Donington Park

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 52.8376, -1.3866

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Also within

Derbyshire CountyLeicestershire County

Condition (Natural England)

Unfavourable Recovering (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SK414268 — Unfavourable Recovering 38.93 2010-03-17

Habitats

Bracken scrub, Fast flowing river and stream

Geology & landscape

Geological Period: Triassic

Description

Area, 37.4 ha. 92.4 ac. Description The site comprises a medieval deer park which contains a fine population of ancient oak trees possessing a rich associated invertebrate fauna, including a number of rare and uncommon species. Biology Donington Park is mentioned in the Domesday Book and for its recorded history has been managed as a deer park. It is sited on a generally north facing slope overlooking the River Trent. Its soils are derived from the clays, silts, and sandstones of the Triassic Keuper Marl and Keuper Waterstones series and vary in texture and soil moisture content. The ground vegetation generally comprises a short grass sward although, locally, areas dominated by bracken Pteridium aquilinum occur. The Park contains a fine population of ancient oaks Quercus robur, together with numbers of mature lime Tilia sp and sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus. Old bushes of hawthorn Crataegus monogyna are also present together with a few old false acacia Robinia pseudoacacia. Associated with the old oaks is a rich and characteristic invertebrate fauna which includes many species restricted to habitats containing very old and decaying trees. The beetle fauna contains a number of uncommon species including Dorcatoma chrysomelina, Lissodema cursor and Scymnus femoralis, while among the bugs present Pilophorus perplexus, a southern species in Britain, is rare in Leicestershire. The spider fauna is also notable and includes the rare spiders Midia midas and Mastigusa macrophthalma. The ancient trees have additional value in that they provide suitable breeding habitat for a variety of hole nesting birds.

Species mentioned

English name
search for this in other sites		 Latin name
search with Google		 IUCN / Red List Type Family
beetle Dorcatoma chrysomelina LC beetle anobiidae
bracken Pteridium aquilinum LC fern dennstaedtiaceae
hawthorn Crataegus monogyna LC shrub rosaceae
spider Mastigusa macrophthalma Not listed in GB list spider hahniidae
spider Midia midas EN spider linyphiidae
sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus Not listed in GB list tree aceraceae
common oak Quercus robur LC tree fagaceae
flase acacia Robinia pseudoacacia Not listed in GB list tree fabaceae

Plant communities

A9 — Fast flowing river and stream, Marginal and inundation, Pond ditch and canal, Sluggish river and stream

Potamogeton natans community

Schoenoplectus lacustris, Juncus bulbosus, Sparganium angustifolium, Sparganium erectum, Sparganium minimum, Alisma plantago-aquatica, Lobelia dortmanna, Equisetum fluviatile, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Elodea canadensis, Lemna minor, Lemna trisulca, Nymphaea alba, Callitriche platycarpa, Callitriche stagnalis, Littorella uniflora, Potamogeton natans, Ranunculus trichophyllus, Glyceria fluitans, Chara subspinosa

A14 — Fast flowing river and stream

Myriophyllum alterniflorum community

Isolepis fluitans, Juncus bulbosus, Fontinalis antipyretica, Lobelia dortmanna, Equisetum fluviatile, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Lemna minor, Callitriche stagnalis, Littorella uniflora, Potamogeton filiformis, Potamogeton gramineus, Potamogeton natans, Ranunculus peltatus, Chara spp., Nitella hyalina

A17 — Chalk river and stream, Fast flowing river and stream

Ranunculus penicillatus ssp. pseudofluitans community

Berula erecta, Nasturtium officinale, Elodea canadensis, Lemna minor, Callitriche stagnalis, Veronica beccabunga, Polygonum amphibium, Polygonum hydropiper, Potamogeton crispus, Potamogeton pectinatus, Ranunculus penicillatus ssp. pseudofluitans

A18 — Fast flowing river and stream

Ranunculus fluitans community

Fontinalis antipyretica, Fontinalis squamosa var. curnowii, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Myriophyllum spicatum, Elodea canadensis, Mentha aquatica, Lemna gibba, Lemna minor, Potamogeton perfoliatus, Ranunculus fluitans, Glyceria fluitans, Phalaris arundinacea

W25 — Bracken scrub

Pteridium aquilinum-Rubus fruticosus underscrub

Hedera helix, Acer pseudoplatanus, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Fraxinus excelsior, Sambucus nigra, Ulex europaeus, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Luzula multiflora, Mnium hornum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Kindbergia praelonga, Angelica sylvestris, Conopodium majus, Heracleum sphondylium, Arum maculatum, Cirsium arvense, Lonicera periclymenum, Silene dioica, Stellaria holostea, Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Glechoma hederacea, Teucrium scorodonia, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Chamerion angustifolium, Circaea lutetiana, Digitalis purpurea, Rumex acetosa, Anemone nemorosa, Ficaria verna, Potentilla erecta, Rosa arvensis, Rosa canina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Rubus idaeus, Galium aparine, Galium mollugo sens.lat., Galium saxatile, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Agrostis capillaris, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Arrhenatherum elatius, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris dilatata, Dryopteris filix-mas