Lardon Chase
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SU587809 | — | Favourable | 14.9 | 2017-08-11 |
Habitats
Geology & landscape
Rock Type: Chalk
Description
Area, 14.76 hectares 36.46 ac Description A steep south and east facing downland slope forming one of the largest remaining fragments of unimproved chalk grassland on the Berkshire Downs in Berkshire. The grassland is mainly a coarse Bromus erectus dominated sward which is cattle grazed for part of the year. A good range of typical chalk grassland herbs is present including abundant marjoram Origanum vulgare, yellow wort Blackstonia perfoliata, purging flax Linum catharticum, wild carrot Daucus carota, autumn felwort Gentianella amarella, clustered bellflower Campanula glomerata and chalk milkwort Polygala calcarea. Some of the richest flora occurs on thinner soils on the steepest part of the slope where the turf is shorter and rabbit grazed and includes additional species such as horseshoe vetch Hippocrepis comosa and kidney vetch Anthyllis vulneraria. This part of the site includes a belt of scattered hawthorn Crataegus monogyna scrub which provides sheltered warm areas with abundant insect life. This site is particularly important for its butterfly fauna including characteristic chalk downland species such as the chalkhill blue Polyommatus coridon, marbled white Melanargia galathea and the rare Adonis blue Polyommatus bellargus for which this appears to be the last remaining locality in Berkshire.
Species mentioned
Show the 14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| marbled white | Melanargia galathea | LC | butterfly | nymphalidae |
| Adonis blue | Polyommatus bellargus | VU | butterfly | lycaenidae |
| chalkhill blue | Polyommatus coridon | VU | butterfly | lycaenidae |
| upright brome | Bromus erectus | Not listed in GB list | grass | poaceae |
| lady's fingers (kidney vetch) | Anthyllis vulneraria | NT | herb | fabaceae |
| yellowwort | Blackstonia perfoliata | LC | herb | gentianaceae |
| clustered bellflower | Campanula glomerata | VU | herb | campanulaceae |
| wild carrot | Daucus carota | LC | herb | apiaceae |
| autumn gentian | Gentianella amarella | LC | herb | gentianaceae |
| horseshoe vetch | Hippocrepis comosa | VU | herb | fabaceae |
| fairy flax | Linum catharticum | LC | herb | linaceae |
| wild marjoram | Origanum vulgare | LC | herb | lamiaceae |
| chalk milkwort | Polygala calcarea | VU | herb | polygalaceae |
| hawthorn | Crataegus monogyna | LC | shrub | rosaceae |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Black-veined moth Siona lineata |
Critically Endangered | Origanum vulgare |
| 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. |
| Sussex emerald Thalera fimbrialis |
Endangered | Daucus carota |
| Mouse moth Amphipyra tragopoginis |
Vulnerable | Crataegus spp. |
| The sprawler Asteroscopus sphinx |
Vulnerable | Crataegus spp. |
| Mottled umber Erannis defoliaria |
Vulnerable | Crataegus spp. |
| Dingy skipper Erynnis tages |
Vulnerable | Hippocrepis comosa |
| The lackey Malacosoma neustria |
Vulnerable | Crataegus monogyna |
| Pale brindled Phigalia pilosaria |
Vulnerable | Crataegus monogyna |
| Silver studded blue Plebejus argus |
Vulnerable | Hippocrepis comosa |
| 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 blue Cupido minimus |
Near Threatened | Anthyllis vulneraria |
| Large thorn Ennomos autumnaria |
Near Threatened | Crataegus spp. |
| Grey pug Eupithecia subfuscata |
Near Threatened | Crataegus monogyna |
| White-spotted pug Eupithecia tripunctaria |
Near Threatened | Daucus carota |
| Double dart Graphiphora augur |
Near Threatened | Crataegus spp. |
| Swallowtail papilio Papilio machaon |
Near Threatened | Daucus carota |
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 2 species from the description above: Crataegus monogyna, Origanum vulgare
Show 81 indicator speciesHedera 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
Show 107 indicator speciesSalix 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
Show 49 indicator speciesHedera 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