Candlesby Hill

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 53.1912, 0.1847

Condition (Natural England)

Unfavourable Recovering (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
TF460682 Unfavourable Recovering 1.84 2015-02-19

Climate exposure

This is about exposure to a nationwide pressure this habitat type carries — not a verdict on this site's own management.

Coastal

Coastal habitats are exposed to sea-level rise and storm erosion. Where hard sea defences sit behind them, there's nowhere landward to retreat to — a squeeze that keeps compressing the habitat no matter how well it's managed.

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Chalk

Landscape processes: Coastal

Birds & fish recorded

Birds

SpeciesSeason
garden warbler Unknown
lesser whitethroat Unknown
whitethroat Unknown

Description

Area,1.81 ha Description One of the best remnants of the once extensive chalk grasslands of the South east Lincolnshire Wolds. Together with surrounding scrub and broad leaved woodland, the site provides an excellent example of the sequence of change to a mature system. Biology The ash woodland, which contains some sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus, is edged by scrub merging into open grassland forming an amphitheatre with the exposed chalk cliff. Herbs growing in association with woody species include false brome Brachypodium sylvaticum, black bryony Tamus communis, hound's tongue Cynoglossum officinale and twayblade Neottia ovata. Finches and warblers are well represented and include garden warbler and lesser whitethroat. The dominant species in the grassland are tor grass Brachypodium pinnatum and meadow oat Avenula pratensis. There are extensive areas of marjoram Origanum vulgare, perforate St. John's wort Hypericum perforatum, carline thistle Carlina vulgaris and burnet saxifrage Pimpinella saxifraga. Plants scarce in the East Midlands include bladder campion Silene vulgaris, dropwort Filipendula vulgaris and small scabious Scabiosa columbaria. Orchids include pyramidal Anacamptis pyramidalis, common spotted Dactylorhiza fuchsii and bee Ophrys apifera. Butterflies are present in large numbers and 17 species of mollusc have been recorded.

Species mentioned

English name
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Latin name
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IUCN / Red List Type Family
garden warbler Sylvia borin LC (Breeding) bird-warbler sylviidae
whitethroat Sylvia communis Not listed in GB list bird-warbler sylviidae
lesser whitethroat Sylvia curruca Not listed in GB list bird-warbler sylviidae
meadow oat grass Avenula pratensis Not listed in GB list grass poaceae
tor grass Brachypodium pinnatum LC grass poaceae
wood false brome Brachypodium sylvaticum LC grass poaceae
pyramidal orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis LC herb orchidaceae
carline thistle Carlina vulgaris LC herb asteraceae
hound's tongue Cynoglossum officinale LC herb boraginaceae
spotted orchids Dactylorhiza fuchsii LC herb orchidaceae
dropwort Filipendula vulgaris LC herb rosaceae
perforated St John's wort Hypericum perforatum LC herb hypericaceae
common twayblade Neottia ovata NT herb orchidaceae
bee orchid Ophrys apifera LC herb orchidaceae
wild marjoram Origanum vulgare LC herb lamiaceae
burnet saxifrage Pimpinella saxifraga NT herb apiaceae
small scabious Scabiosa columbaria LC herb caprifoliaceae
bladder campion Silene vulgaris VU herb carophyllaceae
black bryony Tamus communis LC herb climber dioscoreaceae
sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus Not listed in GB list tree aceraceae

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