Willow Burn Pasture
Also within
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NZ244839 | — | Unfavourable Declining | 7.08 | 2024-02-26 |
Habitats
Description
Description Willow Burn Pasture is an area of unimproved species rich neutral grassland established on former ridge and furrow cultivation and now managed as pasture. There has been some invasion by scrub and wetter areas support tall herb communities. The grassland sward includes heath grass Danthonia decumbens, yellow oat grass Trisetum flavescens, quaking grass Briza media and meadow rescue Schedonorus pratensis, and such herb species as dropwort Filipendula vulgaris, pepper saxifrage Silaum silaus, saw wort Serratula tinctoria, great burnet Sanguisorba officinalis and sneezewort Achillea ptarmica. Small flushed areas within the grassland have an abundance of sedges including glaucous sedge Carex flacca, carnation sedge C. panicea and common yellow sedge C. demissa. Areas of tall herb vegetation are dominated by meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria with common valerian Valeriana officinalis, yellow iris Iris pseudacorus, wild angelica Angelica sylvestris, meadow crane's bill Geranium pratense and tall grasses such as false oat grass Arrhenatherum elatius. There are small wet area with rushes including soft rush Juncus effusus and locally with forget-me-not Myosotis sp. and silverweed Potentilla anserina. There has been some invasion of the grassland by scrub species, mainly hawthorn Crataegus monogyna, gorse Ulex europaeus and dog rose Rosa canina. Scattered grey willow Salix cinerea, goat willow S. caprea and alder Alnus glutinosa occur along the margins of the Willow Burn.
Species mentioned
Show the 23 species mentioned in the description, with red-list statusInsects 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Reddish buff Acosmetia caliginosa |
Critically Endangered | Serratula tinctoria |
| Figure of eight Diloba caeruleocephala |
Endangered | Crataegus spp., Rosa spp. |
| The lappet Gastropacha quercifolia |
Endangered | Crataegus monogyna, Salix spp. |
| Scarce vapourer Orgyia recens |
Endangered | Alnus glutinosa, Crataegus spp., Filipendula ulmaria, Rosa spp., Salix spp. |
| Least minor Photedes captiuncula |
Endangered | Carex flacca |
| Mouse moth Amphipyra tragopoginis |
Vulnerable | Crataegus spp., Serratula tinctoria |
| The sprawler Asteroscopus sphinx |
Vulnerable | Crataegus spp., Salix spp. |
| Broom moth Ceramica pisi |
Vulnerable | Iris pseudacorus, Rosa canina |
| Scarce chocolate-tip Clostera anachoreta |
Vulnerable | Salix cinerea, Salix spp. |
| Mottled umber Erannis defoliaria |
Vulnerable | Crataegus spp., Rosa canina, Salix spp. |
| Satyr pug Eupithecia satyrata |
Vulnerable | Filipendula ulmaria, Salix spp. |
| The lackey Malacosoma neustria |
Vulnerable | Crataegus monogyna, Rosa canina, Salix spp. |
| Pale brindled Phigalia pilosaria |
Vulnerable | Alnus glutinosa, Crataegus monogyna, Rosa spp. |
| Silver studded blue Plebejus argus |
Vulnerable | Ulex spp. |
| Grizzled skipper Pyrgus malvae |
Vulnerable | Potentilla anserina, Rosa canina |
| Lead belle Scotopteryx mucronata |
Vulnerable | Ulex europaeus |
| Early moth Theria primaria |
Vulnerable | Crataegus monogyna |
| Pale eggar Trichiura crataegi |
Vulnerable | Crataegus monogyna, Salix spp. |
| Flounced chestnut Agrochola helvola |
Near Threatened | Crataegus monogyna, Salix spp. |
| Beaded chestnut Agrochola lychnidis |
Near Threatened | Crataegus monogyna, Salix spp. |
| Grey chi Antitype chi |
Near Threatened | Crataegus monogyna, Iris pseudacorus |
| Purple emperor Apatura iris |
Near Threatened | Salix cinerea |
| Garden tiger Arctia caja |
Near Threatened | Salix cinerea |
| Minor shoulder-knot Brachylomia viminalis |
Near Threatened | Salix cinerea |
| The sallow Cirrhia icteritia |
Near Threatened | Salix spp. |
| Dingy mocha Cyclophora pendularia |
Near Threatened | Alnus glutinosa, Salix cinerea |
| Brindled ochre Dasypolia templi |
Near Threatened | Angelica sylvestris |
| Kentish glory Endromis versicolora |
Near Threatened | Alnus glutinosa |
| Large thorn Ennomos autumnaria |
Near Threatened | Alnus glutinosa, Crataegus spp., Salix spp. |
| Tawny speckled Eupithecia icterata |
Near Threatened | Achillea ptarmica |
| Grey pug Eupithecia subfuscata |
Near Threatened | Angelica sylvestris, Crataegus monogyna, Salix spp. |
| Bordered pug Eupithecia succenturiata |
Near Threatened | Achillea ptarmica |
| White-spotted pug Eupithecia tripunctaria |
Near Threatened | Angelica sylvestris |
| Double dart Graphiphora augur |
Near Threatened | Crataegus spp., Salix spp. |
| Rosy minor Litoligia literosa |
Near Threatened | Arrhenatherum elatius, Carex flacca |
| Swallowtail papilio Papilio machaon |
Near Threatened | Angelica sylvestris |
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 5 species from the description above: Angelica sylvestris, Carex flacca, Filipendula ulmaria, Salix cinerea, Valeriana officinalis
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
W21 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub
Crataegus monogyna-Hedera helix scrub
Matches 5 species from the description above: Arrhenatherum elatius, Crataegus monogyna, Juncus effusus, Rosa canina, Salix cinerea
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
W22 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub
Prunus spinosa-Rubus fruticosus scrub
Matches 3 species from the description above: Filipendula ulmaria, Rosa canina, Ulex europaeus
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