Fyfield Down

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 51.4366, -1.8058

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Wiltshire County North Wessex Downs Scenic Area

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (1) Unfavourable Recovering (5)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SU126703 — Favourable 4.6 2021-06-09
SU131705 — Unfavourable Recovering 127.67 2021-06-09
SU132714 — Unfavourable Recovering 52.16 2021-06-09
SU140709 — Unfavourable Recovering 98.47 2021-06-09
SU144707 — Unfavourable Recovering 44.45 2021-06-09
SU148700 — Unfavourable Recovering 44.45 2021-06-09

Habitats

Mixed scrub, Montane scrub

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Chalk, Sandstone

Landscape processes: Periglacial

Description

Area, 325.3 ha. 803.8 ac. Description This site is notified for both its geomorphological and biological interest. Geomorphologically, Fyfield Down displays the best assemblage of sarsen stones in Britain and also shows periglacial features of considerable importance. The sarsen stones support a nationally important lichen flora, which is of outstanding biological interest. Moreover it is considered one of the best examples of this lichen community in north west Europe. The sarsens are set within semi natural grassland and scrub of botanical interest. Fyfield Down is a high plateau of chalk downland dissected by a system of dry valleys which contain one of the highest concentrations of sarsen stones in Britain. Classic examples of sarsen 'valley trains' have formed through lateral transport of the stones under periglacial conditions. The exact period and environment of sarsen formation are controversial, but it is known that they are silcretes formed at, or near, the surface as is shown by the exceptional presence of rootlet channels and silicified roots in sarsens at Fyfield Down. The sarsens are important in the study of the denudation chronology and palaeoenvironmental history of southern England and for comparative studies in north west Europe. Chalk, clay with flints, loams and sands underlie Fyfield Down and give rise to a range of grasslands varying from acidic to calcareous, though much is of a neutral type. Grasses including red fescue Festuca rubra and sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum occur in the neutral grassland with herbs such as lady's bedstraw Galium verum, pignut Conopodium majus and meadow saxifrage Saxifraga granulataa, the latter occurring in unusually large quantity. The more acidic grassland is best developed on soils around and in pockets on, the sarsens. Here heather Calluna vulgaris, common speedwell Veronica officinalis, early hair grass Aira praecox, sheep's sorrel Rumex acetosella and heath bedstraw Galium saxatile occur. Chalk grassland of the sheep's fescue meadow oat grass Festuca ovina Avenula pratensis type occurs on more calcareous soils with typical downland herbs such as chalk milkwort Polygala calcarea, horseshoe vetch Hippocrepis comosa and devil's bit scabious Succisa pratensis. Within the grassland occur many thousand sarsen stones, which are composed of sand particles cemented together to form a hard sandstone. These provide one of the most substantial natural exposures of hard rock in lowland Britain and growing on them is a diverse relict lichen flora of considerable note. Some lichens are typical of highland Britain and rare in the lowlands such as Rhizocarpon geographicum and species of Lecanora, Parmelia and Pertusaria. Others like Anaptychia runcinata, Ramalina siliquosa and Rinodina atrocinerea are characteristic of rocky sea coasts and occur here at one of their few inland locations. Especially noteworthy are Buellia saxorum and Lecanora andrewii. The former is found only on sarsens; the latter is apparently confined to Britain and Norway. Patches of scrub, particularly gorse Ulex europaeus and elder Sambucus nigra occur. In places these correspond to enclosures formerly used for rabbit warren management. There are also small woods and ponds which add to the interest of the site. One pond for example supports the specially protected great crested newt Triturus cristatus as well as the common toad Bufo bufo.

Species mentioned

English name
search for this in other sites		 Latin name
search with Google		 IUCN / Red List Type Family
common toad Bufo bufo NT amphibian buffonidae
great crested newt Triturus cristatus LC amphibian salamandridae
early hair grass Aira praecox VU grass poaceae
sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum LC grass poaceae
meadow oat grass Avenula pratensis Not listed in GB list grass poaceae
sheep's fescue Festuca ovina LC grass poaceae
red fescue Festuca rubra LC grass poaceae
pignut Conopodium majus LC herb apiaceae
heath bedstraw Galium saxatile LC herb rubiaceae
lady's bedstraw Galium verum LC herb rubiaceae
horseshoe vetch Hippocrepis comosa VU herb fabaceae
chalk milkwort Polygala calcarea VU herb polygalaceae
sheep's sorrel Rumex acetosella NT herb polygonaceae
devils-bit scabious Succisa pratensis VU herb caprifoliaceae
common speedwell Veronica officinalis LC herb plantaginaceae
no common name Anaptychia runcinata LC lichen no common name
no common name Buellia saxorum NT lichen no common name
ivory rock lichen Ramalina siliquosa LC lichen no common name
yellow map lichen Rhizocarpon geographicum LC lichen rhizocarpaceae
elder Sambucus nigra LC shrub caprifoliaceae
gorse Ulex europaeus LC shrub leguminosae
bell heather or ling Calluna vulgaris NT shrub dwarf ericaceae

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