Buckbarrow Beck
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SD136909 | — | Favourable | 2.0 | 2024-02-21 |
Habitats
Geology & landscape
Rock Type: Granite
Landscape processes: Volcanic / Igneous
Description
Description Buckbarrow Beck is situated on Corney Fell, four kilometres north west of Bootle. It comprises a number of stream and hillside exposures cutting through Eskdale Granite and also dumps from a small disused mine, about 500 metres north of Buckbarrow Bridge. These exposures and mine dumps are important for rare minerals. Metalliferous mineralisation is associated with the south east margin of the Eskdalegranite granodiorite intrusion and the occurrence of a tungsten bearing vein on Corney Fell is part of this pattern. A narrow vein, up to 0.15 metres wide and exposed over a distance of two metres is present near the old mine workings on Buckbarrow Beck. The vein carried abundant scheelite, some chalcopyrite and a little ferberite. In addition, the vein is heavily oxidised and besides goethite and copper secondaries, the supergene assemblage includes the rare tungsten and bismuth minerals cuprotungstite, bismutoferrite and russellite. The site is mineralogically important for the unique British occurrence of cuprotungstite. It is only the second British occurrence of russellite and may be the only place in the world where the mineral can be collected. Buckbarrow Beck, which has been recently the subject of detailed study, is critical to an understanding of metallogenesis in the important Lake District mineral ore province.
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