Yockletts Bank

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 51.1883, 1.0404

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (2)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
TR124480 Favourable 8.29 2024-10-10
TR126474 Favourable 17.13 2024-10-10

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Chalk

Birds & fish recorded

Birds

SpeciesSeason
nightingale Breeding

Description

Area, 25.3 ha. 62.9 ac. Description This woodland site is situated on the west facing slope of a dry chalk valley. Hornbeam woodland, on the clay with flints soils on the gentle upper slopes, grades into beech with ash and field maple on the thin chalk soils of the steep lower slopes. The wood is noted for the many orchids that occur, including the scarce lady orchid Orchis purpurea. The uncommon round leaved wintergreen Pyrola rotundifolia also grows in one of the open grassy clearings. A variety of woodland birds breed. hornbeam is predominant as old coppice on the upper slopes with some ash coppice and a few oak and ash standards. The ground flora is dominated by bluebells Hyacinthoides non-scripta. Lower down the slope on the chalk soils the wood is more varied. Beech is often the commonest tree with hazel coppice beneath, but ash and field maple are also present. The ground flora is also more varied. Dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis is the most abundant plant but there are also violets Viola species, primrose Primula vulgaris and wood spurge Euphorbia amygdaloides. Uncommon plants such as spurge laurel Daphne laureola and butcher's broom Ruscus aculeatus can also be found. lady orchid, fly orchid Ophrys insectifera, man orchid Orchis anthorpophora and common twayblade Neottia ovata are some of the many orchid species found in the wood. Areas of scrub and open grassland are maintained to provide a variety of habitats. The scrub consists of a mixture of shrubs common on chalk soils such as dogwood and wayfaring tree. The grassland is dominated by false brome Brachypodium sylvaticum. Other common chalk plants include common rock rose Helianthemum nummularium and cowslip Primula veris. Orchids are also present including greater butterfly orchid Platanthera chlorantha. Many typical woodland birds breed including great spotted woodpecker, tawny owl, nuthatch and nightingale. There is also a large badger population.

Species mentioned

English name
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Latin name
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IUCN / Red List Type Family
nuthatch Sitta europaea LC (Breeding) bird-nuthatch sittidae
tawny owl Strix aluco NT (Breeding) bird-owl strigidae
nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos VU (Breeding) bird-robin muscicapidae
great spotted woodpecker Dendrocopos major LC (Breeding) bird-woodpecker picidae
wood false brome Brachypodium sylvaticum LC grass poaceae
wood spurge Euphorbia amygdaloides LC herb euphorbiaceae
rock roses Helianthemum nummularium VU herb cistaceae
bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta LC herb liliaceae
dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis LC herb euphorbiaceae
common twayblade Neottia ovata NT herb orchidaceae
fly orchid Ophrys insectifera VU herb orchidaceae
man orchid Orchis anthorpophora Not listed in GB list herb orchidaceae
lady orchid Orchis purpurea NT herb orchidaceae
greater butterfly orchid Platanthera chlorantha NT herb orchidaceae
cowslip Primula veris LC herb primulaceae
primrose Primula vulgaris LC herb primulaceae
round leaved wintergreens Pyrola rotundifolia VU herb ericaceae
spurge laurel Daphne laureola LC shrub thymelaeaceae
butchers-broom Ruscus aculeatus LC shrub liliaceae

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.

SpeciesStatusVia host-plant
Chequered skipper
Carterocephalus palaemon
Endangered Brachypodium sylvaticum
Duke of Burgundy
Hamearis lucina
Endangered Primula veris, Primula vulgaris
Northern brown
Aricia artaxerxes
Vulnerable Helianthemum nummularium
Satyr pug
Eupithecia satyrata
Vulnerable Helianthemum nummularium
Grayling
Hipparchia semele
Vulnerable Brachypodium sylvaticum
Silver studded blue
Plebejus argus
Vulnerable Helianthemum nummularium
Autumnal rustic
Eugnorisma glareosa
Near Threatened Hyacinthoides non-scripta
Silky wave
Idaea dilutaria
Near Threatened Helianthemum nummularium
Wall
Lasiommata megera
Near Threatened Brachypodium sylvaticum

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

W21 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub

Crataegus monogyna-Hedera helix scrub

Matches 3 species from the description above: Brachypodium sylvaticum, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Mercurialis perennis

Hedera helix, Salix cinerea, Acer pseudoplatanus, Ilex aquifolium, Betula pendula, Corylus avellana, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Fraxinus excelsior, Malus sylvestris, Sorbus aria, Taxus baccata, Ulmus glabra, Ulmus procera, Sambucus nigra, Viburnum lantana, Euonymus europaeus, Cornus sanguinea, Juniperus communis, Ligustrum vulgare, Clematis vitalba, Rhamnus cathartica, Crataegus laevigata, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Juncus effusus, Plagiomnium undulatum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Kindbergia praelonga, Rhynchostegium confertum, Tamus communis, Heracleum sphondylium, Torilis japonica, Arum maculatum, Arctium minus, Cirsium arvense, Lonicera periclymenum, Moehringia trinervia, Silene dioica, Stellaria graminea, Stellaria holostea, Stellaria media agg., Calystegia sepium, Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Iris foetidissima, Glechoma hederacea, Lamium purpureum, Origanum vulgare, Stachys sylvatica, Teucrium scorodonia, Allium ursinum, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Circaea lutetiana, Rumex sanguineus, Anemone nemorosa, Ranunculus repens, Fragaria vesca, Geum urbanum, Potentilla sterilis, Poterium sanguisorba, Rosa arvensis, Rosa canina, Rubia peregrina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Galium aparine, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Anisantha sterilis, Arrhenatherum elatius, Brachypodium pinnatum, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Bromopsis erecta, Dactylis glomerata, Elytrigia repens, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Asplenium scolopendrium, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris filix-mas

W22 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub

Prunus spinosa-Rubus fruticosus scrub

Matches 3 species from the description above: Brachypodium sylvaticum, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Mercurialis perennis

Hedera helix, Acer campestre, Corylus avellana, Ulex europaeus, Prunus spinosa, Plagiomnium undulatum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Eurhynchium striatum, Kindbergia praelonga, Thuidium tamariscinum, Atrichum undulatum, Lophocolea bidentata, Achillea millefolium, Cardamine flexuosa, Lonicera periclymenum, Moehringia trinervia, Silene dioica, Silene uniflora, Stellaria media agg., Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Stachys sylvatica, Teucrium scorodonia, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Oxalis acetosella, Digitalis purpurea, Plantago lanceolata, Veronica chamaedrys, Armeria maritima, Rumex acetosa, Filipendula ulmaria, Geum urbanum, Rosa canina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Rubus idaeus, Galium aparine, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Agrostis capillaris, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Asplenium scolopendrium, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris borreri, Dryopteris filix-mas

W20 — Montane scrub

Salix lapponum-Luzula sylvatica scrub

Salix arbuscula, Salix cinerea, Salix lapponum, Salix myrsinites, Salix phylicifolia, Salix reticulata, Empetrum nigrum, Calluna vulgaris, Salix lanata, Vaccinium myrtillus, Vaccinium uliginosum, Carex atrata, Carex bigelowii, Carex binervis, Carex flacca, Luzula multiflora, Luzula sylvatica, Huperzia selago, Selaginella selaginoides, Aulacomnium palustre, Mnium hornum, Philonotis fontana, Plagiomnium undulatum, Rhizomnium punctatum, Dicranum bonjeanii, Dicranum majus, Dicranum scoparium, Fissidens adianthoides, Racomitrium lanuginosum, Calliergonell cuspidatum, Ctenidium molluscum, Hylocomium splendens, Hypnum callichroum, Hypnum cupressiforme, Palustriella commutatum, Plagiothecium denticulatum, Plagiothecium undulatum, Pleurozium schreberi, Ptilium crista-castrensis, Rhytidiadelphus loreus, Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus, Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus, Sanionia uncinata, Scorpidium revolvens, Thuidium tamariscinum, Atrichum undulatum, Polytrichastrum alpinum, Sphagnum capillifolium, Sphagnum fallax, Sphagnum girgensohnii, Sphagnum palustre, Sphagnum russowii, Sphagnum squarrosum, Sphagnum subnitens, Sphagnum teres, Barbilophozia barbata, Chiloscyphus polyanthos, Diplophyllum albicans, Lophocolea bidentata, Plagiochila porelloides, Ptilidium ciliare, Scapania undulata, Cladonia squamosa, Peltigera canina, Angelica sylvestris, Caltha palustris, Hieraclium spp., Saussurea alpina, Solidago virgaurea, Campanula rotundifolia, Succisa pratensis, Valeriana officinalis, Rhodiola rosea, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Thymus praecox, Epilobium anagallidifolium, Dactylorhiza viridis, Euphrasia officinalis, Rhinanthus minor, Oxalis acetosella, Oxyria digyna, Polygonum viviparum, Rumex acetosa, Anemone nemorosa, Ranunculus acris, Thalictrum alpinum, Alchemilla alpina, Alchemilla glabra, Filipendula ulmaria, Geum rivale, Galium boreale, Galium saxatile, Saxifraga aizoides, Saxifraga hypnoides, Saxifraga oppositifolia, Saxifraga stellaris, Viola riviniana, Agrostis canina, Agrostis capillaris, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Deschampsia cespitosa, Deschampsia flexuosa, Festuca ovina, Festuca rubra, Nardus stricta, Dryopteris dilatata, Phegopteris connectilis