Clearbury Down
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SU151240 | — | Favourable | 31.13 | 2010-07-23 |
Habitats
Geology & landscape
Rock Type: Chalk
Birds & fish recorded
Birds
| Species | Season |
|---|---|
| blackcap | Breeding |
| whitethroat | Breeding |
Description
Area, 31.3 ha. 77.3 ac. Description Clearbury Down is an outstanding area of herb rich chalk grassland and scrub lying south of Salisbury on the Upper Chalk. The turf is an intimate mixture of grasses and herbs and is an example of Festuca ovina Avenula pratensis sheep's fescue meadow oat grass grassland on gentle slopes of mostly south to south west aspect. The presence of this large area of botanically rich grassland on shallow, potentially ploughable slopes is unusual and of particular interest. Many species of grass and sedge are widespread, including quaking grass Briza media, crested dog's tail Cynosurus cristatus, upright brome Bromus erectus, glaucous sedge Carex flacca and spring sedge Carex caryophyllea. Dwarf sedge Carex humilis, a nationally restricted species, is found on the lower regions of the south facing slopes. Typical downland herbs such as devil's bit scabious Succisa pratensis, dwarf thistle Cirsium acaule and salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba are frequent. Abundant cowslips Primula veris and horseshoe vetch Hippocrepis comosa give the down a yellow hue at varying times of the year. Noteworthy species which occur are field fleawort Senecio integrifolius and bastard toadflax Thesium humifusum. Large numbers of the green winged orchid Anacamptis morio and burnt orchid O. ustulata cover parts of the down in the summer. Amongst several other orchids recorded are early purple orchid O. mascula and autumn lady's tresses Spiranthes spiralis. Numerous ant hills are a feature of the site. They support their own characteristic flora in which creeping species including ladies bedstraw Galium verum, rock rose Helianthemum nummularium and wild thyme Thymus praecox often dominate with occasional annuals such as common whitlow grass Erophila verna and early forget-me-not Myosotis ramosissima. Scrub has colonised much of the southern part of the site particularly to the southwest where dense mature scrub includes hawthorn Crataegus monogyna, spindle Euonymus europaeus and blackthorn Prunus spinosa and forms a complex habitat mosaic with patches of species rich grassland. Woodland plants that exist under the scrub include enchanter's nightshade Circaea lutetiana and carpets of moschatel Adoxa moschatellina. Gorse Ulex europaeus is frequent throughout the scrub on the rest of the site and other species include buckthorn Rhamnus cathartica and wayfaring tree Viburnum lantana. Knowledge of the down's fauna is limited, however, typical downland butterflies include the chalkhill blue Polyommatus coridon, marbled white Melanargia galathea and small heath Coenonympha pamphilus. The nationally restricted plant bug Canthophorus impressus which feeds on bastard toadflax has also been recorded. The mixed scrub habitat contributes to the value of the site for invertebrates and provides breeding areas for a variety of birds such as whitethroat, blackcap, linnet and yellowhammer.
Species mentioned
Show the 38 species mentioned in the description, with red-list statusPlant communities
W20 — Montane scrub
Salix lapponum-Luzula sylvatica scrub
Show 107 indicator speciesSalix 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
Show 81 indicator speciesHedera 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
Show 49 indicator speciesHedera 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