Linbrigg

Also within

Northumberland County NORTHUMBERLAND National Park

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Fast flowing river and stream

Geology & landscape

Geological Feature: Rock Outcrop · Rock Type: Andesite

Landscape processes: Volcanic / Igneous

Description

Area, 6 ha. 15 ac. Description Linbrigg is an open ash / hazel Fraxinus excelsior / Corylus avellana wood situated on andesite crags at the bottom of a steep northwest facing slope above the River Coquet. Woodland plants grow extensively on the steep slopes and the rich herb flora includes wood sage Teucrium scorodonia, valerian Valeriana officinalis, ivy Hedera helix and male fern Dryopteris filix-mas. Jacob’s ladder Polemonium caeruleum, a nationally rare native species, which is otherwise confined to a few localities in the Pennines and maiden pink Dianthus deltoides, which is more widespread but localised, grow on outcrops of andesite. Other Information The vegetation of the Cheviot andesite outcrop at this site has been described by C D Pigott 1958 'Polemonium caeruleum L' Journal of Ecology Biological Flora of the British Isles, 46, pp. 507–25. * Under Section 23 of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act, 1949.

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