Furze Hill
Also within
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TL552487 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 5.8 | 2011-09-22 |
| TL554485 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 5.8 | 2011-09-22 |
| TL555483 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 5.8 | 2011-09-22 |
Geology & landscape
Landscape processes: Glacial
Description
Area, 4.8 hectares 11.9 ac Description The site holds fragments of grassland characteristic of the Breckland of East Anglia holding both acidic and calcareous components. This is a rare example of sandy habitat in the county and represents a southwestern outlier of the Suffolk Breckland. The area comprises three steeply banked glacial mounds of deep sandy gravel, with large flints and some deposits of chalky drift. The grassland is dominated by common bent Agrostis capillaris and false oat grass Arrhenatherum elatius. Herbs include dropwort Filipendula vulgaris, rock rose Helianthemum nummularium and meadow saxifrage Saxifraga granulataa. The site is additionally noted for the presence of a number of rare and locally uncommon plants which include hoary cinquefoil Potentilla argentea and on the calcareous areas, pasque flower Pulsatilla vulgaris, maiden pink Dianthus deltoides, Dyers greenweed Genista tinctoria and the grass, purple stem cat’s tail Phleum phleoides.
Species mentioned
Show the 9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| common bent | Agrostis capillaris | LC | grass | poaceae |
| false oat grass | Arrhenatherum elatius | LC | grass | poaceae |
| purple stemmed cats tail | Phleum phleoides | LC | grass | poaceae |
| maiden pink | Dianthus deltoides | NT | herb | carophyllaceae |
| dropwort | Filipendula vulgaris | LC | herb | rosaceae |
| dyer's greenweed | Genista tinctoria | LC | herb | fabaceae |
| rock roses | Helianthemum nummularium | VU | herb | cistaceae |
| hoary cinquefoil | Potentilla argentea | LC | herb | rosaceae |
| pasque flower | Pulsatilla vulgaris | EN | herb | ranunculaceae |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Northern brown Aricia artaxerxes |
Vulnerable | Helianthemum nummularium |
| Satyr pug Eupithecia satyrata |
Vulnerable | Helianthemum nummularium |
| Silver studded blue Plebejus argus |
Vulnerable | Helianthemum nummularium |
| Lead belle Scotopteryx mucronata |
Vulnerable | Genista tinctoria |
| Small heath Coenonympha pamphilus |
Near Threatened | Agrostis spp. |
| Silky wave Idaea dilutaria |
Near Threatened | Helianthemum nummularium |
| Wall Lasiommata megera |
Near Threatened | Agrostis spp. |
| Rosy minor Litoligia literosa |
Near Threatened | Arrhenatherum elatius |
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.