Wilmington Downs

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 50.8063, 0.1905

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East Sussex County SOUTH DOWNS National Park South Downs Way National Trail

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (3)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
TQ537024 — Favourable 63.4 2019-12-05
TQ541030 — Favourable 61.35 2021-09-30
TQ551034 — Favourable 85.02 2021-09-30

Habitats

Mixed scrub, Montane scrub

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Chalk

Birds & fish recorded

Fish

SpeciesSeason
Grayling Unknown

Description

Area, 208.2 ha. 514.5 ac. Description This site is dominated by the nationally uncommon chalk grassland habitat on the steep escarpment of the South Downs. In addition to a representative chalk flora the site holds two nationally rare invertebrates and several notable ones. The grassland is of the sheep's fescue grass Festuca ovina upright brome grass Bromus erectus type and has developed over thin rendzina soils. In ungrazed areas scrub has developed and woodland is present in places on deeper soils at the foot of the escarpment. A range of slope aspects occur and south facing slopes are particularly valuable for invertebrates. Two invertebrate species are protected under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981, the wart biter grass hopper Decticus verrucivorus and the snail Monacha cartusiana. The site is one of the best East Sussex localities for both lepidoptera butterflies and moths and orthoptera grasshoppers and crickets. The chalk grassland is rich in flowering plants including salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba, squinancywort Asperula cynanchica, chalk milkwort Polygala calcarea, yellow rattle Rhinanthus minor, Autumn lady's tresses Spiranthes spiralis and a plant which is restricted to chalk in Southern Britain, round headed rampion Phyteuma orbiculare. The site contains a significant number of lichens and mosses including several unusual species and the country's only known location of one rare moss. The scrub is often pure gorse Ulex europaeus but more mixed belts are present with wayfaring tree Viburnum lantana, hawthorn Crataegus monogyna and blackthorn Prunus spinosa. In places scrubby woodlands have developed over the mixed scrub with ash Fraxinus excelsior and sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus being dominant. More mature woodland with beech Fagus sylvatica and ash is present at the base of the escarpment. The uncommon shrub fly honeysuckle Lonicera xylosteum has been recorded from this woodland since 1901 but it is likely that it was introduced and is not of natural origin. The site supports twenty five species of butterfly including three uncommon species, silver spotted skipper, grayling and Adonis blue. This is the only East Sussex locality of the moth Udea fulvalis. In addition to the wart biter grasshopper another uncommon orthopteran also occurs, the long winged cone head Conocephalus fuscus.

Species mentioned

English name
search for this in other sites		 Latin name
search with Google		 IUCN / Red List Type Family
long-winged conehead Conocephalus fuscus LC bush cricket tettigoniidae
upright brome Bromus erectus Not listed in GB list grass poaceae
sheep's fescue Festuca ovina LC grass poaceae
squinancywort Asperula cynanchica VU herb rubiaceae
fly homeysuckle Lonicera xylosteum Not listed in GB list herb carophyllaceae
round headed rampion Phyteuma orbiculare LC herb campanulaceae
chalk milkwort Polygala calcarea VU herb polygalaceae
salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba VU herb rosaceae
yellow-rattle Rhinanthus minor DD herb orobanchaceae
autumn lady's tresses Spiranthes spiralis LC herb orchidaceae
no common name Udea fulvalis Not listed in GB list moth crambidae
hawthorn Crataegus monogyna LC shrub rosaceae
blackthorn Prunus spinosa LC shrub rosaceae
gorse Ulex europaeus LC shrub leguminosae
wayfaring tree Viburnum lantana LC shrub caprifoliaceae
Carthusian snail Monacha cartusiana Not listed in GB list snail hygromiidae
sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus Not listed in GB list tree aceraceae
beech Fagus sylvatica LC tree fabiaceae
ash Fraxinus excelsior LC tree oleaceae

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