Stoke Tunnel Cutting

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 52.0462, 1.1507

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Also within

Suffolk County

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (1) Unfavourable Declining (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
TM161432 — Favourable 1.03 2010-01-13
TM161433 — Unfavourable Declining 1.16 2010-01-13

Habitats

Fast flowing river and stream

Description

Description The geological interest of this site is contained within the Stoke deposits, which comprise fossiliferous silts and clays forming part of a high level terrace of the River Orwell. These deposits, dated by a preliminary pollen analysis, are important in correlations of Ipswichian interglacial sites in Britain. These problematic deposits contain a rich vertebrate fauna, which includes European pond tortoise, lion, mammoth, woolly rhino, horse and voles, of interest because it is transitional in character between faunas of interglacial and cold stage type. This locality and its vertebrates are of considerable importance in correlating deposits which may be attributed to an hitherto unnamed past Hoxnian pre Ipswichian interglacial period.

Plant communities

A9 — Fast flowing river and stream, Marginal and inundation, Pond ditch and canal, Sluggish river and stream

Potamogeton natans community

Schoenoplectus lacustris, Juncus bulbosus, Sparganium angustifolium, Sparganium erectum, Sparganium minimum, Alisma plantago-aquatica, Lobelia dortmanna, Equisetum fluviatile, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Elodea canadensis, Lemna minor, Lemna trisulca, Nymphaea alba, Callitriche platycarpa, Callitriche stagnalis, Littorella uniflora, Potamogeton natans, Ranunculus trichophyllus, Glyceria fluitans, Chara subspinosa

A14 — Fast flowing river and stream

Myriophyllum alterniflorum community

Isolepis fluitans, Juncus bulbosus, Fontinalis antipyretica, Lobelia dortmanna, Equisetum fluviatile, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Lemna minor, Callitriche stagnalis, Littorella uniflora, Potamogeton filiformis, Potamogeton gramineus, Potamogeton natans, Ranunculus peltatus, Chara spp., Nitella hyalina

A17 — Chalk river and stream, Fast flowing river and stream

Ranunculus penicillatus ssp. pseudofluitans community

Berula erecta, Nasturtium officinale, Elodea canadensis, Lemna minor, Callitriche stagnalis, Veronica beccabunga, Polygonum amphibium, Polygonum hydropiper, Potamogeton crispus, Potamogeton pectinatus, Ranunculus penicillatus ssp. pseudofluitans

A18 — Fast flowing river and stream

Ranunculus fluitans community

Fontinalis antipyretica, Fontinalis squamosa var. curnowii, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Myriophyllum spicatum, Elodea canadensis, Mentha aquatica, Lemna gibba, Lemna minor, Potamogeton perfoliatus, Ranunculus fluitans, Glyceria fluitans, Phalaris arundinacea