Scandal Beck and Stone Gill

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 54.4379, -2.4333

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Also within

Cumbria County YORKSHIRE DALES National Park

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (3)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
NY719041 — Favourable 1.76 2023-08-16
NY719050 — Favourable 8.59 2023-08-16
NY722042 — Favourable 1.4 2023-08-16

Habitats

Fast flowing river and stream

Geology & landscape

Geological Period: Carboniferous · Rock Type: Carboniferous Limestone, Limestone

Description

Area, 11.0 hectares 27.2 ac Description Scandal Beck and Stone Gill lies seven kilometres north east of Kirkby Stephen, the stream flowing south to north through the village of Ravenstonedale. This site is of geological interest showing rocks of the Carboniferous Limestone Lower Visean including the Stone Gill Beds, Coldbeck Beds, Scandal Beck Limestone and the Michelinia grandis palaeoenvironments in the Stainmore Trough. A variety of sedimentary facies prove the presence of a number of marine and marginal marine environments, in the former case populated by a rich fauna of corals, brachiopods and spirobids, as well as good trace fossils. The site has considerable potential for the future study of facies and faunas.

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