Whitberry Burn

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 55.0589, -2.7515

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Also within

Cumbria County

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
NY520740 — Favourable 0.98 2009-03-09

Habitats

Fast flowing river and stream

Geology & landscape

Geological Period: Carboniferous

Description

Description Whitberry Burn is located approximately four kilometres west of Bewcastle, just off the B6318 south of Roadhead. The site is a stream section which exposes nationally important rock outcrops in the stream bed and adjacent banks. This important Carboniferous stratigraphic site exposes the most complete section of the Lower Border Group Cambeck Beds in the Bewcastle area. This is the type locality for the Whitberry Beds, a rock unit which forms the base to the overlying Middle Border Group sediments. The many faunal and lithological marker horizons exposed within the burn section make this one of the most important stratigraphic sites within the Northumberland Trough for the purposes of regional correlation. Recent research suggests that the Hillend Algal Band at this locality may mark the Arundian Holkerian stage boundary and not the Chadian Arundian stage boundary as formerly thought. This emphasises the national significance of the site for studies of Dinantian stratigraphy in this region.

Plant communities

A9 — Fast flowing river and stream, Marginal and inundation, Pond ditch and canal, Sluggish river and stream

Potamogeton natans community

Schoenoplectus 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

Isolepis 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

Berula 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

Fontinalis 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