Penorchard & Spring Farm Pastures
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SO941812 | — | Favourable | 6.76 | 2023-05-25 |
| SO944810 | — | Favourable | 1.06 | 2023-05-26 |
| SO944813 | — | Favourable | 1.58 | 2023-05-25 |
| SO945810 | — | Favourable | 6.04 | 2023-05-25 |
Geology & landscape
Geological Period: Carboniferous
Description
Description Penorchard and Spring Farm Pastures are the most northerly of the Birmingham Plateau Grasslands and are situated on the side of the Clent Hills at an altitude of 210 metres, less than one kilometre due south of the village of Hayley Green. The underlying Keele beds of the Upper Coal Measures of the Carboniferous Period give rise to poorly drained neutral to acidic soils. All the pastures slope to the north east, with two of the pastures overlying ridge and furrow. Light grazing by horses for over twenty years has produced a species rich sward typical of this form of management. The special interest of the site lies in the diversity of the semi natural grassland sward. The vegetation conforms to the mesotrophic neutral grassland characterised by crested dog's tail Cynosurus cristatus and common knapweed Centaurea nigra, a type which is nationally scarce and declining. Spring Farm Pasture and the adjacent three Penorchard Pastures largely conform to the heath grass Danthonia decumbens sub community, dominated by common bent Agrostis capillaris and red fescue Festuca rubra. In Spring Farm Pasture, betony Betonica officinalis, meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria and cowslip Primula veris are abundant, with lady's mantle Alchemilla filicaulis ssp. vestita, devil's bit scabious Succisa pratensis and common bird's foot trefoil Lotus corniculatus frequent. The southern of the three adjacent pastures is a mosaic of the meadow vetchling Lathyrus pratensis sub community and the heath grass sub community. Characteristic of the meadow vetchling sub community are common bird's foot trefoil, red clover Trifolium pratense, zigzag clover T. medium and perennial rye grass Lolium perenne. Other characteristic species include yellow rattle Rhinanthus minor, lesser hawkbit Leontodon saxatilis and common spotted orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii. The damp areas have compact rush Juncus conglomeratus, toad rush Juncus bufoniusa, jointed rush J. articulatus, bristle club rush Isolepis setacea and oval sedge Carex leporina. The other two pastures are typical of the heath grass sub community, with abundant red fescue, common bent, sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum and Yorkshire fog Holcus lanatus. Herbs present include tormentil Potentilla erecta, devil's bit scabious, autumn hawkbit Scorzoneroides autumnalis, betony, common fleabane Pulicaria dysenterica, common spotted orchid, selfheal Prunella vulgaris and eyebright Euphrasia spp.. The four western fields form a separate block. These also conform largely to the heath grass sub community, with abundant common bent, crested dog's tail, common knapweed, common bird's foot trefoil and common spotted orchid. Three fields have frequent lesser hawkbit, bitter vetch Lathyrus montanus, selfheal and autumn hawkbit. The eastern field of this group contains more diverse soil types including some calcareous base rich areas. These give rise to plants such as yellow wort Blackstonia perfoliata and common centaury Centaurium erythraea mixed with the typically more acidic flora. A small area of scrub along the southern boundary contains a large population of the locally uncommon violet helleborine Epipactis purpurata and the broad leaved helleborine Epipactis helleborine. All of the fields have spring line seepages and associated damp areas with species including water mint Mentha aquatica, ragged-robin Silene flos-cuculi, jointed rush, greater bird's foot trefoil Lotus pedunculatus and lesser spearwort Ranunculus flammula. The locally uncommon species dyer's greenweed Genista tinctoria occurs in two of the pastures. The pastures are bounded by hedges dominated by hawthorn Crataegus monogyna. There is also a wooded stream to the south east. Invertebrates recorded include the meadow brown Maniola jurtina and small skipper Thymelicus sylvestris butterflies, with both five and six spot burnet moths Zygaena filipendulae and Z. trifolii and the chimney sweeper moth Odezia atrata.
Species mentioned
Show the 41 species mentioned in the description, with red-list statusPlant 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
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