Kingwater
Also within
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NY608697 | — | Favourable | 1.16 | 2020-11-28 |
Habitats
Geology & landscape
Geological Period: Carboniferous
Description
Area,1.2 hectares 2.9 ac Description Kingwater is situated on Waterhead Common four kilometres north west of Gilsland. The geological interest of this site, in technical terms, may be defined as follows, Kingwater provides the best example of in situ fossil tree stumps in the Lower Carboniferous of Britain. The stumps are preserved as petrifactions whose anatomy is typical of the lyginopterid pteridosperms. They show that these arborescent plants were of considerable size, with trunks up to 2.5 metres in diameter. They also show that they grew in one species clusters or woods about 25 trees per hectare. This site, which is exceptionally vulnerable to hammering, is of national importance for understanding the ecology of the early types of trees. In layman’s terms, the interest of this site may be expressed more simply. This should not be taken as definitive and further information as to details of the interest can be obtained from the Nature Conservancy Council. The river bed and banks within this site provide exposures of rock layers formed in the early Carboniferous Period of geological history, about 340 million years ago. The exposures are of special interest because they contain fossilised stumps of primitive trees preserved in growth positions. This has provided important information about the mode of life of these early Carboniferous trees which dominated the environment in this area at that time.
Plant communities
A9 — Fast flowing river and stream, Marginal and inundation, Pond ditch and canal, Sluggish river and stream
Potamogeton natans community
Show 20 indicator speciesSchoenoplectus 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
Show 15 indicator speciesIsolepis 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
Show 11 indicator speciesBerula 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
Show 12 indicator speciesFontinalis 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