Ludworth Intake
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SJ993910 | — | Favourable | 1.5 | 2011-07-01 |
| SJ994912 | — | Favourable | 3.78 | 2011-07-01 |
Habitats
Geology & landscape
Geological Period: Quaternary
Landscape processes: Fluvial, Glacial, Periglacial
Description
Description Ludworth Intake is a prominent meltwater channel on a low col situated on the watershed between the main Etherow Valley and a small tributary of the River Goyt, about ten kilometres east of Stockport. The channel is about 400 metres long, sinuous in plan and eight metres to 10 metres in depth. It has a southward tending gradient for the most part. Originally interpreted as a lake spillway for an ice dammed lake in the Etherow Valley, the valley is now interpreted as the result of erosion by a melt water stream which followed a lateral course along the margin of the glacier. Alternatively, the channel may have formed below the glacier. A temporary section cut in the wall of the channel has revealed five separate layers of soliflucted material indicatinga complex periglacial history. One of the soliflucted layers yielded pollen grains consistent with the Windermere Interstadial, indicating that the channel is at least older than the Loch Lomond Stadial. Melt water channels are a characteristic feature of the geomorphology of the western flanks of the Pennines which were glaciated during the Quaternary. Ludworth Intake is an exceptional and nationally important example of an isolated col channel cut by glacial meltwater; the site has considerable potential for further study.
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