Win Green Down

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 50.9875, -2.1058

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
ST926209 Favourable 26.0 2012-08-09

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Chalk

Birds & fish recorded

Birds

SpeciesSeason
buzzard Unknown

Description

Area, 26.0 ha. 64.3 ac. Description Win Green Down is an area of highly diverse chalk grassland with a rich flora including species of a nationally restricted distribution. The site extends for two kilometres along a predominantly north facing escarpment, which spans moderate to steep slopes of the Lower, Middle and Upper Chalk. Lying close to the Dorset border, it is one of the most southerly chalk grasslands in Wiltshire. This type of habitat has been substantially reduced in Britain due to changes in agricultural practice. A well grazed species rich turf covers most of the site, characterised by the grasses sheep's fescue Festuca ovina, meadow oat grass Avenula pratensis and quaking grass Briza media, with a high proportion of herb species. Typical amongst these are salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba, small scabious Scabiosa columbaria, dwarf thistle Cirsium acaule and mouse ear hawkweed Pilosella officinarum. Glaucous and spring sedge Carex flacca and Carex caryophyllea occur frequently, whilst cowslip Primula veris is abundant in places. Thyme Thymus praecox and squinancywort Asperula cynanchica are widespread especially on the large ant hills of the yellow meadow ant Lasius flavus. These are a particular feature of the slopes at the western end of the down. Several species indicative of a long period of continuous management without ploughing, fertiliser or herbicide occur, such as clustered bellflower Campanula glomerata, fragrant orchid Gymnadenia conopsea, frog orchid Dactylorhiza viridis, chalk milkwort Polygala calcarea and meadow saxifrage Saxifraga granulataa. Other species characteristic of the south Wiltshire chalk include devil's bit scabious Succisa pratensis, saw wort Serratula tinctoria and betony Betonica officinalis. Also present is the scarce early gentian Gentianella anglica which has a nationally restricted distribution centered on South Wiltshire. The northern aspect of the downland favours a variety of mosses. Many of these are largely confined to calcareous habitats such as Scapania aspera, Neckera crispa and Ditrichum flexicaule. There are small patches of scrub comprising hawthorn, blackthorn, elder, hazel and dog rose, with hawthorn also thinly scattered over the down. The fauna has not yet been well documented, though typical chalk grassland butterflies including marbled white, small heath and meadow brown are numerous. A variety of birds frequent the grassland for example skylark, grey partridge and buzzard.

Species mentioned

English name
search for this in other sites
Latin name
search with Google
IUCN / Red List Type Family
yellow meadow ant Lasius flavus Not listed in GB list ant formicinae
grey partridge Perdix perdix VU (Breeding) bird-game phasianidae
buzzard Buteo buteo LC (Breeding) bird-hawk falconidae
skylark Alauda arvensis VU (Breeding) bird-lark alaudidae
meadow oat grass Avenula pratensis Not listed in GB list grass poaceae
quaking grass Briza media VU grass poaceae
sheep's fescue Festuca ovina LC grass poaceae
squinancywort Asperula cynanchica VU herb rubiaceae
betony Betonica officinalis VU herb lamiaceae
clustered bellflower Campanula glomerata VU herb campanulaceae
dwarf thistle Cirsium acaule VU herb asteraceae
frog orchid Dactylorhiza viridis VU herb orchidaceae
early gentian Gentianella anglica Not listed in GB list herb gentianaceae
fragrant orchid Gymnadenia conopsea NT herb orchidaceae
mouse_ear hawkweed Pilosella officinarum LC herb asteraceae
chalk milkwort Polygala calcarea VU herb polygalaceae
salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba VU herb rosaceae
cowslip Primula veris LC herb primulaceae
small scabious Scabiosa columbaria LC herb caprifoliaceae
saw wort Serratula tinctoria VU herb asteraceae
devils-bit scabious Succisa pratensis VU herb caprifoliaceae
creeping thyme Thymus praecox Not listed in GB list herb lamiaceae
rough earwort Scapania aspera LC liverwort jungermanniales
bendy ditrichum Ditrichum flexicaule LC moss dicranales
crisped neckera Neckera crispa LC moss hypnales
spring-sedge Carex caryophyllea NT sedge cyperaceae
glaucus sedge Carex flacca LC sedge cyperaceae

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