Field Barn Heaths, Hilborough

Also within

Norfolk County

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Bracken scrub

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Chalk

Description

Area, 18.56 hectares 45.87 ac Description This site consists of an area of species rich calcareous and mixed grassland situated close to the northern edge of the Breckland region. The soils are typical light sandy tills with flints overlying chalk and the characteristic Breck grassland communities are maintained by rabbit grazing. The short turf chalk grassland is dominated by red fescue Festuca rubra, sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum and Yorkshire fog Holcus lanatus and supports a variety of chalk loving plants including pyramidal orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis, greater knapweed Centaurea scabiosa, dwarf thistle Cirsium acaule, meadow and rue leaved saxifrages Saxifraga granulataa and S. tridactylites and thyme Thymus sp., along with species more characteristic of acidic grassland such as sheep’s sorrel Rumex acetosella. Brown knapweed Centaurea jacea is also present. Bare patches of earth caused by rabbit scrapes support small annuals such as little mouse ear Cerastium semidecandrum and early forget-me-not Myosotis ramosissima. Areas of ungrazed neutral grassland occur and these are dominated by tussocky grasses such as false oat grass Arrhenatherum elatius and Yorkshire fog. Associated species include yellow oat grass Trisetum flavescens, field mouse ear Cerastium arvense, field scabious Knautia arvensis and lady’s bedstraw Galium verum with scattered bracken. Two oak Quercus robur and hawthorn Crataegus monogyna woodland belts are present on the site.

Species mentioned

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.

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.

Plant communities