May Hill
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SO694213 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 32.53 | 2024-03-15 |
Habitats
Geology & landscape
Geological Period: Silurian
Description
Description The acidic grassland and heath vegetation represented on this site overlies Silurian sandstones. It is not found elsewhere in the county. The grassland is largely composed of common bent Agrostis capillaris, sheep’s fescue Festuca ovina and Yorkshire fog Holcus lanatus with dense stands of gorse Ulex gallii and U. europaea and bracken Pteridium aquilinum which covers a large proportion of the site. A small amount of bell heather Erica cinerea and ling Calluna vulgaris is also present. Several wet flushes give rise to acidic marshy grassland habitat dominated by soft rush Juncus effusus and jointed rush J. articulatus. The site is grazed by cattle or sheep and measures are being taken to control the spread of gorse and bracken.
Species mentioned
Show the 8 species mentioned in the description, with red-list status| English name search for this in other sites |
Latin name search with Google |
IUCN / Red List | Type | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| bracken | Pteridium aquilinum | LC | fern | dennstaedtiaceae |
| common bent | Agrostis capillaris | LC | grass | poaceae |
| sheep's fescue | Festuca ovina | LC | grass | poaceae |
| Yorkshire fog | Holcus lanatus | LC | grass | poaceae |
| soft rush | Juncus effusus | LC | rush | juncaceae |
| western gorse | Ulex gallii | LC | shrub | leguminosae |
| bell heather or ling | Calluna vulgaris | NT | shrub dwarf | ericaceae |
| bell heather | Erica cinerea | NT | shrub dwarf | ericaceae |
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.
| Species | Status | Via host-plant |
|---|---|---|
| Shoulder-striped clover Heliothis maritima |
Endangered | Calluna vulgaris, Erica cinerea |
| Broom moth Ceramica pisi |
Vulnerable | Calluna vulgaris, Pteridium aquilinum |
| Satyr pug Eupithecia satyrata |
Vulnerable | Calluna vulgaris |
| Grayling Hipparchia semele |
Vulnerable | Festuca ovina |
| True lover's knot Lycophotia porphyrea |
Vulnerable | Calluna vulgaris, Erica cinerea |
| Silver studded blue Plebejus argus |
Vulnerable | Calluna vulgaris, Erica cinerea, Ulex spp. |
| Pale eggar Trichiura crataegi |
Vulnerable | Calluna vulgaris, Erica cinerea |
| Flounced chestnut Agrochola helvola |
Near Threatened | Calluna vulgaris |
| Garden tiger Arctia caja |
Near Threatened | Pteridium aquilinum |
| Small heath Coenonympha pamphilus |
Near Threatened | Agrostis spp., Festuca spp. |
| Grey scalloped Dyscia fagaria |
Near Threatened | Calluna vulgaris, Erica cinerea |
| Autumnal rustic Eugnorisma glareosa |
Near Threatened | Calluna vulgaris, Erica cinerea, Festuca ovina |
| Silver-spotted skipper Hesperia comma |
Near Threatened | Festuca ovina |
| Weaver's wave Idaea contiguaria |
Near Threatened | Calluna vulgaris |
| Wall Lasiommata megera |
Near Threatened | Agrostis spp., Holcus lanatus |
| 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
W25 — Bracken scrub
Pteridium aquilinum-Rubus fruticosus underscrub
Matches 3 species from the description above: Agrostis capillaris, Holcus lanatus, Pteridium aquilinum
Show 53 indicator speciesHedera helix, Acer pseudoplatanus, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Fraxinus excelsior, Sambucus nigra, Ulex europaeus, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Luzula multiflora, Mnium hornum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Kindbergia praelonga, Angelica sylvestris, Conopodium majus, Heracleum sphondylium, Arum maculatum, Cirsium arvense, Lonicera periclymenum, Silene dioica, Stellaria holostea, Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Glechoma hederacea, Teucrium scorodonia, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Chamerion angustifolium, Circaea lutetiana, Digitalis purpurea, Rumex acetosa, Anemone nemorosa, Ficaria verna, Potentilla erecta, Rosa arvensis, Rosa canina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Rubus idaeus, Galium aparine, Galium mollugo sens.lat., Galium saxatile, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Agrostis capillaris, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Arrhenatherum elatius, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris dilatata, Dryopteris filix-mas