Mappp.co - Skendleby Psalter Banks

Also within

Lincolnshire County Lincolnshire Wolds Scenic Area

Condition (Natural England)

Unfavourable Declining (2)

Unit	Feature	Condition	Area (ha)	Assessed
TF440716	—	Unfavourable Declining	0.9	2013-09-20
TF442716	—	Unfavourable Declining	0.9	2013-09-20

Geology & landscape

Landscape processes: Glacial

Description

Area,1.0 ha2.5 ac Description The species rich unimproved grasslands of Skendleby Psalter Banks represent one of the best examples of a habitat now rare and fragmented in Lincolnshire. The abundance of plants restricted to these steep north facing slopes of a dry valley cut into the eastern Wolds by glacial meltwaters is maintained by traditional management of sheep grazing. Upright brome Bromus erectus is the dominant grass species in an open sward which also includes sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum, red fescue Festuca rubra, quaking grass Briza media and wood false brome Brachypodium sylvaticum. A Lincolnshire Wolds grassland feature abundant field scabious Knautia arvensis is found with a large population of the semiparasitic yellow rattle Rhinanthus minor and red bartsia Odontites verna. Typical herbs present include salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba, cowslip Primula veris, rough hawkbit Leontodon hispidus, glaucous sedge Carex flacca, bird's foot trefoil Lotus corniculatus and burnet saxifrage Pimpinella saxifraga. Four species of orchid occur on the Banks, twayblade Neottia ovata, pyramidal Anacamptis pyramidalis, bee Ophrys apifera and common spotted Dactylorhiza fuchsii. The aspect and generally tall vegetation provides suitably humid conditions for the growth of mosses like Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus and Pseudoscleropodium purum.

Species mentioned

Show the 20 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
sweet vernal grass	Anthoxanthum odoratum	LC	grass	poaceae
wood false brome	Brachypodium sylvaticum	LC	grass	poaceae
quaking grass	Briza media	VU	grass	poaceae
upright brome	Bromus erectus	Not listed in GB list	grass	poaceae
red fescue	Festuca rubra	LC	grass	poaceae
pyramidal orchid	Anacamptis pyramidalis	LC	herb	orchidaceae
spotted orchids	Dactylorhiza fuchsii	LC	herb	orchidaceae
field scabious	Knautia arvensis	LC	herb	caprifoliaceae
rough hawkbit	Leontodon hispidus	LC	herb	asteraceae
birdsfoot trefoil	Lotus corniculatus	LC	herb	fabaceae
common twayblade	Neottia ovata	NT	herb	orchidaceae
bee orchid	Ophrys apifera	LC	herb	orchidaceae
burnet saxifrage	Pimpinella saxifraga	NT	herb	apiaceae
salad burnet	Poterium sanguisorba	VU	herb	rosaceae
cowslip	Primula veris	LC	herb	primulaceae
yellow-rattle	Rhinanthus minor	DD	herb	orobanchaceae
no common name	Odontites verna	Not listed in GB list	lichen	no common name
neat feather moss	Pseudoscleropodium purum	LC	moss	hypnales
big shaggy moss	Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus	Not listed in GB list	moss	hypnales
glaucus sedge	Carex flacca	LC	sedge	cyperaceae

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	Lotus corniculatus
New forest Zygaena viciae	Critically Endangered	Lotus corniculatus
Straw belle Aspitates gilvaria	Endangered	Lotus corniculatus
Chequered skipper Carterocephalus palaemon	Endangered	Brachypodium sylvaticum
Duke of Burgundy Hamearis lucina	Endangered	Primula veris
Wood white Leptidea sinapis	Endangered	Lotus corniculatus
Least minor Photedes captiuncula	Endangered	Carex flacca
Slender scotch Zygaena loti	Endangered	Lotus corniculatus
Mouse moth Amphipyra tragopoginis	Vulnerable	Lotus corniculatus, Poterium sanguisorba
Dingy skipper Erynnis tages	Vulnerable	Lotus corniculatus
Marsh fritillary Euphydryas aurinia	Vulnerable	Knautia arvensis
Satyr pug Eupithecia satyrata	Vulnerable	Rhinanthus minor
Grayling Hipparchia semele	Vulnerable	Brachypodium sylvaticum, Festuca rubra
Silver studded blue Plebejus argus	Vulnerable	Lotus corniculatus
Grizzled skipper Pyrgus malvae	Vulnerable	Poterium sanguisorba
Small heath Coenonympha pamphilus	Near Threatened	Festuca spp.
Grey pug Eupithecia subfuscata	Near Threatened	Pimpinella saxifraga
Wall Lasiommata megera	Near Threatened	Brachypodium sylvaticum
Rosy minor Litoligia literosa	Near Threatened	Carex flacca
Swallowtail papilio Papilio machaon	Near Threatened	Pimpinella saxifraga

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.