Banstead Downs
Also within
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TQ248610 | — | Favourable | 43.94 | 2013-09-24 |
| TQ252610 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 33.43 | 2013-10-07 |
| TQ256612 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 49.3 | 2017-04-19 |
Habitats
Geology & landscape
Rock Type: Chalk
Birds & fish recorded
Birds
| Species | Season |
|---|---|
| grasshopper warbler | Breeding |
| lesser whitethroat | Breeding |
| stonechat | Breeding |
| whitethroat | Breeding |
Description
Description This site consists of undulating downland on the dip slope of the North Downs escarpment. It comprises extensive areas of dense and scattered scrub, woodland and areas of open chalk grassland most of which are golf course and public open space. The diversity of habitats makes this an important site for breeding and overwintering birds and several groups of invertebrates are also present. In addition the site supports a rich chalk flora, including a number of locally rare plants. Open grassland to the west of the railway is used as a golf course resulting in a great deal of variation in the sward, ranging from improved greens and tees, to sheep grazed and mown fairways and rough. In general the fairways are rich in species and a number of locally rare plants restricted to chalk can still be found. These include early gentian Gentianella anglica, dwarf mouse ear Cerastium pumilum, fine leaved sandwort Minuartia hybrida, cat mint Nepeta cataria, bastard toad flax Thesium humifusum, dropwort Filipendula vulgaris and sickle medick Medicago sativa subsp. falcata. These occur in a springy turf dominated by false brome Brachypodium sylvaticum and common bent Agrostis capillaris, with commoner chalk plants such as yellow wort Blackstonia perfoliata, fairy flax Linum catharticum, salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba and marjoram Origanum vulgare. Rough chalk grassland east of the railway line is not grazed or managed. This accounts for the poor diversity of the sward which typically consists of tall grasses, including false brome, with cock's foot Dactylis glomerata, crested dog's tail Cynosurus cristatus and false oat grass Arrhenatherum elatius and for the invasion by shrub species such as hawthorn Crataegus monogyna, gorse Ulex europaeus and wayfaring tree Viburnum lantana. Large areas of the site are dominated by mature hawthorn, growing in association with oak Quercus spp. and climbers such as ivy Hedera helix and traveller's joy Clematis vitalba. Gorse is dominant in a few areas, mainly to the east of the railway line where there are dense belts of gorse scrub. In the west of the site, however, there is a large belt of mixed scrub which is dominated by hawthorn but also includes a number of species characteristic of chalk sites such as dogwood Cornus sanguinea, blackthorn Prunus spinosa, wayfaring tree Viburnum lantana and the local rarity, juniper Juniperus communis. Scrub also occurs in association with the pioneer birch Betula pendula / oak woods which have developed over part of the site in the absence of grazing or golf course management. More mature woodland dominated by pedunculate oak Quercus robur with hawthorn, holly Ilex aquifolium and birch, line the western edge of the site. The variety of habitats at Banstead Downs provide feeding and breeding grounds for a range of different invertebrates and birds and eleven species of invertebrate which are rare or local in Surrey have been recorded at the site. The scrub and open grassland habitats support good populations of butterflies and moths, lepidoptera, and bugs, hemiptera. These include the following butterflies, small blue Cupido minimus, Adonis blue Polyommatus bellargus, chalkhill blue Polyommatus coridon, the moth Conopia anthraciniformis and the bugs Miris striatus, Phytocoris longipennis and Dichrooscytus valesianus, the latter a Mediterranean species which is very rare in great Britain where it is at its most northerly limit. Also of note is the fauna associated with scrub and dead wood, particularly the beetles coleoptera which includes Bitoma crenata, a localised species. Extensive scrub and woodland at Banstead Downs makes this a valuable site for birds, and 57 species have been recorded, 44 of which are reported to breed here. The most interesting species of breeding bird include stonechat, grasshopper warbler, lesser whitethroat, great and lesser spotted woodpecker and tawny owl.
Species mentioned
Show the 38 species mentioned in the description, with red-list status| English name search for this in other sites |
Latin name search with Google |
IUCN / Red List | Type | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| no common name | Bitoma crenata | LC | beetle | zopheridae |
| stonechat | Saxicola torquatus | Not listed in GB list | bird | muscicapidae |
| tawny owl | Strix aluco | NT (Breeding) | bird-owl | strigidae |
| grasshopper warbler | Locustella naevia | LC (Breeding) | bird-warbler | locustellidae |
| whitethroat | Sylvia communis | Not listed in GB list | bird-warbler | sylviidae |
| lesser whitethroat | Sylvia curruca | Not listed in GB list | bird-warbler | sylviidae |
| lesser spotted woodpecker | Dryobates minor | EN (Breeding) | bird-woodpecker | picidae |
| bug | Dichrooscytus valesianus | Not listed in GB list | bug | miridae |
| small blue | Cupido minimus | NT | butterfly | lycaenidae |
| Adonis blue | Polyommatus bellargus | VU | butterfly | lycaenidae |
| chalkhill blue | Polyommatus coridon | VU | butterfly | lycaenidae |
| common bent | Agrostis capillaris | LC | grass | poaceae |
| false oat grass | Arrhenatherum elatius | LC | grass | poaceae |
| wood false brome | Brachypodium sylvaticum | LC | grass | poaceae |
| crested dog's tail | Cynosurus cristatus | LC | grass | poaceae |
| cock's foot | Dactylis glomerata | LC | grass | poaceae |
| yellowwort | Blackstonia perfoliata | LC | herb | gentianaceae |
| dwarf mouse ear | Cerastium pumilum | NT | herb | carophyllaceae |
| dropwort | Filipendula vulgaris | LC | herb | rosaceae |
| early gentian | Gentianella anglica | Not listed in GB list | herb | gentianaceae |
| fairy flax | Linum catharticum | LC | herb | linaceae |
| sickle medick | Medicago sativa subsp. falcata | Not listed in GB list | herb | fabaceae |
| fine leaved sandwort | Minuartia hybrida | Not listed in GB list | herb | carophyllaceae |
| cat nip | Nepeta cataria | VU | herb | lamiaceae |
| wild marjoram | Origanum vulgare | LC | herb | lamiaceae |
| salad burnet | Poterium sanguisorba | VU | herb | rosaceae |
| bastard toadflax | Thesium humifusum | VU | herb | santalaceae |
| traveller's joy | Clematis vitalba | LC | shrub | ranunculaceae |
| dogwood | Cornus sanguinea | LC | shrub | cornaceae |
| hawthorn | Crataegus monogyna | LC | shrub | rosaceae |
| juniper | Juniperus communis | CR | shrub | cupressaceae |
| blackthorn | Prunus spinosa | LC | shrub | rosaceae |
| gorse | Ulex europaeus | LC | shrub | leguminosae |
| wayfaring tree | Viburnum lantana | LC | shrub | caprifoliaceae |
| birch | Betula pendula | LC | tree | betulaceae |
| holly | Ilex aquifolium | LC | tree | aquifoliaceae |
| common oak | Quercus robur | LC | tree | fagaceae |
| ivy | Hedera helix | LC | woody climber | araliaceae |
Plant 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