Meathop Woods and Quarry
Also within
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SD432794 | — | Unfavourable No Change | 4.66 | 2010-11-03 |
| SD433791 | — | Unfavourable No Change | 4.05 | 2010-11-24 |
| SD434791 | — | Unfavourable No Change | 4.05 | 2010-11-24 |
| SD436795 | — | Favourable | 22.09 | 2010-02-15 |
| SD437798 | — | Favourable | 4.74 | 2010-02-15 |
| SD441797 | — | Unfavourable No Change | 0.92 | 2010-03-29 |
| SD441799 | — | Unfavourable No Change | 2.62 | 2022-07-27 |
Climate exposure
This is about exposure to a nationwide pressure this habitat type carries — not a verdict on this site's own management.
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
Geology & landscape
Mining / Industrial: Quarry · Geological Period: Carboniferous · Rock Type: Carboniferous Limestone, Limestone
Landscape processes: Coastal
Birds & fish recorded
Birds
| Species | Season |
|---|---|
| crane | Unknown |
Description
Area,49.2 hectares 121.5 ac Description Biology The site is located on a Carboniferous limestone hill approximately two kilometres north east of Grange over Sands. The hill rises to a height of fifty five metres and overlooks the north western shore of the Kent estuary. Native broad leaved woodland covers most of the site and limestone cliffs, grassland, scrub and a disused quarry are also included. The woodland is on limestone and is a diverse and relatively undisturbed example of this habitat which is scarce in Britain. It is similar in type to woodland in Whitbarrow SSSI although it is not as extensive. The site has a history of use for fundamental research into woodland ecology and has been included in long term studies under the international Biological Programme. The site also supports an out standing assemblage of plants and invertebrates. The woodland is predominantly ash hazel with oak and birch. small leaved lime Tilia cordata and wych elm Ulmus glabra cover more limited areas. Throughout the wood there is a variety of other tree, shrub and climber species, including yew Taxus baccata, purging buckthorn Rhamnus cathartica, spindle Euonymus europaeus, traveller’s joy Clematis vitalba and honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum. The ground flora is varied, brambles Rubus fruticosus agg. and dog’s mercury Mercurialis perennisare abundant while ramsons Allium ursinum, wood false brome Brachypodium sylvaticum and primrose Primula vulgaris are locally frequent. Other species present include early purple orchid Orchis mascula, butterfly orchid Platanthera chlorantha and herb paris Paris quadrifolia. The steep slopes on the southern borders of the wood have been partly quarried for limestone in the past. Rock rose Helianthemum nummularium, rusty back fern Asplenium ceterach and bloody crane’s bill Geranium sanguineum grow on the cliff ledges and of particular note is the presence of the rare Lancastrian whitebeam Sorbus lancastriensis. Among other species are several ferns including sea spleenwort Asplenium marinum. The disused quarry floor is now a mosaic of bare rock, grassland and scrub. It supports a particularly rich flora including several rare and uncommon species such as dark red helleborine Epipactis atrorubens, fly orchid Ophrys insectifera and adder’s tongue fern Ophioglossum vulgatum. An important feature of the site is the presence of a diverse assemblage of molluscs including several uncommon and rare species. Geology Meathop Quarry is of high geological interest as it provides the finest known exposures of an important limestone layer known as the Martin Limestone, originally formed in the early Carboniferous Period of geological history, about 335 million years ago. The rock faces demonstrate a great variety of features illustrating many aspects of the environment in which the limestone originally formed. The limestones are very rich in fossils and Meathop Quarry is recognised as a classic site for the study of the marine organisms that flourished in the Lower Carboniferous sea. This is a very important locality for many aspects of the geological study of Lower Carboniferous rocks. A technical description of the geological interest can be obtained from the Nature Conservancy Council, the simple statement given here should not be regarded as comprehensive.
Species mentioned
Show the 22 species mentioned in the description, with red-list statusPlant communities
W20 — Montane scrub
Salix lapponum-Luzula sylvatica scrub
Show 107 indicator speciesSalix 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 speciesHedera 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 speciesHedera 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