Tonge River Section

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 53.5811, -2.4149

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Also within

Greater Manchester County

Condition (Natural England)

Unfavourable No Change (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SD725095 — Unfavourable No Change 0.99 2013-05-23

Habitats

Fast flowing river and stream

Geology & landscape

Geological Period: Carboniferous · Rock Type: Sandstone

Landscape processes: Fluvial

Description

Area,0.7 hectares 1.8 ac Description Tonge River Section is located near the centre of Bolton. The site comprises the steep west bank of the river, lying north of Tonge Bridge. This is the best available exposure of the Peel Hall Rock Formation, of Westphalian B Middle Carboniferous age. It is a prominent fluvial sandstone which occurs over large areas of the western Pennines and adjacent coalfields and is well known for yielding well preserved casts of pteridosperm seeds, known as Trigonocarpus. A site of considerable sedimentological and palaeogeographic interest.

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