Dane-in-Shaw Pasture
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SJ876624 | — | Favourable | 0.2 | 2012-05-25 |
| SJ877624 | — | Favourable | 0.2 | 2012-05-25 |
| SJ877625 | — | Favourable | 7.75 | 2011-07-13 |
Geology & landscape
Rock Type: Glacial Till
Landscape processes: Glacial
Description
Area, 7.7 ha. 19.0 ac. Description This area of unimproved pasture, lying in the valley of Dane in Shaw Brook on the eastern outskirts of Congleton, is one of the largest and most botanically diverse areas of flushed neutral grassland remaining in lowland Cheshire. The underlying glacial and fluvio glacial sands, interspersed with bands of boulder clay, have been subject to widespread slumping. This has given rise to a variety of topographical features which have a wide range of soil types including dry sandy spurs and clayey banks. The latter are locally flushed by the many springs which issue from the north facing slopes. The glacial drift lies on top of Keuper marls which are exposed along the meandering course of the brook. The predominating grassland type is characterised by crested dog’s tail Cynosurus cristatus and common knapweed Centaurea nigra. It is moderately species rich with quaking grass Briza media, heath grass Danthonia decumbens, oxeye daisy Leucanthemum vulgare and yellow rattle Rhinanthus minor. On the drier sandy spurs more acidic soils support grassland dominated by red fescue Festuca rubra and common bent Agrostis capillaris with abundant devil’s bit scabious Succisa pratensis; and locally patches of heather Calluna vulgaris. The tall herb vegetation of the wet flushed areas is dominated by meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria and great willowherb Epilobium hirsutum with much ragged-robin Silene flos-cuculi. The flushes also have large stands of great horsetail Equisetum telmateia, water avens Geum rivale and common spotted orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii, all of which are of local distribution in Cheshire. This tall herbaceous vegetation supports a diversity of insects including strong colonies of common blue Polyommatus icarus and small heath Coenonympha pamphilus, two butterflies with a restricted distribution in Cheshire.