King Lud's Entrenchment & The Drift
Also within
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SK857300 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 1.17 | 2013-09-30 |
| SK860278 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 0.97 | 2014-07-24 |
| SK861280 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 9.34 | 2014-07-24 |
| SK864278 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 2.4 | 2014-07-24 |
| SK864291 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 2.89 | 2013-09-30 |
| SK867279 | — | Unfavourable No Change | 3.82 | 2022-12-22 |
| SK871279 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 3.31 | 2022-12-22 |
Geology & landscape
Rock Type: Limestone
Description
Area,28.79 ha71.12 ac O Description The site includes some of the best remaining examples of limestone grassland in Lincolnshire and Leicestershire and is representative of swards developed on soft limestones in southern and central England. Biology The site contains some fine examples of limestone grassland. The basic sward components are tor grass Brachypodium pinnatum, cock's foot Dactylis glomerata, crested dog's tail Cynosurus cristatus and red fescue Festuca rubra, while typical herbs include salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba, burnet saxifrage Pimpinella saxifraga, field scabious Knautia arvensis, germander speedwell Veronica chamaedrys, bird's foot trefoil Lotus corniculatus and perforate St. John'swort Hypericum perforatum. Plants of restricted distribution which occur on the site include autumn felwort Gentianella amarella, basil thyme Acinos arvensis, horseshoe vetch Hippocrepis comosand purple milk vetch Astragalus danicus. Additional interest is provided by an area of semi natural broad leaved woodland dominated by ash Fraxinus excelsior and sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus.
Species mentioned
Show the 15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| tor grass | Brachypodium pinnatum | LC | grass | poaceae |
| crested dog's tail | Cynosurus cristatus | LC | grass | poaceae |
| cock's foot | Dactylis glomerata | LC | grass | poaceae |
| red fescue | Festuca rubra | LC | grass | poaceae |
| basil thyme | Acinos arvensis | Not listed in GB list | herb | lamiaceae |
| purple milk vetch | Astragalus danicus | EN | herb | fabaceae |
| autumn gentian | Gentianella amarella | LC | herb | gentianaceae |
| perforated St John's wort | Hypericum perforatum | LC | herb | hypericaceae |
| field scabious | Knautia arvensis | LC | herb | caprifoliaceae |
| birdsfoot trefoil | Lotus corniculatus | LC | herb | fabaceae |
| burnet saxifrage | Pimpinella saxifraga | NT | herb | apiaceae |
| salad burnet | Poterium sanguisorba | VU | herb | rosaceae |
| birdseye speedwell | Veronica chamaedrys | LC | herb | plantaginaceae |
| sycamore | Acer pseudoplatanus | Not listed in GB list | tree | aceraceae |
| ash | Fraxinus excelsior | LC | tree | oleaceae |
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 | Lotus corniculatus |
| New forest Zygaena viciae |
Critically Endangered | Lotus corniculatus |
| Straw belle Aspitates gilvaria |
Endangered | Lotus corniculatus |
| Wood white Leptidea sinapis |
Endangered | Lotus corniculatus |
| Heath fritillary Melitaea athalia |
Endangered | Veronica chamaedrys |
| Slender scotch Zygaena loti |
Endangered | Lotus corniculatus |
| Mouse moth Amphipyra tragopoginis |
Vulnerable | Lotus corniculatus, Poterium sanguisorba |
| The sprawler Asteroscopus sphinx |
Vulnerable | Fraxinus excelsior |
| Mottled umber Erannis defoliaria |
Vulnerable | Acer pseudoplatanus |
| Dingy skipper Erynnis tages |
Vulnerable | Lotus corniculatus |
| Marsh fritillary Euphydryas aurinia |
Vulnerable | Knautia arvensis |
| Satyr pug Eupithecia satyrata |
Vulnerable | Hypericum spp. |
| Grayling Hipparchia semele |
Vulnerable | Festuca rubra |
| Pale brindled Phigalia pilosaria |
Vulnerable | Fraxinus excelsior |
| Silver studded blue Plebejus argus |
Vulnerable | Lotus corniculatus |
| Grizzled skipper Pyrgus malvae |
Vulnerable | Poterium sanguisorba |
| Large nutmeg Apamea anceps |
Near Threatened | Dactylis glomerata |
| Small heath Coenonympha pamphilus |
Near Threatened | Cynosurus cristatus, Festuca spp. |
| Large thorn Ennomos autumnaria |
Near Threatened | Acer pseudoplatanus |
| Dusky thorn Ennomos fuscantaria |
Near Threatened | Fraxinus excelsior |
| Grey pug Eupithecia subfuscata |
Near Threatened | Pimpinella saxifraga |
| Wall Lasiommata megera |
Near Threatened | Dactylis glomerata |
| Rosy minor Litoligia literosa |
Near Threatened | Dactylis glomerata |
| The blackneck Lygephila pastinum |
Near Threatened | Astragalus spp. |
| 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.