Mappp.co - Cleadon Hill

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Condition (Natural England)

Unfavourable Declining (1)

Unit	Feature	Condition	Area (ha)	Assessed
NZ388631	—	Unfavourable Declining	10.28	2024-11-11

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

Mixed scrub, Montane scrub

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Limestone

Landscape processes: Coastal

Birds & fish recorded

Birds

Species	Season
whitethroat	Breeding

Description

Area, 9.96 hectares 24.61 ac Description Cleadon Hill is of interest for its Magnesian Limestone grassland communities which are associated in the main with shallow soils, rock outcrops and old earthworks on the flanks of the hill. The main grassland supports a community comprising meadow oat grass Avenula pratensis, crested hair grass Koeleria macrantha, crested dog’s tail Cynosurus cristatus and red fescue Festuca rubra, in which quaking grass Briza media, blue moor grass Sesleria caerulea and upright brome Bromus erectus also occur. The community is herb rich and includes eyebright Euphrasia nemorosa, lady’s bedstraw Galium verum, bird’s foot trefoil Lotus corniculatus, black medick Medicago lupulina, hoary plantain Plantago media, salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba, field scabious Scabiosa columbaria, devil’s bit scabious Succisa pratensis and wild thyme Thymus praecox. Of particular note is sea plantain Plantago maritima, a herb which also occurs in coastal and montane grasslands and which is here favoured by the base rich substrate and lack of competition. Flushes areas support glaucous sedge Carex flacca, spring sedge Carex caryophyllea and an abundance of felwort Gentianella amarella. The adjacent agriculturally improved neutral grassland is by contrast less species rich. In the north west of the site, on sloping grassland, is a locally extensive stand of spiny rest-harrow Ononis spinosa, here near the northern limit of its range in Britain. Nearby, the herb rich turf includes common rock rose Helianthemum nummularium, while to the south dense gorse/hawthorn scrub provides nesting cover for yellowhammer, linnet and common whitethroat. Dry stone walls surrounding the grassland are inhabited by several species of molluscs of which Pyramidula rupestris is the most notable, showing affinity with limestone regions throughout Britain. This is its most northerly station on the east coast.

Species mentioned

Show the 25 species mentioned in the description, with red-list status

English name search for this in other sites	Latin name search with Google	IUCN / Red List	Type	Family
linnet	Linaria cannabina	EN (Breeding)	bird	fringillidae
yellowhammer	Emberiza citrinella	LC (Breeding)	bird-bunting	emberizidae
whitethroat	Sylvia communis	Not listed in GB list	bird-warbler	sylviidae
meadow oat grass	Avenula pratensis	Not listed in GB list	grass	poaceae
quaking grass	Briza media	VU	grass	poaceae
upright brome	Bromus erectus	Not listed in GB list	grass	poaceae
crested dog's tail	Cynosurus cristatus	LC	grass	poaceae
red fescue	Festuca rubra	LC	grass	poaceae
crested hair-grass	Koeleria macrantha	NT	grass	poaceae
blue moor grass	Sesleria caerulea	LC	grass	poaceae
common eyebright	Euphrasia nemorosa	LC	herb	orobanchaceae
lady's bedstraw	Galium verum	LC	herb	rubiaceae
autumn gentian	Gentianella amarella	LC	herb	gentianaceae
rock roses	Helianthemum nummularium	VU	herb	cistaceae
birdsfoot trefoil	Lotus corniculatus	LC	herb	fabaceae
black medick	Medicago lupulina	LC	herb	fabaceae
spiny rest-harrow	Ononis spinosa	Not listed in GB list	herb	fabaceae
sea plantain	Plantago maritima	LC	herb	plantaginaceae
hoary plantain	Plantago media	LC	herb	plantaginaceae
salad burnet	Poterium sanguisorba	VU	herb	rosaceae
small scabious	Scabiosa columbaria	LC	herb	caprifoliaceae
devils-bit scabious	Succisa pratensis	VU	herb	caprifoliaceae
creeping thyme	Thymus praecox	Not listed in GB list	herb	lamiaceae
spring-sedge	Carex caryophyllea	NT	sedge	cyperaceae
glaucus sedge	Carex flacca	LC	sedge	cyperaceae

Plant communities

W20 — Montane scrub

Salix lapponum-Luzula sylvatica scrub

Show 107 indicator species

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

Show 81 indicator species

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

Show 49 indicator species

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