Scratchbury & Cotley Hills

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 51.1942, -2.1249

Also within

Wiltshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (2) Unfavourable Recovering (2)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
ST911442 Favourable 30.96 2009-06-30
ST916434 Favourable 18.49 2013-09-02
ST919428 Unfavourable Recovering 0.14 2013-09-02
ST919429 Unfavourable Recovering 3.73 2013-09-02

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Chalk

Description

Description This is a chalk grassland site south east of Warminster, supporting a rich flora and an outstanding associated butterfly fauna. Unimproved grassland covers a long warm south to west facing slope and the earthworks of the Iron Age Scratchbury Hillfort. The turf is dominated by sheep's fescue Festuca ovina, red fescue F. rubra and upright brome Bromus erectus. Characteristic herbs of the Wiltshire downland include devil's bit scabious Succisa pratensis, saw wort Serratula tinctoria and chalk milkwort Polygala calcarea. Plants with a nationally restricted distribution are early gentian Gentianella anglica, bastard toadflax Thesium humifusum and field fleawort Senecio integrifolius. Orchids are well represented with, among others, frog orchid Dactylorhiza viridis, fragrant orchid Gymnadenia conopsea and autumn lady's tresses Spiranthes spiralis. meadow saxifrage Saxifraga granulataa occurs on the earthworks of the Hillfort. The vegetation is similar to the sheep's fescue Festuca ovina, dwarf sedge Carex humilis grassland type, which is well distributed along the Wylye Valley a few miles to the south. Dwarf sedge is absent, however, making the site of potential value for comparative ecological studies. A lusher more mesotrophic grassland occurs on level ground within Scratchbury Hillfort, probably reflecting past agricultural improvement. Areas of hawthorn and elder scrub occur, particularly along the lower slopes of the downland. These provide valuable shelter for invertebrates on an otherwise open and exposed site. There is a small clump of mature planted beech and pine below Cotley Hill. The site is of high entomological interest, with an outstanding assemblage of 29 resident breeding species of butterfly recently recorded. The horseshoe vetch Hippocrepis comosa is locally plentiful, supporting both the chalkhill blue Polyommatus coridon and Adonis blue Polyommatus bellargus butterflies. The Adonis blue colony is well established, having been recorded from the site for more than 20 years. Other noteworthy species are the Duke of Burgundy Hamearis lucina, grizzled skipper Pyrgus malvae, dark green fritillary Argynnis aglaja and small blue Cupido minimus. Other insect groups are less well surveyed, but several uncommon species have been noted. These include six species of weevil Curculionoidea, eight species of plant bugs Hemiptera and Homoptera and two species of Chrysomelid beetle, Aphthona herbigrada and Mantura mathewsi, both of which feed on rock rose Helianthemum. Day flying moths recorded include the wood tiger Parasemia plantaginis and the scarce forester Jordanita globulariae, a species documented as rare in the British Invertebrate Red Data Book.

Species mentioned

English name
search for this in other sites
Latin name
search with Google
IUCN / Red List Type Family
chrysomellidae beetle Mantura mathewsi Not listed in GB list beetle chrysomelidae
leaf beetle Aphthona herbigrada LC beetle leaf chrysomelidae
dark green fritillary Argynnis aglaja Not listed in GB list butterfly nymphalidae
small blue Cupido minimus NT butterfly lycaenidae
Duke of Burgundy Hamearis lucina VU butterfly riodinidae
Adonis blue Polyommatus bellargus VU butterfly lycaenidae
chalkhill blue Polyommatus coridon VU butterfly lycaenidae
grizzled skipper Pyrgus malvae VU butterfly hesperiidae
upright brome Bromus erectus Not listed in GB list grass poaceae
sheep's fescue Festuca ovina LC grass poaceae
frog orchid Dactylorhiza viridis VU herb orchidaceae
early gentian Gentianella anglica Not listed in GB list herb gentianaceae
fragrant orchid Gymnadenia conopsea NT herb orchidaceae
horseshoe vetch Hippocrepis comosa VU herb fabaceae
chalk milkwort Polygala calcarea VU herb polygalaceae
field fleawort Senecio integrifolius Not listed in GB list herb asteraceae
saw wort Serratula tinctoria VU herb asteraceae
autumn lady's tresses Spiranthes spiralis LC herb orchidaceae
devils-bit scabious Succisa pratensis VU herb caprifoliaceae
bastard toadflax Thesium humifusum VU herb santalaceae
scarce forester Jordanita globulariae R moth zygaenidae
wood tiger Parasemia plantaginis Not listed in GB list moth erebidae
dwarf sedge Carex humilis LC sedge cyperaceae

Plant communities

MG7 — Coastal floodplain grazing marsh, Mesotrophic grassland

Lolium perenne leys and related grasslands Lolium perenne-Alopecurus pratensis grassland

Juncus inflexus, Brachythecium rutabulum, Kindbergia praelonga, Achillea millefolium, Bellis perennis, Cirsium arvense, Cirsium vulgare, Hypochaeris radicata, Scorzoneroides autumnalis, Taraxacum officianalis, Capsella bursa-pastoris, Cardamine pratensis, Cerastium fontanum, Cerastium glomeratum, Stellaria media agg., Lathyrus pratensis, Trifolium dubium, Trifolium pratense, Trifolium repens, Vicia cracca, Vicia sativa, Plantago lanceolata, Plantago major, Rumex acetosa, Rumex conglomeratus, Rumex crispus, Rumex obtusifolius, Ranunculus acris, Ranunculus bulbosus, Ranunculus repens, Agrostis capillaris, Agrostis stolonifera, Alopecurus pratensis, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Arrhenatherum elatius, Bromus hordeaceous, Dactylis glomerata, Elytrigia repens, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Lolium multiflorum, Lolium perenne, Phleum pratense, Poa annua, Poa pratensis, Poa trivialis, Schedonorus pratensis

MG9 — Brownfield, Coastal floodplain grazing marsh, Mesotrophic grassland

Holcus lanatus-Deschampsia cespitosa grassland

Carex hirta, Carex nigra, Carex panicea, Juncus articulatus, Juncus effusus, Juncus inflexus, Brachythecium rutabulum, Calliergonell cuspidatum, Kindbergia praelonga, Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus, Angelica sylvestris, Conopodium majus, Heracleum sphondylium, Achillea millefolium, Achillea ptarmica, Centaurea nigra, Cirsium arvense, Cirsium palustre, Cirsium vulgare, Jacobaea vulgaris, Leucanthemum vulgare, Pulicaria dysenterica, Scorzoneroides autumnalis, Senecio aquaticus, Taraxacum officianalis, Cardamine pratensis, Succisa pratensis, Cerastium fontanum, Lathyrus pratensis, Lotus corniculatus, Lotus pedunculatus, Trifolium pratense, Trifolium repens, Vicia cracca, Hypericum perforatum, Mentha aquatica, Dactylorhiza fuchsii, Plantago lanceolata, Rumex acetosa, Rumex conglomeratus, Rumex crispus, Rumex obtusifolius, Rumex sanguineus, Primula veris, Primula vulgaris, Ficaria verna, Ranunculus acris, Ranunculus repens, Agrimonia eupatoria, Filipendula ulmaria, Potentilla anserina, Potentilla erecta, Rubus fruticosus agg., Galium verum, Silaum silaus, Urtica dioica, Agrostis capillaris, Agrostis stolonifera, Alopecurus pratensis, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Arrhenatherum elatius, Briza media, Cynosurus cristatus, Dactylis glomerata, Danthonia decumbens, Deschampsia cespitosa, Festuca rubra, Glyceria fluitans, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Hordeum secalinum, Lolium perenne, Phalaris arundinacea, Phleum pratense, Poa pratensis, Poa trivialis, Schedonorus arundinaceus, Schedonorus pratensis, Trisetum flavescens

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