Willingdon Down

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 50.7987, 0.2378

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
TQ574024 Favourable 67.53 2024-12-10

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Chalk

Birds & fish recorded

Birds

SpeciesSeason
lesser whitethroat Roosting
whitethroat Roosting

Description

Description An area of species rich chalk grassland on steep slopes at the eastern end of the South Downs. This habitat type is now nationally uncommon. Willingdon Down has a good representative flora but several plants with a more restricted distribution also occur. The grasses sheep's fescue Festuca ovina and upright brome Bromus erectus dominate the sward in association with squinancywort Asperula cynanchica, dwarf thistle Cirsium acaule, eyebright Euphrasia nemorosa, autumn gentian Gentianella amarella, fairy flax Linum catharticum and salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba. Rarer plants include field fleawort Senecio integrifolius, bee orchid Ophrys apifera, burnt orchid Neotinea ustulata, green winged orchid Anacamptis morio and a plant that is restricted to chalk grassland in South Britain, round headed rampion Phyteuma orbiculare. Areas of gorse Ulex europaeus, hawthorn Crataegus monogyna and wayfaring tree Viburnum lantana scrub are valuable for roosting passerine birds such as lesser whitethroat and yellowhammer.

Species mentioned

English name
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Latin name
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IUCN / Red List Type Family
yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella LC (Breeding) bird-bunting emberizidae
whitethroat Sylvia communis Not listed in GB list bird-warbler sylviidae
lesser whitethroat Sylvia curruca Not listed in GB list bird-warbler sylviidae
upright brome Bromus erectus Not listed in GB list grass poaceae
sheep's fescue Festuca ovina LC grass poaceae
green-winged orchid Anacamptis morio NT herb orchidaceae
squinancywort Asperula cynanchica VU herb rubiaceae
dwarf thistle Cirsium acaule VU herb asteraceae
common eyebright Euphrasia nemorosa LC herb orobanchaceae
autumn gentian Gentianella amarella LC herb gentianaceae
fairy flax Linum catharticum LC herb linaceae
burnt orchid Neotinea ustulata EN herb orchidaceae
bee orchid Ophrys apifera LC herb orchidaceae
round headed rampion Phyteuma orbiculare LC herb campanulaceae
salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba VU herb rosaceae
field fleawort Senecio integrifolius Not listed in GB list herb asteraceae
hawthorn Crataegus monogyna LC shrub rosaceae
gorse Ulex europaeus LC shrub leguminosae
wayfaring tree Viburnum lantana LC shrub caprifoliaceae

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.

SpeciesStatusVia host-plant
Straw belle
Aspitates gilvaria
Endangered Linum catharticum
Figure of eight
Diloba caeruleocephala
Endangered Crataegus spp.
The lappet
Gastropacha quercifolia
Endangered Crataegus monogyna
Scarce vapourer
Orgyia recens
Endangered Crataegus spp.
Mouse moth
Amphipyra tragopoginis
Vulnerable Crataegus spp., Poterium sanguisorba
The sprawler
Asteroscopus sphinx
Vulnerable Crataegus spp., Viburnum lantana
Mottled umber
Erannis defoliaria
Vulnerable Crataegus spp.
Grayling
Hipparchia semele
Vulnerable Festuca ovina
The lackey
Malacosoma neustria
Vulnerable Crataegus monogyna
Pale brindled
Phigalia pilosaria
Vulnerable Crataegus monogyna
Silver studded blue
Plebejus argus
Vulnerable Ulex spp.
Grizzled skipper
Pyrgus malvae
Vulnerable Poterium sanguisorba
Lead belle
Scotopteryx mucronata
Vulnerable Ulex europaeus
Early moth
Theria primaria
Vulnerable Crataegus monogyna
Pale eggar
Trichiura crataegi
Vulnerable Crataegus monogyna
Flounced chestnut
Agrochola helvola
Near Threatened Crataegus monogyna
Beaded chestnut
Agrochola lychnidis
Near Threatened Crataegus monogyna
Grey chi
Antitype chi
Near Threatened Crataegus monogyna
Small heath
Coenonympha pamphilus
Near Threatened Festuca spp.
Large thorn
Ennomos autumnaria
Near Threatened Crataegus spp.
Autumnal rustic
Eugnorisma glareosa
Near Threatened Festuca ovina
Grey pug
Eupithecia subfuscata
Near Threatened Crataegus monogyna
Double dart
Graphiphora augur
Near Threatened Crataegus spp.
Silver-spotted skipper
Hesperia comma
Near Threatened Festuca ovina
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

W21 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub

Crataegus monogyna-Hedera helix scrub

Matches 3 species from the description above: Crataegus monogyna, Poterium sanguisorba, Viburnum lantana

Hedera helix, Salix cinerea, Acer pseudoplatanus, Ilex aquifolium, Betula pendula, Corylus avellana, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Fraxinus excelsior, Malus sylvestris, Sorbus aria, Taxus baccata, Ulmus glabra, Ulmus procera, Sambucus nigra, Viburnum lantana, Euonymus europaeus, Cornus sanguinea, Juniperus communis, Ligustrum vulgare, Clematis vitalba, Rhamnus cathartica, Crataegus laevigata, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Juncus effusus, Plagiomnium undulatum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Kindbergia praelonga, Rhynchostegium confertum, Tamus communis, Heracleum sphondylium, Torilis japonica, Arum maculatum, Arctium minus, Cirsium arvense, Lonicera periclymenum, Moehringia trinervia, Silene dioica, Stellaria graminea, Stellaria holostea, Stellaria media agg., Calystegia sepium, Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Iris foetidissima, Glechoma hederacea, Lamium purpureum, Origanum vulgare, Stachys sylvatica, Teucrium scorodonia, Allium ursinum, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Circaea lutetiana, Rumex sanguineus, Anemone nemorosa, Ranunculus repens, Fragaria vesca, Geum urbanum, Potentilla sterilis, Poterium sanguisorba, Rosa arvensis, Rosa canina, Rubia peregrina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Galium aparine, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Anisantha sterilis, Arrhenatherum elatius, Brachypodium pinnatum, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Bromopsis erecta, Dactylis glomerata, Elytrigia repens, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Asplenium scolopendrium, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris filix-mas

W20 — Montane scrub

Salix lapponum-Luzula sylvatica scrub

Matches 1 species from the description above: Festuca ovina

Salix arbuscula, Salix cinerea, Salix lapponum, Salix myrsinites, Salix phylicifolia, Salix reticulata, Empetrum nigrum, Calluna vulgaris, Salix lanata, Vaccinium myrtillus, Vaccinium uliginosum, Carex atrata, Carex bigelowii, Carex binervis, Carex flacca, Luzula multiflora, Luzula sylvatica, Huperzia selago, Selaginella selaginoides, Aulacomnium palustre, Mnium hornum, Philonotis fontana, Plagiomnium undulatum, Rhizomnium punctatum, Dicranum bonjeanii, Dicranum majus, Dicranum scoparium, Fissidens adianthoides, Racomitrium lanuginosum, Calliergonell cuspidatum, Ctenidium molluscum, Hylocomium splendens, Hypnum callichroum, Hypnum cupressiforme, Palustriella commutatum, Plagiothecium denticulatum, Plagiothecium undulatum, Pleurozium schreberi, Ptilium crista-castrensis, Rhytidiadelphus loreus, Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus, Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus, Sanionia uncinata, Scorpidium revolvens, Thuidium tamariscinum, Atrichum undulatum, Polytrichastrum alpinum, Sphagnum capillifolium, Sphagnum fallax, Sphagnum girgensohnii, Sphagnum palustre, Sphagnum russowii, Sphagnum squarrosum, Sphagnum subnitens, Sphagnum teres, Barbilophozia barbata, Chiloscyphus polyanthos, Diplophyllum albicans, Lophocolea bidentata, Plagiochila porelloides, Ptilidium ciliare, Scapania undulata, Cladonia squamosa, Peltigera canina, Angelica sylvestris, Caltha palustris, Hieraclium spp., Saussurea alpina, Solidago virgaurea, Campanula rotundifolia, Succisa pratensis, Valeriana officinalis, Rhodiola rosea, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Thymus praecox, Epilobium anagallidifolium, Dactylorhiza viridis, Euphrasia officinalis, Rhinanthus minor, Oxalis acetosella, Oxyria digyna, Polygonum viviparum, Rumex acetosa, Anemone nemorosa, Ranunculus acris, Thalictrum alpinum, Alchemilla alpina, Alchemilla glabra, Filipendula ulmaria, Geum rivale, Galium boreale, Galium saxatile, Saxifraga aizoides, Saxifraga hypnoides, Saxifraga oppositifolia, Saxifraga stellaris, Viola riviniana, Agrostis canina, Agrostis capillaris, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Deschampsia cespitosa, Deschampsia flexuosa, Festuca ovina, Festuca rubra, Nardus stricta, Dryopteris dilatata, Phegopteris connectilis

W22 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub

Prunus spinosa-Rubus fruticosus scrub

Matches 1 species from the description above: Ulex europaeus

Hedera helix, Acer campestre, Corylus avellana, Ulex europaeus, Prunus spinosa, Plagiomnium undulatum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Eurhynchium striatum, Kindbergia praelonga, Thuidium tamariscinum, Atrichum undulatum, Lophocolea bidentata, Achillea millefolium, Cardamine flexuosa, Lonicera periclymenum, Moehringia trinervia, Silene dioica, Silene uniflora, Stellaria media agg., Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Stachys sylvatica, Teucrium scorodonia, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Oxalis acetosella, Digitalis purpurea, Plantago lanceolata, Veronica chamaedrys, Armeria maritima, Rumex acetosa, Filipendula ulmaria, Geum urbanum, Rosa canina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Rubus idaeus, Galium aparine, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Agrostis capillaris, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Asplenium scolopendrium, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris borreri, Dryopteris filix-mas