Heath Brow
Also within
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SU822493 | — | Favourable | 1.89 | 2022-03-24 |
Habitats
Geology & landscape
Geological Period: Quaternary · Rock Type: Flint
Landscape processes: Fluvial, Glacial, Periglacial
Description
Description Heath Brow provides exposures in one of the recent Pleistocene gravel aggradations of southern England, the Caesar’s Camp Gravel. The origin of this deposit has been widely disputed; marine, glacial and fluvial processes have all been invoked at various times to explain their depositional environment. The sediments have been keenly researched since the early part of the century and active study continues. This recent research suggests that the Caesar’s Camp Gravel was deposited by a braided river in flood events during a cold, periglacial period. This conclusion is supported by the large size up to 350 millimetres in diameter of the flint cobbles present in the deposit. Despite the detailed environmental history now established for the Caesar’s Camp Gravel their stratigraphical position is still uncertain. The elevation of the gravel precludes correlation with the river terraces of the London Basin, making the Caesar’s Camp Gravel one of the earliest periglacial deposits in southern England. The site is therefore of vital importance to reconstructions of the environmental history of southern England.
Plant communities
A9 — Fast flowing river and stream, Marginal and inundation, Pond ditch and canal, Sluggish river and stream
Potamogeton natans community
Show 20 indicator speciesSchoenoplectus lacustris, Juncus bulbosus, Sparganium angustifolium, Sparganium erectum, Sparganium minimum, Alisma plantago-aquatica, Lobelia dortmanna, Equisetum fluviatile, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Elodea canadensis, Lemna minor, Lemna trisulca, Nymphaea alba, Callitriche platycarpa, Callitriche stagnalis, Littorella uniflora, Potamogeton natans, Ranunculus trichophyllus, Glyceria fluitans, Chara subspinosa
A14 — Fast flowing river and stream
Myriophyllum alterniflorum community
Show 15 indicator speciesIsolepis fluitans, Juncus bulbosus, Fontinalis antipyretica, Lobelia dortmanna, Equisetum fluviatile, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Lemna minor, Callitriche stagnalis, Littorella uniflora, Potamogeton filiformis, Potamogeton gramineus, Potamogeton natans, Ranunculus peltatus, Chara spp., Nitella hyalina
A17 — Chalk river and stream, Fast flowing river and stream
Ranunculus penicillatus ssp. pseudofluitans community
Show 11 indicator speciesBerula erecta, Nasturtium officinale, Elodea canadensis, Lemna minor, Callitriche stagnalis, Veronica beccabunga, Polygonum amphibium, Polygonum hydropiper, Potamogeton crispus, Potamogeton pectinatus, Ranunculus penicillatus ssp. pseudofluitans
A18 — Fast flowing river and stream
Ranunculus fluitans community
Show 12 indicator speciesFontinalis antipyretica, Fontinalis squamosa var. curnowii, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Myriophyllum spicatum, Elodea canadensis, Mentha aquatica, Lemna gibba, Lemna minor, Potamogeton perfoliatus, Ranunculus fluitans, Glyceria fluitans, Phalaris arundinacea