Lullington Heath

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 50.7944, 0.1888

Condition (Natural England)

Unfavourable Recovering (1) Favourable (2) Unfavourable Declining (5)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
TQ537017 Unfavourable Recovering 10.06 2015-09-24
TQ538017 Favourable 6.66 2009-02-23
TQ541017 Unfavourable Declining 11.01 2019-10-28
TQ542019 Unfavourable Declining 7.89 2019-10-28
TQ543016 Unfavourable Declining 9.49 2019-10-28
TQ546017 Unfavourable Declining 4.97 2019-10-28
TQ547016 Unfavourable Declining 16.54 2019-10-28
TQ550016 Favourable 6.11 2022-07-27

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Chalk

Birds & fish recorded

Birds

SpeciesSeason
lesser whitethroat Breeding
nightingale Breeding
whitethroat Breeding

Description

Area, 71.7 ha. 175.7 ac. Description The primary importance of this site, which lies on Upper and Middle Chalk, is the presence of two nationally uncommon habitats, chalk heath and chalk grassland. Chalk heath communities have developed at this site on neutral loess soils and contain both plants adapted to growing in acidic soils calcifuges and those adapted to growing in basic soils calcicoles. The areas of chalk grassland are rich in flowering plants and lie on thin rendzina soils. Areas of scrub and rough grassland are valuable for birds and invertebrates. The site has 2 dew ponds. Chalk heath once covered 40 hectares at this site but the onset of myxomatosis in the 1950s virtually destroyed the rabbit population which had previously maintained the heath and scrub consequently gained a firm hold. Now the areas of chalk heath are restricted to wide mown rides and grazed paddocks. The bell heather Erica cinerea and sheep's fescue Festuca ovina mosaic which prevailed prior to the rabbits decline has now been largely replaced by a ling Calluna vulgaris/red fescue Festuca rubra community; previously the latter was preferentially grazed by the rabbits. Calcifuges include betony Betonica officinalis, slender St John's wort Hypericum pulchrum, heath grass Danthonia decumbens and the shrub, burnet rose Rosa spinosissima. These contrast with the calcicoles salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba, dropwort Filipendula vulgaris and milkwort Polygala vulgaris. The chalk grassland is dominated by sheep's fescue and upright brome Bromus erectus. Abundant species include salad burnet, fairy flax Linum catharticum, wild basil Clinopodium vulgare and basil thyme Acinos arvensis. Burnt orchid Neotinea ustulata and bee orchid Ophrys apifera also occur. Scrub dominates much of the site. Gorse Ulex europaeus occupies a large part of the plateau but steeper slopes support a richer flora of wayfaring tree Viburnum lantana, elder Sambucus nigra and hawthorn Crataegus monogyna. Rough grassland of false oat grass Arrhenatherum elatius and cock's foot Dactylis glomerata occurs in parts of the mixed scrub. The scrub is locally valuable for breeding birds including lesser whitethroat, nightingale and yellowhammer while scrub and grassland supports butterflies such as marbled white and silver spotted skipper. The two dew ponds provide an important additional habitat for flora and fauna.

Species mentioned

English name
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Latin name
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IUCN / Red List Type Family
yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella LC (Breeding) bird-bunting emberizidae
nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos VU (Breeding) bird-robin muscicapidae
whitethroat Sylvia communis Not listed in GB list bird-warbler sylviidae
lesser whitethroat Sylvia curruca Not listed in GB list bird-warbler sylviidae
false oat grass Arrhenatherum elatius LC grass poaceae
upright brome Bromus erectus Not listed in GB list grass poaceae
cock's foot Dactylis glomerata LC grass poaceae
heath grass Danthonia decumbens NT grass poaceae
sheep's fescue Festuca ovina LC grass poaceae
red fescue Festuca rubra LC grass poaceae
basil thyme Acinos arvensis Not listed in GB list herb lamiaceae
betony Betonica officinalis VU herb lamiaceae
wild basil Clinopodium vulgare LC herb lamiaceae
dropwort Filipendula vulgaris LC herb rosaceae
slender St John's-wort Hypericum pulchrum LC herb hypericaceae
fairy flax Linum catharticum LC herb linaceae
burnt orchid Neotinea ustulata EN herb orchidaceae
bee orchid Ophrys apifera LC herb orchidaceae
common milkwort Polygala vulgaris VU herb polygalaceae
salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba VU herb rosaceae
hawthorn Crataegus monogyna LC shrub rosaceae
burnet rose Rosa spinosissima LC shrub rosaceae
elder Sambucus nigra LC shrub caprifoliaceae
gorse Ulex europaeus LC shrub leguminosae
wayfaring tree Viburnum lantana LC shrub caprifoliaceae
bell heather or ling Calluna vulgaris NT shrub dwarf ericaceae
bell heather Erica cinerea NT shrub dwarf ericaceae

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