Old Burghclere Lime Quarry

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 51.3134, -1.3246

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Also within

Hampshire County North Wessex Downs Scenic Area

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SU471572 — Favourable 4.51 2021-08-26

Habitats

Mixed scrub, Montane scrub

Geology & landscape

Mining / Industrial: Quarry · Rock Type: Chalk

Description

Area, 4.61 hectares 11.38 ac Description The disused lime works at Old Burghclere exhibits various stages in the succession from bare chalk on the steep quarry sides through chalk grassland to scattered and dense scrub. Actively worked into the beginning of this century, some of the quarry faces have not had time to become completely recolonised. Among the opportunist species able to establish themselves in the raw tallus and in the crevices of the solid rock are creeping buttercup Ranunculus repens, coltsfoot Tussilago farfara, yellow wort Blackstonia perfoliata and ribbed melilot Melilotus officinalis. In contrast the quarry floor has been almost wholly recolonised and grazing by rabbits, together with limited scrub control, has effectively maintained a short turf rich in herbs, with fescues Festuca ovina and F. rubra, glaucous sedge Carex flacca and locally quaking grass Briza media and mouse ear hawkweed Pilosella officinarum as dominants. The flora includes large colonies of fly orchids Ophrys insectifera, spotted orchids Dactylorhiza fuchsii, pyramidal orchids Anacamptis pyramidalis and felwort Gentianella amarella. Where soil has accumulated at the toe of quarry sides, nettle Urtica dioica and tall grasses, such as false oat grass Arrhenatherum elatius and cock's foot Dactylis glomerata are abundant. The scrub community, dominated by hawthorn Crataegus monogyna, blackthorn Prunus spinosa and goat willow Salix caprea, with typical calcicole shrubs such as dogwood Cornus sanguinea and wayfaring tree Viburnum lantana, is already beginning to exhibit early indications of an eventual succession to woodland, with a young ash Fraxinus / birch Betula component. The varied vegetational structure of the chalk grassland and scrub habitats supports a rich invertebrate fauna including a colony of the scarce small blue butterfly Cupido minimus.

Species mentioned

English name
search for this in other sites		 Latin name
search with Google		 IUCN / Red List Type Family
small blue Cupido minimus NT butterfly lycaenidae
false oat grass Arrhenatherum elatius LC grass poaceae
quaking grass Briza media VU grass poaceae
cock's foot Dactylis glomerata LC grass poaceae
sheep's fescue Festuca ovina LC grass poaceae
pyramidal orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis LC herb orchidaceae
yellowwort Blackstonia perfoliata LC herb gentianaceae
spotted orchids Dactylorhiza fuchsii LC herb orchidaceae
autumn gentian Gentianella amarella LC herb gentianaceae
yellow melliot Melilotus officinalis Not listed in GB list herb fabaceae
fly orchid Ophrys insectifera VU herb orchidaceae
mouse_ear hawkweed Pilosella officinarum LC herb asteraceae
creeping buttercup Ranunculus repens LC herb ranunculaceae
colts-foot Tussilago farfara LC herb asteraceae
nettle Urtica dioica LC herb urticaceae
glaucus sedge Carex flacca LC sedge cyperaceae
dogwood Cornus sanguinea LC shrub cornaceae
hawthorn Crataegus monogyna LC shrub rosaceae
blackthorn Prunus spinosa LC shrub rosaceae
wayfaring tree Viburnum lantana LC shrub caprifoliaceae
goat willow Salix caprea LC tree shrub salicaceae

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