The Bottoms

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 54.7390, -1.4388

Also within

Durham County

Condition (Natural England)

Unfavourable Declining (4)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
NZ361382 Unfavourable Declining 2.19 2023-08-22
NZ362380 Unfavourable Declining 2.19 2023-08-22
NZ362383 Unfavourable Declining 2.19 2023-08-22
NZ363377 Unfavourable Declining 2.19 2023-08-22

Geology & landscape

Mining / Industrial: Quarry · Rock Type: Limestone

Description

Description The interest at The Bottoms consists of unimproved Magnesian Limestone grassland on the slopes of the dry valley near Old Thornley. Due to the limited distribution of Magnesian Limestone nationally, grasslands on this substrate are naturally scarce and have been further fragmented due to agricultural intensification and quarrying activities. Of the variety of grassland communities which occur on the Magnesian Limestone those characterised by blue moor grass Sesleria caerulea with small scabious Scabiosa columbaria are the most notable and are completely restricted to County Durham. The grasslands at The Bottoms are typical of this type. The steep slopes are dominated by a mixture of grasses. Blue moor grass is dominant throughout much of the site, with meadow oat grass Avenula pratensis, quaking grass Briza media, cock’s foot Dactylis glomerata, sheep’s fescue Festuca ovina and crested hairgrass Koeleria macrantha all frequent. Other grasses include downy oat grass Avenula pubescens, crested dog’s tail Cynosurus cristatus and tufted hair grass Deschampsia cespitosa. A profusion of broad leaved herbs also occur with harebell Campanula rotundifolia, glaucous and spring sedges Carex flacca and Carex caryophyllea, common rock rose Helianthemum nummularium, mouse ear hawkweed Pilosella officinarum, fairy flax Linum catharticum, common bird’s foot trefoil Lotus corniculatus, burnet saxifrage Pimpinella saxifraga, small scabious, salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba, cowslip Primula veris and wild thyme Thymus polytrichus all prominent. Less common species include common milkwort Polygala vulgaris, lady’s bedstraw Galium verum, carline thistle Carlina vulgaris, devil's bit scabious Succisa pratensis, hairy violet Viola hirta and common dog violet and Viola riviniana. A small population of purple milk vetch Astragalus danicus also occurs, a characteristic local rarity on the Magnesian Limestone. Scattered scrub, principally of gorse Ulex europaeus and hawthorn Crataegus monogyna occurs throughout the site.

Species mentioned

English name
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Latin name
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IUCN / Red List Type Family
meadow oat grass Avenula pratensis Not listed in GB list grass poaceae
downy oat grass Avenula pubescens LC grass poaceae
quaking grass Briza media VU grass poaceae
crested dog's tail Cynosurus cristatus LC grass poaceae
cock's foot Dactylis glomerata LC grass poaceae
tufted hair grass Deschampsia cespitosa LC grass poaceae
sheep's fescue Festuca ovina LC grass poaceae
crested hair-grass Koeleria macrantha NT grass poaceae
blue moor grass Sesleria caerulea LC grass poaceae
purple milk vetch Astragalus danicus EN herb fabaceae
harebell Campanula rotundifolia LC herb campanulaceae
carline thistle Carlina vulgaris LC herb asteraceae
lady's bedstraw Galium verum LC herb rubiaceae
rock roses Helianthemum nummularium VU herb cistaceae
fairy flax Linum catharticum LC herb linaceae
birdsfoot trefoil Lotus corniculatus LC herb fabaceae
mouse_ear hawkweed Pilosella officinarum LC herb asteraceae
burnet saxifrage Pimpinella saxifraga NT herb apiaceae
common milkwort Polygala vulgaris VU herb polygalaceae
salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba VU herb rosaceae
cowslip Primula veris LC herb primulaceae
small scabious Scabiosa columbaria LC herb caprifoliaceae
devils-bit scabious Succisa pratensis VU herb caprifoliaceae
wild thyme Thymus polytrichus Not listed in GB list herb lamiaceae
hairy violet Viola hirta LC herb violaceae
common dog violet Viola riviniana LC herb violaceae
spring-sedge Carex caryophyllea NT sedge cyperaceae
glaucus sedge Carex flacca LC sedge cyperaceae
hawthorn Crataegus monogyna LC shrub rosaceae
gorse Ulex europaeus LC shrub leguminosae

Plant communities

W20 — Montane scrub

Salix lapponum-Luzula sylvatica scrub

Salix 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

Hedera 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

Hedera 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