The Coombs, Hinton Parva
Also within
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SU228826 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 16.0 | 2024-03-11 |
Habitats
Geology & landscape
Geological Period: Quaternary · Rock Type: Chalk
Birds & fish recorded
Birds
| Species | Season |
|---|---|
| kestrel | Unknown |
Description
Description The Coombes, Hinton Parva, is an area of botanically rich chalk grassland, a habitat nationally much reduced by agricultural intensification. Lying six miles to the south east of Swindon and overlying Lower Chalk and Pleistocene Head deposits of the Marlborough Downs, the Coombes, Hinton Parva, occupies a steep sided valley with a north-northeast to south-southwest orientation. The grassland exhibits a varied structure with both regularly grazed turf, characterised by the grasses sheep's fescue Festuca ovina and meadow oat grass Avenula pratensis and longer sward dominated by upright brome Bromus erectus. Several other grasses are widespread throughout including quaking grass Briza media, crested hair grass Koeleria macrantha and downy oat grass Avenula pubescens. Glaucous and spring sedge Carex flacca and Carex caryophyllea are also common. A high proportion of the herb species are typically associated with agriculturally unimproved chalk grassland, including salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba, burnet saxifrage Pimpinella saxifraga, small scabious Scabiosa columbaria, horseshoe vetch Hippocrepis comosa, autumn gentian Gentianella amarella and yellow wort Blackstonia perfoliata. In areas of taller sward field scabious Knautia arvensis, common knapweed Centaurea nigra and greater knapweed C. scabiosa are frequent. There are a number of plant species especially indicative of management without ploughing, fertilisers or herbicides such as fragrant orchid Gymnadenia conopsea, clustered bellflower Campanula glomerata, green winged orchid Anacamptis morio, chalk milkwort Polygala calcarea, devil's bit scabious Succisa pratensis and large thyme Thymus pulegioides. The southern and western facing slopes particularly are characterised by common rock rose Helianthemum nummularium while those of a north westerly aspect, especially where gradients are gentle, support a higher proportion of grasses than elsewhere, including Yorkshire fog Holcus lanatus, crested dog's tail Cynosurus cristatus, yellow oat grass Trisetum flavescens and sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum. The presence of scattered, but mature scrub, principally of hawthorn and elder, contributes to overall habitat diversity, a characteristic reflected in the rich and varied invertebrate fauna recorded for the site. This includes 23 species of butterfly, several of which are dependent upon plants found only in unimproved grassland, for example brown argus, small blue, chalkhill blue and dark green fritillary. The mounds of the yellow meadow ant Lasius flavus are a conspicuous feature of the site, providing a specialist habitat for additional species of plant and insect. The site is also noteworthy for the presence of the arachnid Leiobunum rotundum, a species listed for inclusion as nationally 'rare' in the Red Data Book. Although not comprehensively studied, the vertebrate fauna includes badger, fox, hare, green woodpecker, kestrel, skylark, linnet and yellowhammer.
Species mentioned
Show the 33 species mentioned in the description, with red-list statusPlant 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