An area of woodland (8 hectares of which classified as semi-natural and the remaining 209 hectares classified as plantation) included in the Nature Conservancy Council's 'Inventory of Ancient Woodland'. Ancient woodland status considered to be probable. {1} C.W.Phillips visited Stapleford Wood in approximately 1930. He noted an earthwork bank that appeared to be older than the wood, which he suggested may have been a dyke. In parts it had been increased in height by the frequent clearance of a wet drainage ditch running along its north side. Despite these modern additions it still did not exceed 3ft in height. The untouched parts were no more than 1ft high. There were no clear signs of original ditches associated with the bank. If there was one, it probably would have been on the south side. There were no surviving signs of continuation at either end. The wood was very wet and had been ploughed. There were further banks which ran at right angles to the proposed dyke. The line of the Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire county boundary to the south was marked by a broad and deep wet ditch. The only banks associated with it were those which were formed by the material cleaned out of it. {2}