Cissbury Ring

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 50.8591, -0.3742

Condition (Natural England)

Unfavourable Recovering (3) Favourable (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
TQ139079 Unfavourable Recovering 33.62 2022-03-30
TQ143082 Favourable 16.16 2009-11-09
TQ148079 Unfavourable Recovering 9.4 2014-01-03
TQ152074 Unfavourable Recovering 25.01 2013-06-24

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Chalk, Flint

Birds & fish recorded

Birds

SpeciesSeason
redstart Breeding
redstart Passage
whinchat Breeding
whinchat Passage

Description

Description Cissbury Ring is an ancient hill fort site situated on chalk. The main biological interest of the site centres on the areas of unimproved chalk grassland, a habitat type which has become rare nationally through being under constant threat from agricultural improvement. The scrub areas provide important habitats for wintering, breeding and migrant birds and also support a varied butterfly fauna. Unimproved chalk grassland occupies the steep slopes which encircle the central plateau, the area round the old flint mines and the southern most field. Upright brome Bromus erectus forms a compact turf in which kidney vetch Anthyllis vulneraria, horse shoe vetch Hippocrepis comosa and yarrow Achillea millefolium are abundant; other components in the sward include harebell Campanula rotundifolia, marjoram Origanum vulgare, field fleawort Senecio integrifolius, wild basil Clinopodium vulgare, heath bedstraw Galium saxatile and the frog orchid Dactylorhiza viridis. The belt of scrub along the north east facing scarp slope consists of a diversity of shrub species including hawthorn Crataegus monogyna, privet Ligustrum vulgare, dogwood Cornus sanguinea and spindle Euonymus europaeus. Elsewhere, scrub invasion is more scattered particularly in the area occupied by the old flint mines. There are several juniper bushes Juniperus communis to the north of the Ring. The main plain of the Cissbury Ring is situated on clay soils overlying the chalk. Here neutral grassland is dominated by Yorkshire fog Holcus lanatus, sheep's fescue Festuca ovina and creeping bent Agrostis stolonifera grasses with wood sage Teucrium scorodonia and bramble Rubus fruticosus. Among the butterflies occurring here are the Adonis blue Polyommatus bellargus, the chalkhill blue L. coridon and the brown argus Aricia agestis. The scrub along the escarpment supports a diverse breeding bird community notably of warblers and finches. The autumn passage is particularly important when the scrub is used by redstart, whinchat, stonechats, tree pipits and warblers. Over wintering numbers of thrushes and finches are significant and a range of birds of prey is regularly recorded.

Species mentioned

English name
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Latin name
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IUCN / Red List Type Family
redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus LC (Breeding) bird-robin muscicapidae
whinchat Saxicola rubetra NT (Breeding) bird-robin muscicapidae
brown argus Aricia agestis LC butterfly lycaenidae
Adonis blue Polyommatus bellargus VU butterfly lycaenidae
creeping bent Agrostis stolonifera LC grass poaceae
upright brome Bromus erectus Not listed in GB list grass poaceae
sheep's fescue Festuca ovina LC grass poaceae
Yorkshire fog Holcus lanatus LC grass poaceae
yarrow Achillea millefolium LC herb asteraceae
lady's fingers (kidney vetch) Anthyllis vulneraria NT herb fabaceae
harebell Campanula rotundifolia LC herb campanulaceae
wild basil Clinopodium vulgare LC herb lamiaceae
frog orchid Dactylorhiza viridis VU herb orchidaceae
heath bedstraw Galium saxatile LC herb rubiaceae
horseshoe vetch Hippocrepis comosa VU herb fabaceae
wild marjoram Origanum vulgare LC herb lamiaceae
bramble Rubus fruticosus LC herb rosaceae
field fleawort Senecio integrifolius Not listed in GB list herb asteraceae
wood sage Teucrium scorodonia LC herb lamiaceae
dogwood Cornus sanguinea LC shrub cornaceae
hawthorn Crataegus monogyna LC shrub rosaceae
spindle tree Euonymus europaeus LC shrub celastraceae
juniper Juniperus communis CR shrub cupressaceae
wild privet Ligustrum vulgare LC shrub 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