Quarry Hangers

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 51.2647, -0.0993

Open in the interactive map →

Also within

Surrey County Surrey Hills Scenic Area

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (2) Unfavourable Recovering (3) Unfavourable Declining (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
TQ314539 — Favourable 13.07 2016-09-20
TQ317536 — Unfavourable Recovering 2.88 2015-06-09
TQ319536 — Unfavourable Declining 2.53 2016-09-20
TQ321536 — Unfavourable Recovering 3.2 2015-06-09
TQ326533 — Favourable 1.02 2023-09-26
TQ327534 — Unfavourable Recovering 4.84 2012-06-21

Habitats

Mixed scrub, Montane scrub

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Chalk

Description

Area, 33.5 ha. 82.8 ac. Description This site encompasses an area of chalk downland on the scarp slope of the North Downs near Caterham. It includes a mixture of species rich chalk grassland, scrub and woodland and supports a number of plants which are rare or local in Surrey, as well as local invertebrates. The complex semi natural plant communities of the North Downs have developed over along period through traditional management, mainly sheep grazing. This has resulted in rich chalk grassland, with some scrub and woodland areas. In more recent years modern agricultural techniques and a high demand for building land have caused the destruction of much of Britain's chalk grassland and only about 25 percent of that remaining in 1934 was found to remain in 1972. Where the grassland areas within this site are heavily grazed by sheep or horses, the turf is short and dominated by red and sheep's fescue Festuca rubra and Festuca ovina, with plants such as horseshoe vetch Hippocrepis comosa, bird's foot trefoil Lotus corniculatus and wild thyme Thymus praecox. Where grazing is less intense, a taller sward is found, dominated by grasses such as upright brome Bromus erectus and wood false brome Brachypodium sylvaticum. All of the grassland in the central part of the site is of this type. In common with much North Downs grassland this area is not grazed and is becoming overgrown with scrub. Locally distributed plants growing in the grassland areas include man orchid Orchis anthorpophora and early gentian Gentianella anglica and the Surrey rarities green winged orchid Anacamptis morio, which is very scarce on chalk downland habitats and wild liquorice Astragalus glycyphyllos. In addition to several small areas of secondary ash Fraxinus excelsior woodland, the site includes a beech Fagus sylvatica hanger beside White Hill Lane. Here there is a well developed woodland structure, with a rich variety of plants. The tree canopy is composed of beech, ash and field maple Acer campestre and the shrub layer of holly Ilex aquifolium, yew Taxus baccata and hazel Corylus avellana. The ground flora is dominated by dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis, ivy Hedera helix and locally by ramsons Allium ursinum. Other notable plants include white helleborine orchid Cephalanthera damasonium, spurge laurel Daphne laureola and stinking hellebore Helleborus foetidus. The site also supports many notable invertebrates which are characteristic of downland habitats, including the rufous grasshopper Gomphocerippus rufus and the Roman snail Helix pomatia.

Species mentioned

English name
search for this in other sites		 Latin name
search with Google		 IUCN / Red List Type Family
wood false brome Brachypodium sylvaticum LC grass poaceae
upright brome Bromus erectus Not listed in GB list grass poaceae
sheep's fescue Festuca ovina LC grass poaceae
red fescue Festuca rubra LC grass poaceae
rufous grasshopper Gomphocerippus rufus LC grasshoppers acrididae
ramson Allium ursinum LC herb liliaceae
green-winged orchid Anacamptis morio NT herb orchidaceae
wild liquorice Astragalus glycyphyllos NT herb fabaceae
white helleborine Cephalanthera damasonium LC herb orchidaceae
early gentian Gentianella anglica Not listed in GB list herb gentianaceae
foetid hellebore Helleborus foetidus LC herb ranunculaceae
horseshoe vetch Hippocrepis comosa VU herb fabaceae
birdsfoot trefoil Lotus corniculatus LC herb fabaceae
dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis LC herb euphorbiaceae
man orchid Orchis anthorpophora Not listed in GB list herb orchidaceae
creeping thyme Thymus praecox Not listed in GB list herb lamiaceae
spurge laurel Daphne laureola LC shrub thymelaeaceae
Roman snail Helix pomatia Not listed in GB list snail helicidae
field maple Acer campestre LC tree aceraceae
hazel Corylus avellana LC tree corylaceae
beech Fagus sylvatica LC tree fabiaceae
ash Fraxinus excelsior LC tree oleaceae
holly Ilex aquifolium LC tree aquifoliaceae
yew Taxus baccata LC tree taxaceae
ivy Hedera helix LC woody climber araliaceae

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