archivedate=3 March 2016 }}

There is access by a footpath from Rushton.