Mappp.co - Dane-in-Shaw Pasture

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Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (3)

Unit	Feature	Condition	Area (ha)	Assessed
SJ876624	—	Favourable	0.2	2012-05-25
SJ877624	—	Favourable	0.2	2012-05-25
SJ877625	—	Favourable	7.75	2011-07-13

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Glacial Till

Landscape processes: Glacial

Description

Area, 7.7 ha. 19.0 ac. Description This area of unimproved pasture, lying in the valley of Dane in Shaw Brook on the eastern outskirts of Congleton, is one of the largest and most botanically diverse areas of flushed neutral grassland remaining in lowland Cheshire. The underlying glacial and fluvio glacial sands, interspersed with bands of boulder clay, have been subject to widespread slumping. This has given rise to a variety of topographical features which have a wide range of soil types including dry sandy spurs and clayey banks. The latter are locally flushed by the many springs which issue from the north facing slopes. The glacial drift lies on top of Keuper marls which are exposed along the meandering course of the brook. The predominating grassland type is characterised by crested dog’s tail Cynosurus cristatus and common knapweed Centaurea nigra. It is moderately species rich with quaking grass Briza media, heath grass Danthonia decumbens, oxeye daisy Leucanthemum vulgare and yellow rattle Rhinanthus minor. On the drier sandy spurs more acidic soils support grassland dominated by red fescue Festuca rubra and common bent Agrostis capillaris with abundant devil’s bit scabious Succisa pratensis; and locally patches of heather Calluna vulgaris. The tall herb vegetation of the wet flushed areas is dominated by meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria and great willowherb Epilobium hirsutum with much ragged-robin Silene flos-cuculi. The flushes also have large stands of great horsetail Equisetum telmateia, water avens Geum rivale and common spotted orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii, all of which are of local distribution in Cheshire. This tall herbaceous vegetation supports a diversity of insects including strong colonies of common blue Polyommatus icarus and small heath Coenonympha pamphilus, two butterflies with a restricted distribution in Cheshire.

Species mentioned

Show the 18 species mentioned in the description, with red-list status

English name search for this in other sites	Latin name search with Google	IUCN / Red List	Type	Family
small heath	Coenonympha pamphilus	VU	butterfly	nymphalidae
common blue	Polyommatus icarus	LC	butterfly	lycaenidae
common bent	Agrostis capillaris	LC	grass	poaceae
quaking grass	Briza media	VU	grass	poaceae
crested dog's tail	Cynosurus cristatus	LC	grass	poaceae
heath grass	Danthonia decumbens	NT	grass	poaceae
red fescue	Festuca rubra	LC	grass	poaceae
black knapweed	Centaurea nigra	LC	herb	asteraceae
spotted orchids	Dactylorhiza fuchsii	LC	herb	orchidaceae
great willowherb	Epilobium hirsutum	LC	herb	onagraceae
great horsetail	Equisetum telmateia	LC	herb	equisetaceae
meadow sweet	Filipendula ulmaria	LC	herb	rosaceae
water avens	Geum rivale	LC	herb	rosaceae
oxeye daisy	Leucanthemum vulgare	LC	herb	asteraceae
yellow-rattle	Rhinanthus minor	DD	herb	orobanchaceae
ragged-robin	Silene flos-cuculi	LC	herb	carophyllaceae
devils-bit scabious	Succisa pratensis	VU	herb	caprifoliaceae
bell heather or ling	Calluna vulgaris	NT	shrub dwarf	ericaceae

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.

Species	Status	Via host-plant
Black-veined moth Siona lineata	Critically Endangered	Centaurea nigra
Shoulder-striped clover Heliothis maritima	Endangered	Calluna vulgaris
Scarce vapourer Orgyia recens	Endangered	Filipendula ulmaria
Broom moth Ceramica pisi	Vulnerable	Calluna vulgaris
Marsh fritillary Euphydryas aurinia	Vulnerable	Succisa pratensis
Satyr pug Eupithecia satyrata	Vulnerable	Calluna vulgaris, Centaurea spp., Filipendula ulmaria, Rhinanthus minor
Grayling Hipparchia semele	Vulnerable	Festuca rubra
Bedstraw hawk-moth Hyles gallii	Vulnerable	Epilobium spp.
True lover's knot Lycophotia porphyrea	Vulnerable	Calluna vulgaris
Silver studded blue Plebejus argus	Vulnerable	Calluna vulgaris
Pale eggar Trichiura crataegi	Vulnerable	Calluna vulgaris
Flounced chestnut Agrochola helvola	Near Threatened	Calluna vulgaris
Small heath Coenonympha pamphilus	Near Threatened	Agrostis spp., Cynosurus cristatus, Festuca spp.
Grey scalloped Dyscia fagaria	Near Threatened	Calluna vulgaris
Autumnal rustic Eugnorisma glareosa	Near Threatened	Calluna vulgaris
Grey pug Eupithecia subfuscata	Near Threatened	Centaurea spp.
Weaver's wave Idaea contiguaria	Near Threatened	Calluna vulgaris
Scarce forester Jordanita globulariae	Near Threatened	Centaurea nigra
Wall Lasiommata megera	Near Threatened	Agrostis 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.