Leyburn Glebe

Also within

North Yorkshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Fast flowing river and stream

Description

Description Leyburn Glebe is a traditionally managed sheep pasture set on a gentle south facing slope above the valley of the River Ure. The calcareous loam supports unimproved grassland characterised by the occurrence of common bent Agrostis capillaris, heath grass Danthonia decumbens and quaking grass Briza media. Eight other species of grass occur and there is a rich herb flora which includes abundant salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba and thyme Thymus praecox as well as a range of other species such as cowslip Primula veris and fairy flax Linum catharticum. Seven species of orchid are present, notably the green winged orchid Anacamptis morio and burnt tip orchid Neotinea ustulata. These latter are scarce in northern England and increasingly so nationally as a result of modern agricultural practice. The site is the only known example of its type in the Yorkshire Dales. Other Information 1. This is a new site. 2. The site is managed as a nature reserve by the Yorkshire Naturalists' Trust.

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