Willow Burn Pasture

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 55.1489, -1.6174

Also within

Northumberland County

Condition (Natural England)

Unfavourable Declining (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
NZ244839 Unfavourable Declining 7.08 2024-02-26

Birds & fish recorded

Birds

SpeciesSeason
crane Unknown

Description

Description Willow Burn Pasture is an area of unimproved species rich neutral grassland established on former ridge and furrow cultivation and now managed as pasture. There has been some invasion by scrub and wetter areas support tall herb communities. The grassland sward includes heath grass Danthonia decumbens, yellow oat grass Trisetum flavescens, quaking grass Briza media and meadow rescue Schedonorus pratensis, and such herb species as dropwort Filipendula vulgaris, pepper saxifrage Silaum silaus, saw wort Serratula tinctoria, great burnet Sanguisorba officinalis and sneezewort Achillea ptarmica. Small flushed areas within the grassland have an abundance of sedges including glaucous sedge Carex flacca, carnation sedge C. panicea and common yellow sedge C. demissa. Areas of tall herb vegetation are dominated by meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria with common valerian Valeriana officinalis, yellow iris Iris pseudacorus, wild angelica Angelica sylvestris, meadow crane's bill Geranium pratense and tall grasses such as false oat grass Arrhenatherum elatius. There are small wet area with rushes including soft rush Juncus effusus and locally with forget-me-not Myosotis sp. and silverweed Potentilla anserina. There has been some invasion of the grassland by scrub species, mainly hawthorn Crataegus monogyna, gorse Ulex europaeus and dog rose Rosa canina. Scattered grey willow Salix cinerea, goat willow S. caprea and alder Alnus glutinosa occur along the margins of the Willow Burn.

Species mentioned

English name
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Latin name
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IUCN / Red List Type Family
false oat grass Arrhenatherum elatius LC grass poaceae
quaking grass Briza media VU grass poaceae
heath grass Danthonia decumbens NT grass poaceae
meaow fescue Schedonorus pratensis VU grass poaceae
yellow oat grass Trisetum flavescens LC grass poaceae
sneezewort Achillea ptarmica LC herb asteraceae
wild angelica Angelica sylvestris LC herb apiaceae
meadow sweet Filipendula ulmaria LC herb rosaceae
dropwort Filipendula vulgaris LC herb rosaceae
meadow cranesbill Geranium pratense LC herb geraniaceae
yellow iris or flag Iris pseudacorus LC herb iridaceae
silverweed Potentilla anserina LC herb rosaceae
dog-rose Rosa canina LC herb rosaceae
great burnet Sanguisorba officinalis LC herb rosaceae
saw wort Serratula tinctoria VU herb asteraceae
pepper saxifrage Silaum silaus EN herb saxifragaceae
common valerian Valeriana officinalis LC herb caprifoliaceae
soft rush Juncus effusus LC rush juncaceae
glaucus sedge Carex flacca LC sedge cyperaceae
hawthorn Crataegus monogyna LC shrub rosaceae
gorse Ulex europaeus LC shrub leguminosae
alder Alnus glutinosa LC tree salicaceae
grey willow Salix cinerea LC tree shrub salicaceae

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