Stannington Ruffs

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 53.3983, -1.5412

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Also within

South Yorkshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SK306891 — Favourable 2.71 2024-04-04

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

Fast flowing river and stream

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Sandstone

Landscape processes: Coastal

Description

Area, 2.4 hectares 5.9 ac Description The River Loxley occupies a valley running east west on the northern outskirts of Sheffield. The special interests are within a cliff face on the southern side of this valley, amongst deciduous woodland. This is the best available exposure for showing the Crawshaw Sandstone Formation Lower Westphalian A in a delta front facies. It consists mainly of thin sets of cross trough beds, with well developed ripple cross laminae and abundant organic debris. Bivalve burrows have also been recognised in these sediments. Under normal conditions, such delta front sediments would have been reworked by wave and/or tidal activity, destroying the primary structures. However, this delta seems to have prograded into shallow water, where there was little reworking. This sandstone interval has proved to be of considerable economic importance as a gas reservoir and so a thorough understanding of its structure and genesis is of considerable importance.

Plant communities

A9 — Fast flowing river and stream, Marginal and inundation, Pond ditch and canal, Sluggish river and stream

Potamogeton natans community

Schoenoplectus lacustris, Juncus bulbosus, Sparganium angustifolium, Sparganium erectum, Sparganium minimum, Alisma plantago-aquatica, Lobelia dortmanna, Equisetum fluviatile, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Elodea canadensis, Lemna minor, Lemna trisulca, Nymphaea alba, Callitriche platycarpa, Callitriche stagnalis, Littorella uniflora, Potamogeton natans, Ranunculus trichophyllus, Glyceria fluitans, Chara subspinosa

A14 — Fast flowing river and stream

Myriophyllum alterniflorum community

Isolepis fluitans, Juncus bulbosus, Fontinalis antipyretica, Lobelia dortmanna, Equisetum fluviatile, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Lemna minor, Callitriche stagnalis, Littorella uniflora, Potamogeton filiformis, Potamogeton gramineus, Potamogeton natans, Ranunculus peltatus, Chara spp., Nitella hyalina

A17 — Chalk river and stream, Fast flowing river and stream

Ranunculus penicillatus ssp. pseudofluitans community

Berula erecta, Nasturtium officinale, Elodea canadensis, Lemna minor, Callitriche stagnalis, Veronica beccabunga, Polygonum amphibium, Polygonum hydropiper, Potamogeton crispus, Potamogeton pectinatus, Ranunculus penicillatus ssp. pseudofluitans

A18 — Fast flowing river and stream

Ranunculus fluitans community

Fontinalis antipyretica, Fontinalis squamosa var. curnowii, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Myriophyllum spicatum, Elodea canadensis, Mentha aquatica, Lemna gibba, Lemna minor, Potamogeton perfoliatus, Ranunculus fluitans, Glyceria fluitans, Phalaris arundinacea