Saltburn Gill

Also within

North Yorkshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Climate exposure

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

Habitats

Bracken scrub, Coppiced woodland

Geology & landscape

Geological Period: Jurassic

Landscape processes: Coastal, Fluvial, Glacial

Description

Area, 18.9 ha. 46.7 ac. Description Saltburn Gill is a steep sided coastal dene, incised into glacial clays, shales and sandstones of the Lower Jurassic period. The site comprises the eastern slopes of the gill which are of particular importance in supporting one of the few relatively undisturbed areas of mixed deciduous woodland in Cleveland. Coppiced oak Quercus robur with standards dominates the canopy with ash Fraxinus excelsior and small pockets of wych elm Ulmus glabra and wild cherry Prunus avium. The shrub layer is composed of hazel Corylus avellana, scattered hawthorn Crataegus monogyna and blackthorn Prunus spinosa, with occasional holly Ilex aquifolium, gooseberry Ribes uva-crispa, guelder rose Viburnum opulus and spindle Euonymus europaeus. Dense patches of regenerating sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus are also present. The species rich ground flora varies considerably throughout with the nature of underlying soils. Towards the narrow northern end of the gill damp calcareous shales, on steep slopes beneath widespread wych elm, support locally abundant ivy Hedera helix, ramsons Allium ursinum, dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis and false brome Brachypodium sylvaticum with many ferns including hard shield fern Polystichum aculeatum, harts tongue fern Phyllitus scolopendrium, broad buckler fern Dryopteris dilatata and male fern Dryopteris filix-mas. Flushed plant communities dominated by pendulous sedge Carex pendula, meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria and wild angelica Angelica sylvestris are also common in such areas. Further south, loamy soils on more gentle slopes within the gill complex support carpets of bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta, wood anemone Anemone nemorosa and sanicle Sanicula europaea with hairy brome Bromus ramosa as well as scattered primrose Primula vulgaris, Lord's and Ladies Arum maculatum and wood forget-me-not Myosotis sylvaticum. Of particular interest are locally abundant populations of early purple orchid Orchis mascula, wood vetch Vicia sylvatica, goldilocks Ranunculus auricomus and rough horsetail Equisetum hyemale. South of Darn Bottle a small bracken Pteridium aquilinum dominated clearing with scattered hawthorn and goat willow Salix caprea has developed over a boggy area dominated by meadowsweet, hard rush Juncus inflexus and great willow herb Epilobium hirsutum with a small population of spotted orchids Dactylorhiza fuchsii. The shady banks and boulders of the beck and its tributaries within Saltburn Gill are covered with a profusion of mosses, leafy liverworts and ferns as well as opposite leaved golden saxifrage Chrysosplenium oppositifolium and wavy bittercress Cardamine flexuosa. These are shaded by large alders, whilst large patches of butterbur Petasites hybridus and ground elder Aegopodium podagraria are present with water avens Geum rivale on flat areas beside the beck.

Species mentioned

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.

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