Herward Smithy

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 53.2575, -3.2059

Also within

Clwyd County

Climate exposure

This is about exposure to a nationwide pressure this habitat type carries — not a verdict on this site's own management.

Coastal

Coastal habitats are exposed to sea-level rise and storm erosion. Where hard sea defences sit behind them, there's nowhere landward to retreat to — a squeeze that keeps compressing the habitat no matter how well it's managed.

Geology & landscape

Mining / Industrial: Calaminarian · Geological Period: Carboniferous · Rock Type: Carboniferous Limestone, Limestone

Landscape processes: Coastal

Description

Description Herward Smithy is located 1km to the south east of Holywell, and lies at an altitude of 180m above mean sea level. The site is of special scientific interest for its open vegetation on soils rich in heavy metals. The site lies on the edge of an elongated plateau formed of Lower Carboniferous Limestone which trends north-south, lying parallel and above the Dee Estuary to its east and with the Clwydian Hills to its west. The site contains metalliferous spoil arising from former mining for heavy metals, such as lead and zinc . Little of the soil material on site is therefore derived from the underlying bedrock. Skeletal calcareous ranker-type soils however have developed on the spoil. Herward Smithy supports a key component of a cluster of localities in the Holywell-Rhosesmor area of North East Wales which has been identified as being of international importance for heavy metal tolerant Festuca ovina-Minuartia verna (sheep’s fescue-spring sandwort) grassland. This grassland type is referred to as Calaminarian grassland and is associated with the spoil heaps of old lead/zinc mine workings and associated washing areas. The site is not grazed, other than by rabbits and provides an interesting comparison with grazed Calaminarian grassland found nearby on the nearby Halkyn Common. The vegetation is characteristically open and typically includes heavy metal tolerant species such assheep’sfescueFestucaovina, commonsorrelRumexacetosaandthenationallyscarcespring sandwort Minuartia verna together with a range of lower plants (lichens and bryophytes). The lichen communities dominated by Peltigera, which include Peltigera rufescens, P. neckeri and P. Stauroneis membranacea are notable. Carpets of Cladonia species, which include Cladonia rangiformis and C.furcata, occur in more sheltered areas. Two nationally scarce lichens, Vezdaea leprosa and Sarcosagium campestre are present. Among the bryophytes, Bryum species are dominant in places with the nationally scarce, Bryum pallescens, characteristic. This assemblage of species shows stronger affinities with mining areas in northern England with similar geology, such as Derbyshire and the northern Pennines, than with other Welsh metalliferous mine sites in mid and north Wales. The site also contains areas of neutral grassland and scrub often in an intimate mosaic. The neutral grassland supports species such as common spotted orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii, rough hawkbit Leontodon hispidus, bird’s foot trefoil Lotus corniculatus, yarrow Achillea millefolium, fairy flax Linum catharticum, eyebright Euphrasia officinalis agg. and ribwort plantain Plantago lanceolata.

Species mentioned

English name
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Latin name
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IUCN / Red List Type Family
lichen Stauroneis membranacea Not listed in GB list algae stauroneidaceae
Phalacrocorax aristotelis Not listed in GB list bird phalacrocoracidae
sheep's fescue Festuca ovina LC grass poaceae
yarrow Achillea millefolium LC herb asteraceae
spotted orchids Dactylorhiza fuchsii LC herb orchidaceae
English sticky eyebright Euphrasia officinalis LC herb orobanchaceae
rough hawkbit Leontodon hispidus LC herb asteraceae
fairy flax Linum catharticum LC herb linaceae
birdsfoot trefoil Lotus corniculatus LC herb fabaceae
spring sandwort Minuartia verna Not listed in GB list herb carophyllaceae
ribwort plantain Plantago lanceolata LC herb plantaginaceae
coral moss Cladonia rangiformis LC lichen no common name
field dog-lichen Peltigera rufescens LC lichen no common name
lichen Vezdaea leprosa LC lichen vezdaeaceae
tall clustered thread moss Bryum pallescens LC moss bryales

Plant communities

OV37 — Calaminarian grassland

Festuca ovina-Minuartia verna community

Calluna vulgaris, Carex caryophyllea, Carex flacca, Bryum pallens, Pohlia nutans, Dicranum scoparium, Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus, Weissia controversa, Cladonia arbuscula, Cladonia chlorophaea, Cladonia furcata, Cladonia gracilis, Cladonia portentosa, Cladonia pyxidata, Cladonia rangiformis, Coelocaulon aculeatum, Parmelia saxatilis, Achillea millefolium, Cirsium vulgare, Jacobaea vulgaris, Pilosella officinarum, Noccaea caerulescens, Campanula rotundifolia, Cerastium fontanum, Minuartia verna, Anthyllis vulneraria, Lotus corniculatus, Trifolium repens, Geranium robertianum, Thymus praecox, Linum catharticum, Euphrasia officinalis, Plantago lanceolata, Rumex acetosa, Galium saxatile, Galium sterneri, Viola lutea, Agrostis capillaris, Agrostis stolonifera, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Arrhenatherum elatius, Avenula pratensis, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca ovina, Festuca rubra, Koeleria macrantha

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