Spalford Warren

Also within

Nottinghamshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Bracken scrub

Description

Description The site comprises the best remaining example of grass heath dominated by wavy hair grass and sand sedge remaining in Nottinghamshire and is one of the few sites of this type to be found in the Midlands. Biology A remarkable inland example of grass heath dominated by tussocks of wavy hair grass Deschampsia flexuosa and sand sedge Carex arenaria developed on soils derived from postglacial blown sands. Although parts of the site have been planted with conifers, substantial areas of the original grass heath remain. Patches of heather Calluna vulgaris, gorse Ulex europaeus, broom Cytisus scoparius and bracken Pteridium aquilinum occur within the grass heath while in the shorter turf adjacent to the paths and boundary roads, herbs characteristic of sand land habitat such as slender trefoil Trifolium micranthum, bird's foot Ornithopus perpusillus, field mouse ear Cerastium arvense and shepherd’s cress Teesdalia nudicaulis occur. This vegetation type, which has affinities with certain of the Breckland grass heaths, is of very restricted inland occurrence.

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