Haugh and Gundale Slacks
Also within
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SE794887 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 1.7 | 2013-07-23 |
| SE796887 | — | Unfavourable Declining | 16.57 | 2013-05-23 |
| SE800879 | — | Favourable | 7.67 | 2013-06-12 |
| SE801863 | — | Favourable | 7.16 | 2013-06-04 |
| SE803869 | — | Favourable | 16.67 | 2013-06-04 |
| SE806881 | — | Favourable | 9.86 | 2013-07-23 |
Habitats
Geology & landscape
Mining / Industrial: Quarry · Rock Type: Limestone, Sandstone
Description
Description Haugh and Gundale Slacks, a composite site comprising the best remaining examples of semi-natural vegetation in this valley system, have long been known to be of interest both for their herb rich limestone grassland, much favoured by a number of nationally and locally rare butterflies, moths and beetles and for their semi natural woodland. Both of these habitats have locally been fragmented by changes in agricultural and silvicultural practice. More recently, the soft sandstone exposures of the Saintoft Member of the Lower Calcareous Grit at the northern end of Gundale Slacks, have been identified as one of the foremost sites in Yorkshire for their assemblage of solitary mining bees and wasps. These invertebrate groups are nationally one of the most threatened. The broadleaved woodlands contain ash Fraxinus excelsior, oak Quercus robur, elm Ulmus glabra, locally with beech Fagus sylvatica and areas of hazel Corylus avellana coppice. Dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis, ramsons Allium ursinum and wood anemone Anemone nemorosa dominate the ground flora and, particularly in Wailes Hagg Wood where the canopy is more open, there is a diversity of associates including sanicle Sanicula europaea, sweet woodruff Galium odoratum, herb paris Paris quadrifolia, primrose Primula vulgaris, early purple orchid Orchis mascula and greater butterfly orchid Platanthera chlorantha. Elsewhere there are stands of mixed coppice in which field maple Acer campestre occurs, giving way at the dale head to scrub woodland dominated by birch Betula pendula. sheep grazing has maintained a fine limestone turf below Yatts Farm and in a small part of Gundale; elsewhere in Gundale, except for local areas kept open by rabbit grazing, scrub encroachment has become a problem. The turf typically contains common bent Agrostis capillaris, quaking grass Briza media, crested dog's tail Cynosurus cristatus, heath grass Danthonia decumbens and crested hair grass Koeleria macrantha with abundant sedges such as spring sedge Carex caryophyllea and glaucous sedge Carex flacca. Some areas are dominated by carpets of thyme Thymus praecox and rock rose Helianthemum nummularium. Herbs such as salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba, fairy flax Linum catharticum, hoary plantain Plantago media and cowslip Primula veris are common throughout and carline thistle Carlina vulgaris, woolly thistle Cirsium eriophorum, saw wort Serratula tinctoria and dropwort Filipendula vulgaris occur locally. Of particular note amongst the herbs are fragrant orchid Gymnadenia conopsea, fly orchid Ophrys insectifera, pyramidal orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis and burnt tip orchid Neotinea ustulata. Near Yatts Farm there is an interesting transition to a more acidic flora with heather Calluna vulgaris, bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus and heath bedstraw Galium saxatile. Butterflies recorded from the site include the locally uncommon species of northern brown argus, the pearl bordered fritillary and the Duke of Burgundy fritillary, the latter at the northern end of its range. The site supports a number of nationally scarce moths which include the small eggar, cistus forester, the beech green carpet and the square spotted clay moth. A number of nationally scarce beetles have been found within the site and include Bledius erraticus and Oedemera virescens. The sandstone cliffs and bare sandy areas within the Saintoft Brow / Saintoft Slack disused sand quarry support at least 67 species of solitary mining bees and wasps. These include the nationally rare mining bee Andrena ruficrus, the nationally scarce mining bee A. ocreata; the nationally scarce spider hunting wasp Priocnemis schioedtei and the regionally scarce spider hunting wasp P. susterai, occurring here at its only Yorkshire locality and at its northern limit in Britain. Plants occurring within the quarry such as bell heather Erica cinerea, heather, tormentil Potentilla erecta, self heal Prunella vulgaris and the trees of sallow Salix cinerea agg., hawthorn Crataegus monogyna and rowan Sorbus aucuparia act as important nectar sources and foraging habitats for these solitary mining bees and wasps.
Species mentioned
Show the 46 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