Gallows Hill
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ST948241 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 3.91 | 2014-03-25 |
| ST952243 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 9.46 | 2014-03-25 |
| ST954241 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 9.83 | 2014-03-25 |
| ST955244 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 9.83 | 2014-03-25 |
Habitats
Geology & landscape
Rock Type: Chalk
Birds & fish recorded
Birds
| Species | Season |
|---|---|
| buzzard | Unknown |
Description
Area, 27.8 ha. 68.7 ac. Description This site encompasses botanically diverse chalk grassland and scrub containing animal and plant species of a nationally restricted distribution. Species rich downland is a habitat that has been greatly diminished throughout the country due to recent changes in agricultural practice. The vegetation demonstrates the succession from grassland to scrub and incipient woodland. The Gallows Hill SSSI is situated in south Wiltshire on a long ridge of Lower, Middle and Upper Chalk, that runs along the northern side of the Ebble Valley. It consists of a series of slopes with a range of aspects. Within the grassland there is variation in structure and species composition. The shorter turf has the greatest diversity and is characterised by the grasses sheep's fescue Festuca ovina, meadow oat grass Avenula pratensis, quaking grass Briza media and downy oat grass Helicotrichon pubescens. A major component of this community is dwarf sedge Carex humilis a species of a limited national distribution centred on south west Wiltshire and north east Dorset. Glaucous sedge Carex flacca, salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba, small scabious Scabiosa columbaria, rough hawkbit Leontodon hispidus and horseshoe vetch Hippocrepis comosa are other commonc onstituents of the well grazed sward. Also present are pyramidal orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis and autumn gentian Gentianella amarella. A number of species occur that are largely confined to land that has been managed without ploughing, fertilisers or herbicides. These include chalk milkwort Polygala calcarea, saw wort Serratula tinctoria and betony Betonica officinalis. Where tor grass Brachypodium pinnatum dominates, the vegetation is longer and the diversity reduced, though several of the species found throughout the site are still present, such as salad burnet, chalk milkwort, cowslip Primula veris and rock rose Helianthemum nummularium. Dense scrub which occupies much of the long south east and west facing slopes, is a feature of the site. The history of its development is documented by a series of photographs extending back to 1940. hawthorn, blackthorn and elder predominate, accompanied by a variety of shrubs including hazel, privet, buckthorn, dogwood and dog rose. Mature trees including ash and whitebeam occasionally penetrate the canopy. Woodland ground flora is beginning to develop with shade tolerant species such as enchanter's nightshade Circaea lutetiana, herb Robert Geranium robertianum and male fern Dryopteris filix-mas. Elsewhere scrub is more scattered and interspersed with areas of species rich turf. The combination of scrub and grassland provides conditions favourable to a variety of animals. Many typical chalk grassland butterflies are present, for example marbled white, meadow brown and small skipper and there is a thriving colony of the nationally restricted Adonis blue. Resident birds include yellowhammer, linnet, kestreland buzzard, although a comprehensive ornithological survey has not yet been undertaken.
Species mentioned
Show the 24 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