Tower Hill to Cockham Wood

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 51.4042, 0.5210

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Also within

Kent County King Charles Way - Otterham Creek to Stoke Marshes National Trail

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (2) Unfavourable Declining (2)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
TQ754702 — Favourable 18.74 2009-01-05
TQ758711 — Unfavourable Declining 3.39 2022-12-05
TQ761714 — Unfavourable Declining 13.53 2009-07-21
TQ770712 — Favourable 13.11 2009-01-05

Climate exposure

This is about exposure to a nationwide pressure this habitat type carries — not a verdict on this site's own management.

Coastal

Coastal habitats are exposed to sea-level rise and storm erosion. Where hard sea defences sit behind them, there's nowhere landward to retreat to — a squeeze that keeps compressing the habitat no matter how well it's managed.

Habitats

Coppiced woodland, Mixed scrub, Montane scrub

Geology & landscape

Mining / Industrial: Quarry · Geological Period: Paleogene

Landscape processes: Coastal

Description

Area, 47.9 ha. 118.4 ac. Description This site is of both biological and geological interest. It contains woodland representative of that on Tertiary deposits in Kent and supports a rich insect fauna. In addition, Upnor Quarry exposes a complete Tertiary stratigraphic sequence. Much of Cockham Wood consists of neglected coppice, principally ash Fraxinus excelsior, with oak Quercus robur standards. The shrub layer, which is especially varied towards the central part of the wood, is dominated for the most part byelm Ulmus spp., field maple Acer campestre and hawthorn Crataegus monogyna. However, many other shrubs are also represented including some characteristic of base rich soils, such as dogwood Cornus sanguinea and others of more acid soils, such as honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum. Amongst the ground flora brambles Rubus fruticosus, dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis and nettles Urtica dioica are generally dominant. To the west of the wood is an area of dense scrub, but with grassy clearings maintained by rabbits. Elm suckers and hawthorn dominate the vegetation. The ground flora here are sparse, though the clearings support a number of herbs typical of calcareous pastures including yellow wort Blackstonia perfoliata and ploughman's spikenard Inula conyza. A narrowgrassy zone, dominated by sea couch grass Elytrigia atherica, occurs at intervals along the junction between woodland and intertidal mud flats. Minor slippages and wave action have led to erosion of this habitat. A number of scarce species were formerly found in this zone but only one, bithynian vetch Vicia bithynica, remains. Tower Hill and Lower Upnor Quarry are sandy areas which support a very rich insect fauna. Of particular note are the aculeate hymenoptera bees and wasps, about a third of all British species being found here including 7 nationally rare species. The geological interest of Upnor Quarry may be defined as follows, The Upnor Quarry exposes a complete Tertiary age stratigraphic sequence from the Thanet Sands, through the Woolwich and Oldhaven Beds, into the lower part of the London Clay. The Woolwich and Oldhaven Beds are of particular interest, both in the sedimentary evidence they afford of depositional conditions and in the abundant molluscan fauna that they yield. The complex lateral facies changes in these formations makes Upnor a vital site to be viewed in comparison with other Palaeogene localities in the eastern London Basin.

Species mentioned

English name
search for this in other sites		 Latin name
search with Google		 IUCN / Red List Type Family
sea couch Elytrigia atherica Not listed in GB list grass poaceae
yellowwort Blackstonia perfoliata LC herb gentianaceae
ploughman's spikenard Inula conyza Not listed in GB list herb asteraceae
honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum LC herb caprifoliaceae
dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis LC herb euphorbiaceae
bramble Rubus fruticosus LC herb rosaceae
nettle Urtica dioica LC herb urticaceae
Bithynian vetch Vicia bithynica LC herb fabaceae
dogwood Cornus sanguinea LC shrub cornaceae
hawthorn Crataegus monogyna LC shrub rosaceae
field maple Acer campestre LC tree aceraceae
ash Fraxinus excelsior LC tree oleaceae
common oak Quercus robur LC tree fagaceae

Plant communities

W20 — Montane scrub

Salix lapponum-Luzula sylvatica scrub

Salix arbuscula, Salix cinerea, Salix lapponum, Salix myrsinites, Salix phylicifolia, Salix reticulata, Empetrum nigrum, Calluna vulgaris, Salix lanata, Vaccinium myrtillus, Vaccinium uliginosum, Carex atrata, Carex bigelowii, Carex binervis, Carex flacca, Luzula multiflora, Luzula sylvatica, Huperzia selago, Selaginella selaginoides, Aulacomnium palustre, Mnium hornum, Philonotis fontana, Plagiomnium undulatum, Rhizomnium punctatum, Dicranum bonjeanii, Dicranum majus, Dicranum scoparium, Fissidens adianthoides, Racomitrium lanuginosum, Calliergonell cuspidatum, Ctenidium molluscum, Hylocomium splendens, Hypnum callichroum, Hypnum cupressiforme, Palustriella commutatum, Plagiothecium denticulatum, Plagiothecium undulatum, Pleurozium schreberi, Ptilium crista-castrensis, Rhytidiadelphus loreus, Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus, Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus, Sanionia uncinata, Scorpidium revolvens, Thuidium tamariscinum, Atrichum undulatum, Polytrichastrum alpinum, Sphagnum capillifolium, Sphagnum fallax, Sphagnum girgensohnii, Sphagnum palustre, Sphagnum russowii, Sphagnum squarrosum, Sphagnum subnitens, Sphagnum teres, Barbilophozia barbata, Chiloscyphus polyanthos, Diplophyllum albicans, Lophocolea bidentata, Plagiochila porelloides, Ptilidium ciliare, Scapania undulata, Cladonia squamosa, Peltigera canina, Angelica sylvestris, Caltha palustris, Hieraclium spp., Saussurea alpina, Solidago virgaurea, Campanula rotundifolia, Succisa pratensis, Valeriana officinalis, Rhodiola rosea, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Thymus praecox, Epilobium anagallidifolium, Dactylorhiza viridis, Euphrasia officinalis, Rhinanthus minor, Oxalis acetosella, Oxyria digyna, Polygonum viviparum, Rumex acetosa, Anemone nemorosa, Ranunculus acris, Thalictrum alpinum, Alchemilla alpina, Alchemilla glabra, Filipendula ulmaria, Geum rivale, Galium boreale, Galium saxatile, Saxifraga aizoides, Saxifraga hypnoides, Saxifraga oppositifolia, Saxifraga stellaris, Viola riviniana, Agrostis canina, Agrostis capillaris, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Deschampsia cespitosa, Deschampsia flexuosa, Festuca ovina, Festuca rubra, Nardus stricta, Dryopteris dilatata, Phegopteris connectilis

W21 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub

Crataegus monogyna-Hedera helix scrub

Hedera helix, Salix cinerea, Acer pseudoplatanus, Ilex aquifolium, Betula pendula, Corylus avellana, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Fraxinus excelsior, Malus sylvestris, Sorbus aria, Taxus baccata, Ulmus glabra, Ulmus procera, Sambucus nigra, Viburnum lantana, Euonymus europaeus, Cornus sanguinea, Juniperus communis, Ligustrum vulgare, Clematis vitalba, Rhamnus cathartica, Crataegus laevigata, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Juncus effusus, Plagiomnium undulatum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Kindbergia praelonga, Rhynchostegium confertum, Tamus communis, Heracleum sphondylium, Torilis japonica, Arum maculatum, Arctium minus, Cirsium arvense, Lonicera periclymenum, Moehringia trinervia, Silene dioica, Stellaria graminea, Stellaria holostea, Stellaria media agg., Calystegia sepium, Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Iris foetidissima, Glechoma hederacea, Lamium purpureum, Origanum vulgare, Stachys sylvatica, Teucrium scorodonia, Allium ursinum, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Circaea lutetiana, Rumex sanguineus, Anemone nemorosa, Ranunculus repens, Fragaria vesca, Geum urbanum, Potentilla sterilis, Poterium sanguisorba, Rosa arvensis, Rosa canina, Rubia peregrina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Galium aparine, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Anisantha sterilis, Arrhenatherum elatius, Brachypodium pinnatum, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Bromopsis erecta, Dactylis glomerata, Elytrigia repens, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Asplenium scolopendrium, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris filix-mas

W22 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub

Prunus spinosa-Rubus fruticosus scrub

Hedera helix, Acer campestre, Corylus avellana, Ulex europaeus, Prunus spinosa, Plagiomnium undulatum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Eurhynchium striatum, Kindbergia praelonga, Thuidium tamariscinum, Atrichum undulatum, Lophocolea bidentata, Achillea millefolium, Cardamine flexuosa, Lonicera periclymenum, Moehringia trinervia, Silene dioica, Silene uniflora, Stellaria media agg., Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Stachys sylvatica, Teucrium scorodonia, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Oxalis acetosella, Digitalis purpurea, Plantago lanceolata, Veronica chamaedrys, Armeria maritima, Rumex acetosa, Filipendula ulmaria, Geum urbanum, Rosa canina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Rubus idaeus, Galium aparine, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Agrostis capillaris, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Asplenium scolopendrium, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris borreri, Dryopteris filix-mas