Hipley Hill
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SK209540 | — | Favourable | 8.13 | 2021-07-23 |
| SK209542 | — | Favourable | 0.95 | 2021-07-23 |
| SK212548 | — | Unfavourable No Change | 9.77 | 2021-07-23 |
| SK214549 | — | Unfavourable No Change | 3.25 | 2021-06-25 |
Geology & landscape
Geological Period: Carboniferous · Rock Type: Carboniferous Limestone, Chalk, Limestone
Description
Area, 22.4 ha. 55.4 ac. Description The site occupies the steep west facing slopes of a dry valley to the east of the village of Ballidon. It is an example of species rich limestone grassland in which are found a number of rare and local plants. It lies on the edge of the Derbyshire Carboniferous Limestone and includes a number of natural caves and rock outcrops. At the top of the slope the grassland is neutral to acidic, owing to the leaching of the topsoil. Lower down the slope the grasslands are dominated by meadow oat grass Avenula pratensis and glaucous sedge Carex flacca. The flora has some similarities with southern chalk grassland as shown by the presence of dwarf thistle Cirsium acaule. This may be dueto the lower altitude 200 250 metres and sheltered position on the edge of the limestone massif. It also includes a number of uncommon and local species such as angular Solomon’s seal Polygonatum odoratum, herb paris Paris quadrifolia, globe flower Trollius europaeus and mountain everlasting Antennaria dioica. In some moist areas grass of Parnassus Parnassia palustris and mossy saxifrage Saxifraga hypnoides occur. Burnt orchid Neotinea ustulata, an increasingly rare species nationally, occurs in Derbyshire only in a small area round Ripley Hill and here is found with eight other orchid species. The colony of Jacob’s ladder Polemonium caeruleum is one of the largest in Britain.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| meadow oat grass | Avenula pratensis | Not listed in GB list | grass | poaceae |
| mountain everlasting | Antennaria dioica | VU | herb | asteraceae |
| dwarf thistle | Cirsium acaule | VU | herb | asteraceae |
| burnt orchid | Neotinea ustulata | EN | herb | orchidaceae |
| herb paris | Paris quadrifolia | VU | herb | melanthiaceae |
| grass of Parnassus | Parnassia palustris | VU | herb | celastraceae |
| Jacobs ladder | Polemonium caeruleum | LC | herb | polemoniaceae |
| angular Solomon's seal | Polygonatum odoratum | VU | herb | liliaceae |
| mossy saxifrage | Saxifraga hypnoides | NT | herb | saxifragaceae |
| globe flower | Trollius europaeus | VU | herb | ranunculaceae |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Least minor Photedes captiuncula |
Endangered | Carex flacca |
| Golden plusia Polychrysia moneta |
Endangered | Trollius europaeus |
| Rosy minor Litoligia literosa |
Near Threatened | Carex flacca |
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.