Cottam Well Dale

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 54.0610, -0.5106

Open in the interactive map →

Also within

East Riding of Yorkshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Unfavourable Recovering (2)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SE975629 — Unfavourable Recovering 23.87 2012-09-10
SE975638 — Unfavourable Recovering 23.87 2012-09-10

Habitats

Mixed scrub, Montane scrub

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Chalk

Description

Area, 23.3 hectares 57.5 ac Description Cottam Well Dale is a chalk grassland site lying on the eastern side of a dry valley with mainly westerly and north westerly aspects. The site contains both grazed and ungrazed sections, with varying amounts of scrub invasions. In the northern grazed unit, sheep's fescue and red fescue Festuca ovina and F. rubra and other fine grasses dominate large areas rich in characteristic herbs; widespread species include harebell Campanula rotundifolia, clustered bellflower C. glomerata, lesser knapweed Centaurea nigra, lady's bedstraw Galium verum, felwort Gentianella amarella, rock rose Helianthemum nummularium, rough hawkbit Leontodon hispidus, mouse ear hawkweed Pilosella officinarum, fairy flax Linum catharticum, salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba, small scabious Scabiosa columbaria, saw wort Serratula tinctoria and thyme Thymus praecox. Although coarser grasses such as tor grass Brachypodium pinnatum and upright brome Bromus erectus are present in the sward, they have generally been kept in check by grazing. The two southern banks are ungrazed and support a coarse growth of tor grass and oat grass Arrhenatherum elatius with invading hawthorn Crataegus monogyna scrub. However these areas are still locally rich with many of the above herbs. The grassland is also rich in insects with 16 species of butterfly and several uncommon beetles recorded.

Species mentioned

English name
search for this in other sites		 Latin name
search with Google		 IUCN / Red List Type Family
false oat grass Arrhenatherum elatius LC grass poaceae
tor grass Brachypodium pinnatum LC grass poaceae
upright brome Bromus erectus Not listed in GB list grass poaceae
sheep's fescue Festuca ovina LC grass poaceae
harebell Campanula rotundifolia LC herb campanulaceae
black knapweed Centaurea nigra LC herb asteraceae
lady's bedstraw Galium verum LC herb rubiaceae
autumn gentian Gentianella amarella LC herb gentianaceae
rock roses Helianthemum nummularium VU herb cistaceae
rough hawkbit Leontodon hispidus LC herb asteraceae
fairy flax Linum catharticum LC herb linaceae
mouse_ear hawkweed Pilosella officinarum LC herb asteraceae
salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba VU herb rosaceae
small scabious Scabiosa columbaria LC herb caprifoliaceae
saw wort Serratula tinctoria VU herb asteraceae
creeping thyme Thymus praecox Not listed in GB list herb lamiaceae
hawthorn Crataegus monogyna LC shrub rosaceae

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