Red Hill

Also within

Lincolnshire County Lincolnshire Wolds Scenic Area

Condition (Natural England)

Geology & landscape

Mining / Industrial: Quarry · Rock Type: Chalk

Description

Area,3.0 ha Description This site includes one of the only two Lincolnshire permanent chalk grassland areas which survives onan escarpment too steep for cultivation. Adjoining species rich grassland is associated with an old quarry with an exposure of red chalk which gives the site its name. The turf is typically dominated in parts by upright brome Bromus erectus and tor grass Brachypodium pinnatum in association with lime, requiring plants like salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba, marjoram Origanum vulgare and burnet saxifrage Pimpinella saxifraga. Plants scarce and diminishing in the county which are found here in abundance are eyebright Euphrasia officinalis, yellow rattler Rhinanthus minor, basil thyme Thymus arvensis, rock rose Helianthemum nummularium, bee orchid Ophyrs apifera and pyramidal orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis. The vetches support good numbers of butterflies, including the common blue. This is one of the few sites in the county where kidney vetch Anthyllis vulneraria occurs on the chalk. Several studies of the invertebrate populations confirm high density and diversity, particularly of leaf hoppers and spiders. Detailed records include over 50 species of beetle, 40 species of bug and 15 species of land snail.

Species mentioned