Langtonlees Cleugh

Also within

Berwickshire County

Condition (NatureScot)

Habitats

Ancient woodland

Geology & landscape

Geological Feature: Gorge / Ravine · Rock Type: Sandstone

Landscape processes: Fluvial

Description

LANGTONLEES CLEUGH Langtonlees Cleugh Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) is a wooded site in a steep, relatively undisturbed sandstone gorge (Lees Cleugh), to the south east of Langtonlees steading, 2km north of Polwarth, Berwickshire. It is notified for its mixed deciduous woodland habitat. Cartographic and botanical evidence shows that there has been continuous woodland cover on the site since the 18th century. Primary native woodlands of this nature are a rare and declining habitat in the area. The woodland habitat is composed mostly of slope alderwood, followed by secondary hazel-birch woodland and wet valley alderwood. There are also less extensive areas of wet ash-wych elm wood and northern calcareous hazel-ash wood. Some small aspen stands are also present. The northern arm of the site has the greater structural and species diversity, with areas of indicative ancient woodland ground flora species. There are also small areas of neutral grassland, flushed marshy grassland and swamps. The site has a rich lichen and bryophyte flora. The lichen flora shows associations of a ‘Continental type’.