Craig Sychtyn

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 52.8239, -3.1404

Also within

Shropshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Unfavourable No Change (1) Unfavourable Declining (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SJ232255 Unfavourable No Change 3.46 2017-07-18
SJ232256 Unfavourable Declining 2.05 2017-07-18

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

Geological Period: Carboniferous · Rock Type: Carboniferous Limestone, Limestone

Landscape processes: Coastal

Description

Area, 5.67 ha. 14 ac. Description A west facing Carboniferous limestone crag with woodland, scrub, grassland and rock face communities. Much of the site consists of woodland, dominated mainly by ash Fraxinus excelsior and hazel Corylus avellana. Wych elm Ulmus glabra, small leaved lime Tilia cordata and wild service tree Sorbus torminalis, a rare species in this area, also occur. The flora of the woodland also includes columbine Aquilegia vulgaris, stinking iris Iris foetidissima and woodruff Galium odoratum. Open communities occur mainly at the top of the cliff as small patches of grassland surrounded by scrub. Plants characteristic of limestone, including pyramidal orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis, frog orchid Dactylorhiza viridis, wild basil Clinopodium vulgare, marjoram Origanum vulgare and hairy violet Viola hirta, are present in these communities. The uncommon yellow rock stonecrop Sedum forsterianum, which is characteristic of base rich soils in the Welsh Border Country, is also found here.

Species mentioned

English name
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Latin name
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IUCN / Red List Type Family
pyramidal orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis LC herb orchidaceae
columbine Aquilegia vulgaris LC herb ranunculaceae
wild basil Clinopodium vulgare LC herb lamiaceae
frog orchid Dactylorhiza viridis VU herb orchidaceae
woodruff Galium odoratum LC herb rubiaceae
stinking iris Iris foetidissima LC herb iridaceae
wild marjoram Origanum vulgare LC herb lamiaceae
hairy violet Viola hirta LC herb violaceae
hazel Corylus avellana LC tree corylaceae
ash Fraxinus excelsior LC tree oleaceae
lime small leaved Tilia cordata LC tree malvaceae
wych elm Ulmus glabra LC tree ulmaceae

Insects to look out for

These moths, butterflies and beetles are known to feed on plants recorded at this site, and carry a notable UK conservation status — but a host-plant being present doesn't mean the insect has actually been recorded here. Treat this as "worth watching for," not a confirmed sighting.

SpeciesStatusVia host-plant
High brown fritillary
Fabriciana adippe
Critically Endangered Viola hirta
Black-veined moth
Siona lineata
Critically Endangered Origanum vulgare
Scarce vapourer
Orgyia recens
Endangered Corylus avellana, Ulmus spp.
White-letter hairstreak
Satyrium w-album
Endangered Ulmus glabra, Ulmus spp.
The sprawler
Asteroscopus sphinx
Vulnerable Corylus avellana, Fraxinus excelsior, Tilia spp., Ulmus spp.
Broom moth
Ceramica pisi
Vulnerable Ulmus spp.
Mottled umber
Erannis defoliaria
Vulnerable Corylus avellana, Ulmus spp.
Satyr pug
Eupithecia satyrata
Vulnerable Galium spp.
Bedstraw hawk-moth
Hyles gallii
Vulnerable Galium spp.
The lackey
Malacosoma neustria
Vulnerable Corylus avellana, Ulmus spp.
Pale brindled
Phigalia pilosaria
Vulnerable Corylus avellana, Fraxinus excelsior, Tilia spp., Ulmus glabra
Pale eggar
Trichiura crataegi
Vulnerable Corylus avellana
Flounced chestnut
Agrochola helvola
Near Threatened Ulmus spp.
Dusky-lemon sallow
Cirrhia gilvago
Near Threatened Ulmus glabra
The sallow
Cirrhia icteritia
Near Threatened Ulmus glabra
Large thorn
Ennomos autumnaria
Near Threatened Corylus avellana, Ulmus spp.
September thorn
Ennomos erosaria
Near Threatened Tilia spp.
Dusky thorn
Ennomos fuscantaria
Near Threatened Fraxinus excelsior
Autumnal rustic
Eugnorisma glareosa
Near Threatened Galium spp.
Double dart
Graphiphora augur
Near Threatened Ulmus spp.
Rosy minor
Litoligia literosa
Near Threatened Iris foetidissima
Scarce hook-tip
Sabra harpagula
Near Threatened Tilia cordata
Dark-barred twin-spot carpet
Xanthorhoe ferrugata
Near Threatened Galium spp.

Host-plant data: Cook et al. (2025), Traits data for the butterflies and macro-moths of Great Britain and Ireland, 2024, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology / Butterfly Conservation; and Padovani et al. (2020), Database of Insects and their Food Plants (DBIF), UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (both Open Government Licence). Contains data supplied by UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.

Plant communities

W21 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub

Crataegus monogyna-Hedera helix scrub

Matches 5 species from the description above: Corylus avellana, Fraxinus excelsior, Iris foetidissima, Origanum vulgare, Ulmus glabra

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

W20 — Montane scrub

Salix lapponum-Luzula sylvatica scrub

Matches 1 species from the description above: Dactylorhiza viridis

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

W22 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub

Prunus spinosa-Rubus fruticosus scrub

Matches 1 species from the description above: Corylus avellana

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