Local Wildlife Site

Accessible Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation

Riddlesdown and The Rose and Crown Chalk Pit

Borough: Croydon

Grade: Metropolitan

Access: Free public access (all/most of site)

Area: 66.7 ha

Description

Riddlesdown is mostly high quality chalk grassland with encroaching scrub, although the south-western slopes are wooded. The Rose and Crown chalk pit, a disused quarry, has vertical chalk cliffs as well as more gently sloping inclines towards its base.Much of the site is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. There is free public access to much of Riddlesdown, although not to the old quarry. Occasional opportunities to access the Rose and Crown Chalk Pit are advertised in the West Wickham & Coulsdon Commons web newsletter (see link) or telephone 020 8660 8533. Riddlesdown won a Green Flag Award again for 20089.Croydon Active Lifestyles project uses this site – a Walking the Way to Health (WHI) scheme; see link for details.

Wildlife

The grassland supports many characteristic wildflowers and grasses, many of which have become locally uncommon. These include glaucous sedge, kidney vetch, upright brome, wild marjoram and quaking grass. Common spotted, pyramidal and bee orchids also grow here, together with two nationally scarce plants - round-headed rampion and early gentian; the latter being restricted to the UK and specially protected as a result. Most of London's last few remaining bushes of the declining juniper also grow here. The woodland on the lower slopes and in the base of the quarry is mainly of hazel, ash and yew, and here there are further important plants. These include green-flowered helleborine, fine-leaved sandwort, round-leaved wintergreen and white mullein.Breeding birds on the site include marsh tit, skylark, linnet and yellowhammer, while the cliffs of the chalk pit support jackdaws. Mammals include the elusive common dormouse.Invertebrates at the site include glow-worm and over 20 species of butterflies, amongst them being green hairstreak, chalkhill blue and the declining small blue, dingy and grizzled skippers.

Facilities

Information; car parking; horse riding. The London LOOP passes the site.

View Interactive map

Green-flowered helleborine (close-up) © Mike Waite

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More information on GiGL’s SINC dataset can be found here.

Additional information, including other site designations and species recorded onsite and nearby, can be provided in community and client data search reports. Request information here.