Furze Hill

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 52.1136, 0.2694

Open in the interactive map →

Also within

Cambridgeshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Unfavourable Recovering (3)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
TL552487 — Unfavourable Recovering 5.8 2011-09-22
TL554485 — Unfavourable Recovering 5.8 2011-09-22
TL555483 — Unfavourable Recovering 5.8 2011-09-22

Geology & landscape

Landscape processes: Glacial

Description

Area, 4.8 hectares 11.9 ac Description The site holds fragments of grassland characteristic of the Breckland of East Anglia holding both acidic and calcareous components. This is a rare example of sandy habitat in the county and represents a southwestern outlier of the Suffolk Breckland. The area comprises three steeply banked glacial mounds of deep sandy gravel, with large flints and some deposits of chalky drift. The grassland is dominated by common bent Agrostis capillaris and false oat grass Arrhenatherum elatius. Herbs include dropwort Filipendula vulgaris, rock rose Helianthemum nummularium and meadow saxifrage Saxifraga granulataa. The site is additionally noted for the presence of a number of rare and locally uncommon plants which include hoary cinquefoil Potentilla argentea and on the calcareous areas, pasque flower Pulsatilla vulgaris, maiden pink Dianthus deltoides, Dyers greenweed Genista tinctoria and the grass, purple stem cat’s tail Phleum phleoides.

Species mentioned

English name
search for this in other sites		 Latin name
search with Google		 IUCN / Red List Type Family
common bent Agrostis capillaris LC grass poaceae
false oat grass Arrhenatherum elatius LC grass poaceae
purple stemmed cats tail Phleum phleoides LC grass poaceae
maiden pink Dianthus deltoides NT herb carophyllaceae
dropwort Filipendula vulgaris LC herb rosaceae
dyer's greenweed Genista tinctoria LC herb fabaceae
rock roses Helianthemum nummularium VU herb cistaceae
hoary cinquefoil Potentilla argentea LC herb rosaceae
pasque flower Pulsatilla vulgaris EN herb ranunculaceae