Ringstead Downs

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 52.9316, 0.5149

Condition (Natural England)

Unfavourable Declining (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
TF691400 Unfavourable Declining 6.91 2015-06-29

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Chalk

Landscape processes: Glacial

Description

Area, 7.0 hectares 17.3 ac Description Ringstead Downs is a dry valley that has been cut through chalk strata by glacial meltwaters. The site has never been ploughed and as a result the valley sides support an excellent example of species rich chalk grassland. Such areas of unimproved chalk grassland are now extremely rare in East Anglia and the site is the largest example of chalk downland now remaining in Norfolk. The short, rabbit grazed chalk grassland is dominated by red fescue Festuca rubra and sheep’s fescue Festuca ovina with abundant common rose Helianthemum nummularium and salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba. The most diverse grassland occurs on warm, sunny, south facing slopes and a wide variety of characteristic herbs is present including squinancywort Asperula cynanchica, dwarf thistle Cirsium acaule, wild thyme Thymus praecox, dropwort Filipendula vulgaris, burnet saxifrade Pimpinella saxifraga, small scabious Scabiosa columbaria and eyebright Euphrasia officinalis. An old chalk pit contains small areas of chalk grassland with bee orchid Ophrys apifera. Scrub and mature secondary woodland occurs on the upper slopes of the valley. The abundant herb species are attractive to a wide range of butterflies, but a local race of the uncommon chalkhill blue, which used to occur, has not been seen in recent years.

Species mentioned

English name
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Latin name
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IUCN / Red List Type Family
sheep's fescue Festuca ovina LC grass poaceae
red fescue Festuca rubra LC grass poaceae
squinancywort Asperula cynanchica VU herb rubiaceae
dwarf thistle Cirsium acaule VU herb asteraceae
English sticky eyebright Euphrasia officinalis LC herb orobanchaceae
dropwort Filipendula vulgaris LC herb rosaceae
rock roses Helianthemum nummularium VU herb cistaceae
bee orchid Ophrys apifera LC herb orchidaceae
burnet saxifrage Pimpinella saxifraga NT herb apiaceae
salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba VU herb rosaceae
small scabious Scabiosa columbaria LC herb caprifoliaceae
creeping thyme Thymus praecox Not listed in GB list herb lamiaceae

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
Mouse moth
Amphipyra tragopoginis
Vulnerable Poterium sanguisorba
Northern brown
Aricia artaxerxes
Vulnerable Helianthemum nummularium
Marsh fritillary
Euphydryas aurinia
Vulnerable Scabiosa columbaria
Satyr pug
Eupithecia satyrata
Vulnerable Helianthemum nummularium
Grayling
Hipparchia semele
Vulnerable Festuca ovina, Festuca rubra
Silver studded blue
Plebejus argus
Vulnerable Helianthemum nummularium
Grizzled skipper
Pyrgus malvae
Vulnerable Poterium sanguisorba
Small heath
Coenonympha pamphilus
Near Threatened Festuca spp.
Autumnal rustic
Eugnorisma glareosa
Near Threatened Festuca ovina
Grey pug
Eupithecia subfuscata
Near Threatened Pimpinella saxifraga
Silver-spotted skipper
Hesperia comma
Near Threatened Festuca ovina
Silky wave
Idaea dilutaria
Near Threatened Helianthemum nummularium
Rosy minor
Litoligia literosa
Near Threatened Festuca ovina
Swallowtail papilio
Papilio machaon
Near Threatened Pimpinella saxifraga

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

W20 — Montane scrub

Salix lapponum-Luzula sylvatica scrub

Matches 4 species from the description above: Euphrasia officinalis, Festuca ovina, Festuca rubra, Thymus praecox

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

W21 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub

Crataegus monogyna-Hedera helix scrub

Matches 1 species from the description above: Poterium sanguisorba

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

W22 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub

Prunus spinosa-Rubus fruticosus scrub

Matches 1 species from the description above: Festuca rubra

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