Local Wildlife Site

Wildlife

Much of the site is roughland with the areas of grassland, some acid and others with an apparent chalky influence. These support a number of notable plants, including knotted and hare's-foot clovers, wild basil, wild marjoram, long-stalked crane's-bill, hairy St John's-wort, narrow-leaved bird's-foot-trefoil, vervain, hemp agrimony, upright hedge-parsley and white mullein. Plants recorded in the past but not seen recently include eyebright, blue fleabane and the nationally scarce yellow vetchling. Open sandy areas provide suitable habitat for invertebrates, especially burrowing hymenoptera. Common lizard and slow-worm both occur. The areas of secondary woodland are dominated by silver birch and oak with a hazel understorey. The ground flora includes great horsetail, stinking iris, three-veined sandwort, black bryony and hard-fern. A balancing pond on the road verge in the south-west of the site supports breeding smooth newts, and formerly supported the specially protected great crested newt. A wide range of common birds are present, including green woodpecker, song thrush, linnet and whitethroat.

Facilities

Footpaths; café