Stones Road Pond
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TQ212615 | — | Favourable | 0.48 | 2008-04-14 |
Description
Area, 0.5 ha. 1.2 ac. Description A large, deep pond which is an important breeding locality for the great crested or warty newt Triturus cristatus. The site is situated in an urban area on the edge of a former playing field and adjacent to allotment gardens. The pond is surrounded by a strip of semi natural vegetation including bramble Rubus fruticosus agg., nettles Urtica dioica and some trees and shrubs, including willows Salix species and poplars Populus species. Emergent and marginal vegetation includes stands of great reed mace Typha latifolia and lesser reed mace Typha angustifolia and water mint Mentha aquatica. The adult warty newt population exceeds 400/500 individuals during the breeding season, making this one of the largest known colonies in South East England. The site also supports a substantial population of smooth newts Lissotriton vulgaris with at least 1000 individuals being recorded at a recent count. Outside the breeding season the animals disperse widely over the adjacent land. Apart from the rough vegetation immediately surrounding the pond the most important nearby terrestrial habitat includes the allotment gardens and railway embankments. Migration between the pond and these latter areas has been observed.
Species mentioned
Show the 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| smooth newt | Lissotriton vulgaris | LC | amphibian | salamandridae |
| great crested newt | Triturus cristatus | LC | amphibian | salamandridae |
| lesser bulrush | Typha angustifolia | LC | bulrush | typhaceae |
| reedmace | Typha latifolia | LC | bulrush | typhaceae |
| water mint | Mentha aquatica | LC | herb | lamiaceae |
| bramble | Rubus fruticosus agg. | Not listed in GB list | herb | rosaceae |
| nettle | Urtica dioica | LC | herb | urticaceae |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Scarce vapourer Orgyia recens |
Endangered | Rubus fruticosus |
| Broom moth Ceramica pisi |
Vulnerable | Rubus fruticosus |
| The lackey Malacosoma neustria |
Vulnerable | Rubus fruticosus |
| Grizzled skipper Pyrgus malvae |
Vulnerable | Rubus fruticosus |
| Pale eggar Trichiura crataegi |
Vulnerable | Rubus fruticosus |
| Grey chi Antitype chi |
Near Threatened | Mentha spp., Urtica dioica |
| Garden tiger Arctia caja |
Near Threatened | Urtica dioica |
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.