LAND SURVEY MAY 2025

 Summary of survey and assessment Brief Site description 

This site is situated over gently sloping south facing ground above a tributary of the River Taw. The underlying geology is composed of sandstone sedimentary bedrock (British Geological Survey, 2025). The habitats present include Lowland Meadow species-rich grassland, wet woodland, and mixed scrub. The Lowland meadow contains Priority Habitat indicator species including bird’s-foot-trefoils, common knapweed, agrimony, and common dog-violet. The wet woodland habitat contains a mature canopy of alder, downy birch, and grey willow, with a good number Ancient Woodland Indicator plant species (AWI). The site has been assessed to be in good condition, and many of the plant species present in the previous survey (2007) are still present and in a similar abundance. However, there has been an overall reduction in the cover of lowland species-rich grassland within the site due to scrub encroachment. This is particularly evident in area 4 [Top Field banks] which has almost been completely lost to scrub encroachment. Scrub is an important habitat and supports a wide variety of species. However, species-rich grassland is a more threatened habitat and where still present should prioritised for conservation. See recommendations below. Although this is a relatively small site, it contains valuable species-rich grassland and wet woodland habitat, and will be supporting diversity of wildlife.

General recommendations or further actions: - Continue current management regime of regular grazing with horses. Ideally grazing should be during the drier time of the year, i.e. May-September. - Cut back scrub surrounding the fields, outside of bird nesting season (March-August), and aim to maintain about 10% scrub cover within each compartment. This will help wildlife such bird species, which require scrub for nesting and feeding, but also conserve the existing species-rich grassland. - Maintain bracken cover at current levels, or slightly lower. This might be achievable with grazing, but cutting might also be required. - Leave any standing deadwood within the woodland, including any ash suffering from ash dieback, unless they pose a safety risk. Standing and fallen deadwood is important habitat for many birds, invertebrates, and lower plants (moss, liverworts, and lichens). 

Brief description Species-rich neutral grassland with frequent common knapweed, greater bird’s-foot-trefoil, ribwort plantain, selfheal, dandelion, creeping buttercup, and white clover, and occasional autumn hawkbit, common dog-violet, lesser trefoil, cat’s-ear, common mouseear, and greater plantain. Grass species include common bent, sweet vernal-grass, Yorkshire-fog, and rough meadow-grass. Brambles are locally frequent around the edge of the field. Bracken is locally abundant over the lower slopes.

 Management / Condition Threats and Issues Bracken cover is just under recommended cover levels. Cover of white clover and creeping buttercup is high. White clover is counted as a negative indicator, but is a fairly minor issue in this context. 

Habitat - Stable

Condition assessment: Additional information: 

Brief description Species-rich neutral grassland with frequent common knapweed, greater bird’s-foot-trefoil, ribwort plantain, selfheal, dandelion, creeping buttercup, and white clover, and occasional autumn hawkbit, common dog-violet, lesser trefoil, cat’s-ear, common mouseear, and greater plantain. Grass species include common bent, sweet vernal-grass, Yorkshire-fog, and rough meadow-grass. Brambles are locally frequent around the edge of the field. Bracken is locally abundant over the lower slopes. 

Management / Condition Threats and Issues 

Bracken cover is just under recommended cover levels. Cover of white clover and creeping buttercup is high. White clover is counted as a negative indicator, but is a fairly minor issue in this context. 

Habitat - Stable  

BOTTOM FIELD BANK Habitat Condition Green/Good 

Cover of Broadleaved plants = Forbs >30%

Cover of Ryegrass & White Clover 10-30%

Species richness = >15 species/m-2

Positive Indicator Species =Frequent 

Sward height= 20-80% is <7cm

 Cover of Bare Ground   =  1-5% 

Cover of Scrub <5% 

Cover of Bracken 11-20%

Cover of Negative Indicator Species  >10% 

Cover of Nonnative/Invasive species = N/A 

Sward Management= Grazing horses/ponies

Fertiliser inputs = None

BOTTOM FIELD - WOODS

Brief description

Similar species-rich neutral grassland with frequent common knapweed, common bird’s-foot-trefoil, cat’s-ear, plantain ribwort, red clover, selfheal, lesser trefoil, yarrow, dandelion, cock’s-foot, common bent, and sweet vernal-grass, and occasional agrimony, common restharrow, bugle, perforate St John’s-wort, common mouse-ear, field wood-rush, red fescue, and Yorkshire-fog. Brambles are locally abundant along the lower edge, with developing hazel and willow scrub.

Management / Condition

Threats and Issues Encroaching bramble coming in from the lower edge.

Habitat - stable

Condition assessment: Additional information: green/good

Brief description Similar species-rich neutral grassland with frequent common knapweed, common bird’s-foot-trefoil, cat’s-ear, plantain ribwort, red clover, selfheal, lesser trefoil, yarrow, dandelion, cock’s-foot, common bent, and sweet vernal-grass, and occasional agrimony, common restharrow, bugle, perforate St John’s-wort, common mouse-ear, field wood-rush, red fescue, and Yorkshire-fog. Brambles are locally abundant along the lower edge, with developing hazel and willow scrub. 

Cover of Broadleaved plants - Forbs >30%

Cover of Ryegrass & White Clover-  <10%S

species richness - >15 species/m-2

Positive Indicator Species - Frequent

Sward height - 20-80% is <7cm

Cover of Bare Ground   -  1-5% 

Cover of Scrub -11-25%

Cover of Bracken -<10% 

Cover of Negative Indicator Species -<5% 

Cover of Nonnative/Invasive species -N/A

Sward Management -Grazing - horses/ponie

Fertiliser inputs  - None

MIDDLE FIELD/PADDOCK BANK

Condition assessment: Brief description

Mature wet woodland canopy composed of frequent downy birch, alder, and grey willow. Understory composed of frequent hazel, and occasional hawthorn and elder. Species-rich field layer with frequent common ivy, wood avens, enchanter’s-nightshade, Herb-Robert, wood speedwell, ground-ivy, broad buckler-fern, and scaly male-fern, and occasional ramsons, yellow pimpernel, lesser spearwort, marsh-bedstraw, soft-rush, remote sedge, creeping buttercup, rough meadow-grass, and lady fern. Bluebells and primrose are locally frequent over hedge banks. Wood anemone and wood-sorrel are occasional over the lower half of the woodland. Ash becomes locally frequent in the canopy at the east end of the site with frequent hemlock water-dropwort and brambles. A narrow strip of dry lowland mixed deciduous woodland is present at the east end with mature canopy of pedunculate oak, with an understory of hazel and grey willow. The field layer is similar with enchanter’s-nightshade, common ivy, Herb-Robert, red campion, wood avens, wood dock, wood speedwell, ground ivy, dog’s-mercury, soft shield-fern, scaly male-fern, and Hart’-tongue fern.

Ash dieback not noted 

Canopy Cover - Closed - Well Developed 

Understorey & Shrub Layer - Well Developed

Field Layer & Ground Layer - Well-developed - species-rich

Ancient Woodland Indicators -   Frequent 

Canopy Tree Age Classes -2-3 age classes - Young, semi-mature trees and mature trees

 Cover of Non-natives* (Canopy) - N/A

Cover of Non-natives* - (Understorey/Shrub layer) N/A

Cover of Non-natives (Ground Flora) N/A

Cover of Dense Bramble/Ivy (Ground Flora) N/A

Cover of Dense Leaf Litter N/A

Invasive species - none

Cover of open space within woodland - <10%

Trees with Veteran Characteristics - none

Fallen Deadwood >20cm- rare

Standing Deadwood>20cm - rare

Regeneration of canopy trees associated with community - occasional

Regeneration of non-native or atypical native trees - none

Additional information: Additional Microhabitats Streams. Woodland banks. Flushes.

Priority Habitat Wet woodlandLowland mixed deciduous woodland

Habitat - stable

TOP FIELD BANK/WOODS

Block of mixed scrub composed of brambles, hazel, grey willow, blackthorn, and bracken. There are some small patches of neutral grassland with common knapweed, cat’-ear, greater bird’s-foot-trefoil, and ribwort plantain.

Absence of deadwood 3 Large pieces of deadwood are rare. 

2 Bracken encroachment 1 Bracken cover is just under recommended cover levels. 

2 Scrub encroachment 

4 Encroaching bramble coming in from the lower edge.

4 Weedy/undesirable species 

1 Cover of white clover and creeping buttercup is high. White clover is counted as a negative indicator, but is a fairly minor issue in this context. 

KEY:

1 This issue is trivial and is not currently affecting the habitat to any significant extent.

2 This issue is recent and a cause for concern, but habitat is likely to recover if management is put in place to reduce further condition loss.

3 This issue is a cause for concern and may have been ongoing for some time. There has been a definite loss of habitat condition, but this should still be recoverable with suitable management.

4 This issue has resulted in a marked decline in condition and the habitat is at imminent risk of being lost. Habitat is potentially recoverable but will require extensive management and effort.

5 Habitat has been lost or is of such poor condition that it cannot recover without extreme measures.

Species List 

Lower meadow plants

Bracken, Yarrow, Agrimony,   Bugle, Sweet Vernal-grass, Common Knapweed, Common Mouse-ear , Marsh Thistle,  Smooth Hawk’s-beard,  Cock’s-foot,  Red Fescue, Yorkshire-fog,  Hypericum,  St John’s-wort,  Cat’s-ear,  Common Ragwort, Soft-rush,  Bird’s-foot-trefoil, Field Wood-rush, Common Restharrow , Ribwort, Greater Plantain, Smooth Meadow-grass ,Rough Meadow-grass, Trailing Tormentil, Selfheal, Creeping Buttercup,  Bramble, Curled Dock, Broad-leaved Dock, Autumn Hawkbit,  Dandelion, Lesser Trefoil , Red Clover,  White Clover,  Speedwell, Common Dog-violet, Annual Fescue 

wet woodland plants

Hart’s-tongue, Lady-fern, Scaly Male-fern, Broad Buckler-fern, Male-fern, Soft Shield-fern, Bugle, Ramsons, Alder, Anemone, Lords-and-Ladies, Downy Birch, Common Water-starwort, Remote Sedge, Opposite-leaved Golden-saxifrage, Enchanter’s-nightshade, Hazel,  Hawthorn, Lesser Celandine, Meadowsweet, Marsh-bedstraw, Herb-Robert, Wood Avens,  Ground-ivy, Common Ivy, Bluebell ,Holly,  Soft-rush , Yellow Pimpernel , Water Mint ,Dog’s Mercury, Hemlock, Water-dropwort,  Wood-sorrel, Rough Meadow-grass ,Primrose ,Blackthorn,  Oak, Lesser Spearwort Creeping Buttercup  Field-rose Bramble Wood Dock  Grey Willow Elder Red Campion , Hedge Woundwort, Black Bryony,  Common Nettle ,Wood Speedwell,  Dog-violet