Alkham, Lydden and Swingfield Woods

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 51.1517, 1.2374

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (18) Unfavourable Recovering (4) Unfavourable Declining (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
TR231430 Favourable 6.85 2012-06-18
TR237434 Favourable 11.8 2012-06-18
TR242435 Favourable 5.96 2012-06-07
TR244442 Favourable 13.18 2012-06-11
TR249441 Unfavourable Recovering 20.09 2012-06-07
TR250446 Favourable 7.24 2012-06-07
TR254426 Favourable 2.03 2012-05-03
TR255447 Favourable 3.64 2012-06-07
TR255448 Favourable 5.27 2012-04-10
TR258428 Favourable 7.53 2012-05-03
TR260419 Unfavourable Declining 3.42 2012-05-03
TR260441 Favourable 35.09 2012-05-31
TR263430 Favourable 3.56 2012-05-03
TR263452 Favourable 12.34 2012-04-10
TR267423 Favourable 6.71 2012-06-26
TR267441 Favourable 29.98 2012-05-31
TR269433 Favourable 4.67 2012-06-26
TR271423 Favourable 8.79 2012-06-26
TR273422 Favourable 3.66 2012-06-26
TR274440 Favourable 6.5 2012-05-31
TR276425 Unfavourable Recovering 13.04 2012-06-26
TR280440 Unfavourable Recovering 7.55 2012-06-07
TR283432 Unfavourable Recovering 9.43 2013-03-13

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Chalk

Description

Area, 226.1 ha. 558.7 ac. Description, This site was formerly two SSSIs, Alkham Valley Woods and Lydden to Swingfield Downs. The former is included in 'A Nature Conservation Review'. There have been a few minor deletions. This site comprises several woodlands situated on the steep slopes of dry chalk valleys. The soils vary from calcareous loams on the slopes to acid neutral clays on the plateaux. Ash hazel is the main woodland type with field maple on the more calcareous soils and hornbeam on the heavier clay. There is some unimproved chalk grassland in the site near Lydden. A number of uncommon plants occur including lady orchid Orchis purpurea in the woods and burnt orchid Neotinea ustulata in the grassland. These woods have been managed by coppicing. Ash and hazel are the common coppiced species with some field maple, hornbeam and sweet chestnut under pedunculate oak standards. Other trees and shrubs include wild cherry, birch, hawthorn, blackthorn and also wayfaring tree and dogwood on the calcareous soils. There is some dense hawthorn scrub in places. The ground flora is varied but generally dominated by dog’s mercury Mercurialis perennis, bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta and brambles Rubus fruticosus. Among more abundant flowering plants are wood anemone Anemone nemorosa, yellow archangel Lamiastrum galeobdolon and wood spurge Euphorbia amygdaloides. Some uncommon plants also occur, particularly on the chalk soils. These include green hellebore Helleborus viridis, herb paris Paris quadrifolia, fly orchid Ophrys insectifera, greater butterfly orchid Platanthera chlorantha and lady orchid. The latter is restricted in Britain to Kent. The chalk grassland is dominated by sheep’s fescue Festuca ovina, tor grass Brachypodium pinnatum and glaucous sedge Carex flacca. Many flowering plants typical of improved chalk grassland occur such as dropwort Filipendula vulgaris, salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba, small scabious Scabiosa columbaria and several orchids including burnt orchid.

Species mentioned

English name
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Latin name
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IUCN / Red List Type Family
tor grass Brachypodium pinnatum LC grass poaceae
sheep's fescue Festuca ovina LC grass poaceae
wood anemone Anemone nemorosa LC herb ranunculaceae
wood spurge Euphorbia amygdaloides LC herb euphorbiaceae
dropwort Filipendula vulgaris LC herb rosaceae
green hellebore Helleborus viridis LC herb ranunculaceae
bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta LC herb liliaceae
yellow archangel Lamiastrum galeobdolon LC herb lamiaceae
dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis LC herb euphorbiaceae
burnt orchid Neotinea ustulata EN herb orchidaceae
fly orchid Ophrys insectifera VU herb orchidaceae
lady orchid Orchis purpurea NT herb orchidaceae
herb paris Paris quadrifolia VU herb melanthiaceae
greater butterfly orchid Platanthera chlorantha NT herb orchidaceae
salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba VU herb rosaceae
bramble Rubus fruticosus LC herb rosaceae
small scabious Scabiosa columbaria LC herb caprifoliaceae
glaucus sedge Carex flacca LC sedge cyperaceae

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