Broughton Down

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 51.0963, -1.5886

Also within

Hampshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (2) Unfavourable No Change (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SU282335 Favourable 16.83 2021-08-25
SU291329 Unfavourable No Change 22.67 2022-02-24
SU295326 Favourable 6.27 2020-07-22

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Chalk

Description

Area, 44.7 hectares 110.4 ac Description A mainly north east facing chalk escarpment exhibiting a succession of chalk vegetation seral stages from open, grazed chalk grassland, through scrub of hawthorn Crataegus monogyna, elder Sambucus nigra, buckthorn Rhamnus cathartica and dogwood Cornus sanguinea, to mature beech, ash and yew woodland. The chalk grassland turf includes areas intensively grazed by rabbits. There is an abundance of ant mounds characterised by a distinctive flora dominated by early forget-me-not Myosotis ramosissima. Although the chalk grassland flora is not consistently rich in species, the site as a whole includes a large assemblage of plants characteristic of thin chalk soils, including a population of the comparatively rare field fleawort Senecio integrifolius. The insect fauna includes colonies of chalk carpet moths Scotopteryx bipunctaria, silver spotted skipper Hesperia comma butterflies in each case probably the only remaining Hampshire colonies, the Essex skipper Thymelicus lineola the only known Hampshire colony and Duke of Burgundy fritillary Hamearis lucina The site includes important examples of almost the complete range of chalk habitats, with the exception of juniper Juniperus scrub, which is represented by only a few bushes.

Species mentioned

English name
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Latin name
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IUCN / Red List Type Family
Duke of Burgundy Hamearis lucina VU butterfly riodinidae
silver-spotted skipper Hesperia comma VU butterfly hesperiidae
Essex skipper Thymelicus lineola LC butterfly hesperiidae
early forget-me-not Myosotis ramosissima LC herb boraginaceae
field fleawort Senecio integrifolius Not listed in GB list herb asteraceae
chalk carpet Scotopteryx bipunctaria Not listed in GB list moth geometridae
dogwood Cornus sanguinea LC shrub cornaceae
hawthorn Crataegus monogyna LC shrub rosaceae
buckthorn Rhamnus cathartica LC shrub rhamnaceae
elder Sambucus nigra LC shrub caprifoliaceae

Plant communities

W13 — Yew wood

Taxus baccata woodland

Hedera helix, Acer campestre, Acer pseudoplatanus, Ilex aquifolium, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Fraxinus excelsior, Sorbus aria, Taxus baccata, Buxus sempervirens, Sambucus nigra, Euonymus europaeus, Ligustrum vulgare, Clematis vitalba, Crataegus monogyna, Mnium hornum, Fissidens viridulus, Brachythecium velutinum, Ctenidium molluscum, Kindbergia praelonga, Pseudotaxiphyllum elegans, Rhynchostegium murale, Rhytidiadelphus loreus, Thuidium tamariscinum, Tamus communis, Arum maculatum, Eupatorium cannabinum, Inula conyza, Mercurialis perennis, Iris foetidissima, Glechoma hederacea, Fragaria vesca, Rubus fruticosus agg., Atropa belladonna, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Brachypodium sylvaticum

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