Trimdon Limestone Quarry

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 54.7116, -1.4404

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Also within

Durham County

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
NZ361353 — Favourable 0.84 2011-07-06

Habitats

Mixed scrub, Montane scrub

Geology & landscape

Mining / Industrial: Quarry · Geological Period: Permian · Rock Type: Limestone

Landscape processes: Karst

Description

Description Trimdon Limestone Quarry exhibits features of both geological and botanical interest. The geological features are of national importance whilst an area of magnesian limestone grassland occurring in the abandoned quarry workings forms part of a nationally scarce habitat which is under threat from a cessation of grazing management. Trimdon Limestone quarry displays an excellent Middle Magnesian Limestone Ford Formation section and reveals features consistent with carbonate deposition in a shallow marine back reef environment. Sediments include cross bedded, oolitic grainstones and a range of secondary fabrics associated with dissolution and replacement of evaporites are found. For example, calcite replacement of sulphate minerals. This quarry is important ininterpreting the depositional and post depositional history of the Late Permian Ford Formation carbonates. It is estimated that only 270 hectares of floristically rich magnesian limestone grassland remain in Britain. Sites such as this, whilst limited in area, contribute significantly to this nationally scarce resource. This grassland contains a rich assemblage of species characteristic of calcareous soils including quaking grass Briza media, blue moor grass Sesleria caeruleae, meadow fescue Schedonorus pratensis, glaucous sedge Carex flacca, common knapweed Centaurea nigra, blue fleabane Erigeron acris, field gentian Gentianella campestris, fairy flax Linum catharticum, wild carrot Daucus carota, cowslip Primula veris, salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba, fragrant orchid Gymnadenia conopsea, frog orchid Dactylorhiza viridis, bee orchid Ophrys apifera and common twayblade Neottia ovata. Scattered scrub occurs amongst the grassland, particularly on the tops of the quarry faces and comprises hawthorn Crataegus monogyna and various rose Rosa and bramble Rubus species. Other Information 1. This site is identified as of national importance in the Marine Permian Block of the Geological Conservation Review. 2. This site forms part at a larger area managed by the Durham Wildlife Trust as a nature reserve.

Species mentioned

English name
search for this in other sites		 Latin name
search with Google		 IUCN / Red List Type Family
quaking grass Briza media VU grass poaceae
meaow fescue Schedonorus pratensis VU grass poaceae
black knapweed Centaurea nigra LC herb asteraceae
frog orchid Dactylorhiza viridis VU herb orchidaceae
wild carrot Daucus carota LC herb apiaceae
blue fleabane Erigeron acris LC herb asteraceae
field gentian Gentianella campestris LC herb gentianaceae
fragrant orchid Gymnadenia conopsea NT herb orchidaceae
fairy flax Linum catharticum LC herb linaceae
common twayblade Neottia ovata NT herb orchidaceae
bee orchid Ophrys apifera LC herb orchidaceae
salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba VU herb rosaceae
cowslip Primula veris LC herb primulaceae
glaucus sedge Carex flacca LC sedge cyperaceae
hawthorn Crataegus monogyna LC shrub rosaceae

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