Queendown Warren

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 51.3366, 0.6231

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (2)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
TQ827629 Favourable 16.12 2011-10-07
TQ830631 Favourable 6.03 2011-10-07

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Chalk

Description

Area, 22.2 ha. 54.8 ac. Description In the grassland and woodland of this site two nationally rare plant species occur. In addition an outstanding assemblage of plants is present. The grassland and woodland of this site are on the south facing slope of a dry chalk valley. The grassland is largely dominated by upright brome Bromus erectus and sheep's fescue Festuca ovina with numerous plants characteristic of grazed but otherwise undisturbed chalk grassland. Among the more interesting species are chalk milkwort Polygala calcarea, squinancywort Asperula cynanchica, horseshoe vetch Hippocrepis comosa and several species of orchids including the rare early spider orchid Ophrys sphegodes. Another rare plant present is meadow clary Salvia pratensis. The grassland is rich entomologically and two characteristic species, the Adonis blue butterfly Polyommatus bellargus and the rufous grasshopper Gomphocerippus rufus are found. Potter's Wood is mainly sweet chestnut coppice with oak standards, but with beech, hazel and other species along the southern edge. The other areas of woodland and scrub are also dominated by beech, but hornbeam, hawthorn and several other species are also frequent. Dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis, bramble Rubus fruticosus and bluebells Hyacinthoides non-scripta are the dominant plants of the woodland floor, but among scarcer species are the lady orchid Orchis purpurea and yellow bird's nest Hypopitys monotropa. Some former grassland has been invaded by scrub in recent years; this scrub is of mixed species, including several, like wayfaring tree and wild privet, which are highly characteristic of the chalk soils.

Species mentioned

English name
search for this in other sites
Latin name
search with Google
IUCN / Red List Type Family
Adonis blue Polyommatus bellargus VU butterfly lycaenidae
upright brome Bromus erectus Not listed in GB list grass poaceae
sheep's fescue Festuca ovina LC grass poaceae
rufous grasshopper Gomphocerippus rufus LC grasshoppers acrididae
squinancywort Asperula cynanchica VU herb rubiaceae
horseshoe vetch Hippocrepis comosa VU herb fabaceae
bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta LC herb liliaceae
yellow birds nest Hypopitys monotropa DD herb monotropaceae
dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis LC herb euphorbiaceae
early spider orchid Ophrys sphegodes LC herb orchidaceae
lady orchid Orchis purpurea NT herb orchidaceae
chalk milkwort Polygala calcarea VU herb polygalaceae
bramble Rubus fruticosus LC herb rosaceae
meadow clary Salvia pratensis NT herb lamiaceae

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
Scarce vapourer
Orgyia recens
Endangered Rubus fruticosus
Broom moth
Ceramica pisi
Vulnerable Rubus fruticosus
Dingy skipper
Erynnis tages
Vulnerable Hippocrepis comosa
Grayling
Hipparchia semele
Vulnerable Festuca ovina
The lackey
Malacosoma neustria
Vulnerable Rubus fruticosus
Silver studded blue
Plebejus argus
Vulnerable Hippocrepis comosa
Grizzled skipper
Pyrgus malvae
Vulnerable Rubus fruticosus
Pale eggar
Trichiura crataegi
Vulnerable Rubus fruticosus
Small heath
Coenonympha pamphilus
Near Threatened Festuca spp.
Autumnal rustic
Eugnorisma glareosa
Near Threatened Festuca ovina, Hyacinthoides non-scripta
Silver-spotted skipper
Hesperia comma
Near Threatened Festuca ovina
Rosy minor
Litoligia literosa
Near Threatened Festuca ovina

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 2 species from the description above: 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 2 species from the description above: 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

Matches 1 species from the description above: Festuca ovina

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