Feetham Holme
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SD994976 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 3.26 | 2014-03-07 |
Description
Description Juniper Juniperus communis is more or less confined within the Yorkshire Dales National Parkto Swaledale and Ingleborough. In Swaledale itself there are three notable populations of juniper, one of which is at Feetham Holme. These populations are probably remnants of a formerly much more extensive shrub cover which has survived since the end of the last Ice Age. The site at Feetham Holme occupies a north facing slope and supports a very dense stand of old juniper estimated to be approximately 1,500 bushes. Beneath the juniper on the boulder strewn slope is bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus heath with broad buckler fern Dryopteris dilatata.
Species mentioned
Show the 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| broad buckler fern | Dryopteris dilatata | LC | fern | dryopteridaceae |
| juniper | Juniperus communis | CR | shrub | cupressaceae |
| billberry | Vaccinium myrtillus | LC | shrub | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Speckled footman Coscinia cribraria |
Critically Endangered | Vaccinium myrtillus |
| Broom moth Ceramica pisi |
Vulnerable | Vaccinium myrtillus |
| Mottled umber Erannis defoliaria |
Vulnerable | Vaccinium myrtillus |
| Juniper pug Eupithecia pusillata |
Vulnerable | Juniperus communis, Juniperus spp. |
| Early moth Theria primaria |
Vulnerable | Vaccinium myrtillus |
| Pale eggar Trichiura crataegi |
Vulnerable | Vaccinium myrtillus |
| Flounced chestnut Agrochola helvola |
Near Threatened | Vaccinium myrtillus |
| Beaded chestnut Agrochola lychnidis |
Near Threatened | Vaccinium myrtillus |
| Rosy marsh moth Coenophila subrosea |
Near Threatened | Vaccinium myrtillus |
| The Silurian Eriopygodes imbecilla |
Near Threatened | Vaccinium myrtillus |
| Scotch burnet Zygaena exulans |
Near Threatened | Vaccinium myrtillus |
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.