Ufton Fields

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 52.2507, -1.4426

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Warwickshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SP381615 Favourable 31.79 2012-12-18

Geology & landscape

Mining / Industrial: Quarry · Rock Type: Limestone

Birds & fish recorded

Birds

SpeciesSeason
little grebe Breeding
little grebe Wintering
snipe Breeding
snipe Wintering

Description

Area, 32.5 ha. 80.3 ac. Description The site lies on a plateau of 'White Lias' limestone in central Warwickshire close to the village of Ufton. It has developed on areas of opencast limestone workings that were abandoned during the early 1950s. The quarrying left a 'hill and dale' landform with long ridges of clay spoil and deep parallel furrows. These furrows now contain marshes and pools whilst the intervening ridges are covered by a mixture of grassland and scrub. The great range of aquatic, scrub and woodland habitats interspersed with calcareous and neutral grassland, makes this an important site for invertebrates, plants and birds. The site has been selected for its invertebrates. There are outstanding assemblages of dragonflies and butterflies and six notable species of dragonfly that have been recorded, two, the ruddy darter Sympetrum sanguineum and the variable damselfly Coenagrion pulchellum are notable rarities. Twenty six species of butterfly are regularly present including a colony of marbled white Melanargia galatheaa. Four notable species of fly are present including a nationally rare soldier fly Stratiomys singularior. The beetles also include two notable species, the water beetle Berosus signaticollis and the longhorn beetle Agapanthia villosoviridescens. Those parts of the site with base rich soils support a species rich calcicolous lime loving flora, including calcicoles such as wild basil Clinopodium vulgare, yellow wort Blackstonia perfoliata and ploughman's spikenard Inula conyza. Six species of orchid occur, including bee orchid Ophrys apifera, early purple orchid Orchis mascula, greater butterfly orchid Platanthera chlorantha and the only colony of man orchid Orchis anthorpophora in Warwickshire. The range of grassland scrub and aquatic habitats provides sites for an unusual diversity of breeding and overwintering birds. Breeding birds include little grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis and water rail Rallus aquaticus as well as snipe Gallinago gallinago.

Species mentioned

English name
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Latin name
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IUCN / Red List Type Family
golden-bloomed grey longhorn Agapanthia villosoviridescens LC beetle longhorn cerambycidae
no common name Berosus signaticollis Not listed in GB list beetle water hydrophilidae
little grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis LC (NonBreeding), LC (Breeding) bird-grebe podicipedidae
water rail Rallus aquaticus LC (Breeding) bird-rail threskiornithidae
snipe Gallinago gallinago DD (NonBreeding) bird-snipe scolopacidae
variable damselfly Coenagrion pulchellum NT damselflies coenagrionidae
ruddy darter Sympetrum sanguineum LC dragonfly libellulidae
flecked general fly Stratiomys singularior LC fly soldier stratiomyidae
yellowwort Blackstonia perfoliata LC herb gentianaceae
wild basil Clinopodium vulgare LC herb lamiaceae
ploughman's spikenard Inula conyza Not listed in GB list herb asteraceae
bee orchid Ophrys apifera LC herb orchidaceae
man orchid Orchis anthorpophora Not listed in GB list herb orchidaceae
early purple orchid Orchis mascula LC herb orchidaceae
greater butterfly orchid Platanthera chlorantha NT herb orchidaceae

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