Down Bank

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 51.2309, 0.9832

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Kent County Kent Downs Scenic Area

Condition (Natural England)

Unfavourable Recovering (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
TR083521 — Unfavourable Recovering 5.87 2024-10-10

Habitats

Mixed scrub, Montane scrub

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Chalk

Description

Description This site lies on a steep south east facing slope and includes both unimproved and semi improved chalk grassland with some areas of scrub and the edge of an ancient broad leaved woodland. These habitats support a diverse assemblage of plants including two nationally scarce* species, a nationally scarce butterfly and a nationally endangered moth. The feature of greatest interest on the site is that it supports the largest known British colony of the nationally endangered+ black veined moth Siona lineata Red Data Book category 1. This moth is specially protected under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. There are also 28 butterfly species found here including the nationally scarce Duke of Burgundy Hamearis lucina. Traditional grazing management ceased several years ago on this site and scrub has now invaded the grassland. The character of the remaining grassland has also altered but although it has become dominated by tor grass Brachypodium pinnatum, it retains a variety of other chalk grassland plants such as bird's foot trefoil Lotus corniculatus, marjoram Origanum vulgare, rock rose Helianthemum nummularium and salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba. The combination of tor grass and herbs such as these form the habitat which supports the black veined moth. The grassland also contains plants which are of particular interest such as the nationally scarce small bedstraw Galium pumilum and man orchid Orchis anthorpophora along with Cypress spurge Euphorbia cyparissias which is scarce in Kent**. The colony of man orchids is one of the largest in Kent, numbering several hundred plants scattered between the grassland and the woodland edge. The woodland edge contains beech Fagus sylvatica, yew Taxus baccata and whitebeam Sorbus aria forming an open tree canopy interspersed with areas of chalk grassland. Other plants which occur here are butcher's broom Ruscus aculeatus and orchids such as broad leaved helleborine Epipactis helleborine and white helleborine Cephalanthera damasonium. + Red Data Book, 2 Insects, edited by D B Shirt 1987, N C C. Category 1, Endangered. * Nationally scarce, recorded from 15 100 kilometres squares in Britain. ** Scarce in Kent, recorded from between 11 and 52.4 kilometres squares in Kent.

Species mentioned

English name
search for this in other sites		 Latin name
search with Google		 IUCN / Red List Type Family
Duke of Burgundy Hamearis lucina VU butterfly riodinidae
tor grass Brachypodium pinnatum LC grass poaceae
white helleborine Cephalanthera damasonium LC herb orchidaceae
broad-leaved helleborine Epipactis helleborine DD herb orchidaceae
Cypress spurge Euphorbia cyparissias Not listed in GB list herb euphorbiaceae
slender bedstraw Galium pumilum Not listed in GB list herb rubiaceae
rock roses Helianthemum nummularium VU herb cistaceae
birdsfoot trefoil Lotus corniculatus LC herb fabaceae
man orchid Orchis anthorpophora Not listed in GB list herb orchidaceae
wild marjoram Origanum vulgare LC herb lamiaceae
salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba VU herb rosaceae
black-veined moth Siona lineata EN moth geometridae
butchers-broom Ruscus aculeatus LC shrub liliaceae
beech Fagus sylvatica LC tree fabiaceae
whitebeams Sorbus aria CR tree rosaceae
yew Taxus baccata LC tree taxaceae

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