Flamborough Railway Cutting
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TA194707 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 1.7 | 2012-09-17 |
Geology & landscape
Mining / Industrial: Quarry · Rock Type: Chalk
Description
Area, 1.6 hectares 4.0 ac Description The site notified as Flamborough Railway Cutting consists of a shallow chalk quarry lying west of the Bridlington to Scarborough railway line, together with the west bank of the adjacent railway cutting, both of which support a rich chalk flora. The quarry floor supports a mosaic of well vegetated areas with patches of bare chalk chippings, which display the seral stages of colonisation. The site supports a variety of grasses including quaking grass Briza media, false oat grass Arrhenatherum elatius, false brome Brachypodium sylvaticum, upright brome Bromus erectus and yellow oat grass Trisetum flavescens, together with typical chalk herbs such as kidney vetch Anthyllis vulneraria, carline thistle Carlina vulgaris and burnet saxifrage Pimpinella saxifraga. However, it is for its orchid populations that the quarry and railway cutting are principally valued, five species of orchid have been recorded including fragrant orchid Gymnadenia conopsea, bee orchid Ophyrs apifera and large numbers of pyramidal orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis.
Species mentioned
Show the 11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| false oat grass | Arrhenatherum elatius | 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 |
| yellow oat grass | Trisetum flavescens | LC | grass | poaceae |
| pyramidal orchid | Anacamptis pyramidalis | LC | herb | orchidaceae |
| lady's fingers (kidney vetch) | Anthyllis vulneraria | NT | herb | fabaceae |
| carline thistle | Carlina vulgaris | LC | herb | asteraceae |
| fragrant orchid | Gymnadenia conopsea | NT | herb | orchidaceae |
| bee orchid | Ophyrs apifera | Not listed in GB list | herb | orchidaceae |
| burnet saxifrage | Pimpinella saxifraga | NT | herb | apiaceae |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Chequered skipper Carterocephalus palaemon |
Endangered | Brachypodium sylvaticum |
| Grayling Hipparchia semele |
Vulnerable | Brachypodium sylvaticum |
| Small blue Cupido minimus |
Near Threatened | Anthyllis vulneraria |
| Grey pug Eupithecia subfuscata |
Near Threatened | Pimpinella saxifraga |
| Wall Lasiommata megera |
Near Threatened | Brachypodium sylvaticum |
| Rosy minor Litoligia literosa |
Near Threatened | Arrhenatherum elatius |
| 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.