Barnsley Warren
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP052069 | — | Favourable | 6.64 | 2009-08-06 |
| SP055057 | — | Favourable | 12.75 | 2009-08-06 |
| SP056065 | — | Favourable | 3.38 | 2009-08-06 |
| SP059069 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 7.4 | 2013-07-04 |
| SP060053 | — | Favourable | 15.05 | 2009-08-06 |
| SP063073 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 13.56 | 2013-07-04 |
| SP064078 | — | Favourable | 2.19 | 2013-07-04 |
| SP065076 | — | Favourable | 2.19 | 2013-07-04 |
Geology & landscape
Geological Period: Jurassic · Rock Type: Chalk, Limestone
Description
Area, 61.3 ha. 151.6 ac. Description Barnsley Warren is of special interest and national importance for conservation for its unimproved limestone grassland and its associated wildlife, including nationally rare and scarce plants and butterflies. The site occupies a branching dry valley close to the village of Barnsley near Cirencester. It consists of unimproved limestone grassland, scattered and dense scrub, hazel coppice and includes a section of winter bourne stream. The landform produces a variety of aspects although west facing slopes predominate. Multiple ownership results in different management in different parts of the site. This produces a variety of grassland structure from short, tightly grazed turf through to a tall sward with scattered scrub. The underlying geology is great Oolite, a limestone from the Jurassic period. The grassland is mainly of two types that are characteristic of the Cotswolds. These are upright brome Bromus erectus grassland and the upright brome -tor grass Bromus erectus Brachypodium pinnatum grassland. A 1993 survey of 200 Cotswold grasslands found that Barnsley Warren was one of the top ten sites for the abundance and quality of its plant life. Many traditional grasslands have been lost locally in the last 40 years, by agricultural improvement, abandonment and cessation of grazing. Barnsley Warren is significant as the largest surviving Gloucestershire limestone grassland that is not common land. In addition to upright brome and tor grass other characteristic grasses include sheep's fescue Festuca ovina, meadow oat grass Avenula pratensis and quaking grass Briza media. Herbs typical of these plant communities are present such as salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba, dwarf thistle Cirsium acaule, common rock rose Helianthemum nummularium and small scabious Scabiosa columbaria. The site also holds many locally restricted lime loving plants, such as chalk milkwort Polygala calcarea, devil's bit scabious Succisa pratensis, dropwort Filipendula vulgaris, purple milk vetch Astragalus danicus and dyer's greenweed Genista tinctoria. There is also a rich orchid flora including early purple orchid Orchis mascula, green winged orchid O. morio and bee orchid Ophrys apifera. Barnsley Warren holds the largest Cotswold population of the nationally scarce plant, the pasque flower Pulsatilla vulgaris. In the Cotswolds, this species is associated with closely grazed turf. Pasqueflower has suffered massive declines nationally and as a slow coloniser is particularly at risk. Two other nationally scarce plants which are specific to areas of short turf occur on the site. These are the bastard toadflax Thesium humifusum and the dwarf mouse ear Cerastium pumilum. Several different types of scrub occur at Barnsley Warren. Gorse Ulex europaeus occurs as extensive patches in two parts of the dry valley. hawthorn Crataegus monogyna and ash Fraxinus excelsior are colonising the gorse stands and occur as scattered bushes and trees in other parts of the site. Birch Betula pendula, turkey oak Quercus cerris and blackthorn Prunus spinosa are significant components of the scrub in parts of the site. The diverse habitat structure of the site supports an important range of invertebrates. The site is nationally important for its butterfly interest. The mixture of scrub and long grass provides the grassland edge habitat favoured by the nationally scarce butterfly the Duke of Burgundy fritillary Hamearis lucina. The short grass habitat is particularly significant in providing a habitat for warmth loving insects. A nationally scarce species of red ant, Myrmica schencki occurs in the areas of shortest turf.
Species mentioned
Show the 26 species mentioned in the description, with red-list statusPlant communities
A9 — Fast flowing river and stream, Marginal and inundation, Pond ditch and canal, Sluggish river and stream
Potamogeton natans community
Show 20 indicator speciesSchoenoplectus 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
Show 15 indicator speciesIsolepis 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
Show 11 indicator speciesBerula 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
Show 12 indicator speciesFontinalis 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
W20 — Montane scrub
Salix lapponum-Luzula sylvatica scrub
Show 107 indicator speciesSalix 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
Show 81 indicator speciesHedera 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
Show 49 indicator speciesHedera 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