Restrop Farm and Brockhurst Wood
Also within
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SU070866 | — | Favourable | 23.29 | 2011-12-09 |
| SU071870 | — | Favourable | 8.26 | 2011-06-28 |
| SU074865 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 20.52 | 2013-10-23 |
| SU075868 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 0.78 | 2013-10-23 |
Habitats
Ancient woodland, Coppiced woodland, Mixed scrub, Montane scrub
Geology & landscape
Rock Type: Chert
Description
Description This site exhibits a diversity of habitat types from unimproved hay meadows and permanent pasture, through mature hedgerows and scrub to ancient woodland. The majority of such habitat types has incurred serious losses since the advent of modern agricultural and forestry practices and their combined presence at this site is therefore of particular significance. Lying some six miles to the west of Swindon, the site occupies the southern and western slopes of a conical hill surmounted by Ringsbury Camp. The well drained soils of upper slopes overlie the 'Rhaxella' Chert and silts and sands of Lower Corallian age; these grade downslope into waterlogged soils derived from the impermeable Oxford Clay. Current management of the grassland involves the 'shutting up' of some fields for hay during the spring and early summer months with the remainder subject to permanent grazing by livestock. The adjoining ancient woodland has traditionally been managed for coppice although in recent years has suffered neglect. A range of grass species characteristic of neutral soils are widespread in the hay meadows and permanent pasture, including abundant sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum, red fescue Festuca rubra, crested dog's tail Cynosurus cristatus and common bent Agrostis capillaris. Also present are species typically associated with agriculturally unimproved grassland such as quaking grass Briza media, meadow brome Bromus commutatus, heath grass Danthonia decumbens and meadow barley Hordeum secalinum. A number of sedge species, including glaucous, common, oval, spring, spiked and hairy Carex flacca, nigra, ovalis, caryophyllea, spicata and hirta are well distributed at lower frequencies throughout the grassland. The grassland supports a variety of common herbs typical of the common knapweed Centaurea nigra, crested dog's tail meadow communities, for example, bird's foot trefoil Lotus corniculatus, meadow vetchling Lathyrus pratensis, common sorrel Rumex acetosa and common knapweed itself. A long period of uninterrupted grassland management without ploughing, the application of herbicides or artificial fertilisers, is indicated by the presence of species such as devil's bit scabious Succisa pratensis, betony Betonica officinalis, adder's tongue Ophioglossum vulgatum, saw wort Serratula tinctoria, pignut Conopodium majus, pepper saxifrage Silaum silaus, sneezewort Achillea ptarmica, cowslip Primula veris and spiny rest-harrow Ononis spinosa. Floristic diversity is further enhanced by the localised occurrence both of species usually characteristic of more acid soils such as lousewort Pedicularis sylvatica and tormentil Potentilla erecta and those more typical of calcareous habitats such as lady's bedstraw Galium verum, stemless thistle Cirsium acaule, common milkwort Polygala vulgaris, greater knapweed Centaurea scabiosa, fairy flax Linum catharticum and hoary plantain Plantago media.
Species mentioned
Show the 30 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