Haugh and Gundale Slacks

Also within

North Yorkshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Coppiced woodland, Mixed scrub, Montane scrub

Geology & landscape

Mining / Industrial: Quarry · Rock Type: Limestone, Sandstone

Description

Description Haugh and Gundale Slacks, a composite site comprising the best remaining examples of semi-natural vegetation in this valley system, have long been known to be of interest both for their herb rich limestone grassland, much favoured by a number of nationally and locally rare butterflies, moths and beetles and for their semi natural woodland. Both of these habitats have locally been fragmented by changes in agricultural and silvicultural practice. More recently, the soft sandstone exposures of the Saintoft Member of the Lower Calcareous Grit at the northern end of Gundale Slacks, have been identified as one of the foremost sites in Yorkshire for their assemblage of solitary mining bees and wasps. These invertebrate groups are nationally one of the most threatened. The broadleaved woodlands contain ash Fraxinus excelsior, oak Quercus robur, elm Ulmus glabra, locally with beech Fagus sylvatica and areas of hazel Corylus avellana coppice. Dog's mercury Mercurialis perennis, ramsons Allium ursinum and wood anemone Anemone nemorosa dominate the ground flora and, particularly in Wailes Hagg Wood where the canopy is more open, there is a diversity of associates including sanicle Sanicula europaea, sweet woodruff Galium odoratum, herb paris Paris quadrifolia, primrose Primula vulgaris, early purple orchid Orchis mascula and greater butterfly orchid Platanthera chlorantha. Elsewhere there are stands of mixed coppice in which field maple Acer campestre occurs, giving way at the dale head to scrub woodland dominated by birch Betula pendula. sheep grazing has maintained a fine limestone turf below Yatts Farm and in a small part of Gundale; elsewhere in Gundale, except for local areas kept open by rabbit grazing, scrub encroachment has become a problem. The turf typically contains common bent Agrostis capillaris, quaking grass Briza media, crested dog's tail Cynosurus cristatus, heath grass Danthonia decumbens and crested hair grass Koeleria macrantha with abundant sedges such as spring sedge Carex caryophyllea and glaucous sedge Carex flacca. Some areas are dominated by carpets of thyme Thymus praecox and rock rose Helianthemum nummularium. Herbs such as salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba, fairy flax Linum catharticum, hoary plantain Plantago media and cowslip Primula veris are common throughout and carline thistle Carlina vulgaris, woolly thistle Cirsium eriophorum, saw wort Serratula tinctoria and dropwort Filipendula vulgaris occur locally. Of particular note amongst the herbs are fragrant orchid Gymnadenia conopsea, fly orchid Ophrys insectifera, pyramidal orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis and burnt tip orchid Neotinea ustulata. Near Yatts Farm there is an interesting transition to a more acidic flora with heather Calluna vulgaris, bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus and heath bedstraw Galium saxatile. Butterflies recorded from the site include the locally uncommon species of northern brown argus, the pearl bordered fritillary and the Duke of Burgundy fritillary, the latter at the northern end of its range. The site supports a number of nationally scarce moths which include the small eggar, cistus forester, the beech green carpet and the square spotted clay moth. A number of nationally scarce beetles have been found within the site and include Bledius erraticus and Oedemera virescens. The sandstone cliffs and bare sandy areas within the Saintoft Brow / Saintoft Slack disused sand quarry support at least 67 species of solitary mining bees and wasps. These include the nationally rare mining bee Andrena ruficrus, the nationally scarce mining bee A. ocreata; the nationally scarce spider hunting wasp Priocnemis schioedtei and the regionally scarce spider hunting wasp P. susterai, occurring here at its only Yorkshire locality and at its northern limit in Britain. Plants occurring within the quarry such as bell heather Erica cinerea, heather, tormentil Potentilla erecta, self heal Prunella vulgaris and the trees of sallow Salix cinerea agg., hawthorn Crataegus monogyna and rowan Sorbus aucuparia act as important nectar sources and foraging habitats for these solitary mining bees and wasps.

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