Waldridge Fell
Waldridge Fell | |
---|---|
Calluna vulgaris heathland surrounding a rain-fed pond on Waldridge Fell | |
Location | MAGiC MaP |
Nearest town | Chester-le-Street |
Coordinates | 54°50′25″N 1°36′38″W / 54.84028°N 1.61056°W |
Area | 113.5 ha (280 acres) |
Established | 1965 / 1981 |
Governing body | Natural England |
Website | Waldridge Fell SSSI |
Waldridge Fell is a Site of Special Scientific Interest located immediately south-west of Chester-le-Street in the northern part of County Durham, England. It is one of the largest areas of lowland heath in County Durham and contains the only lowland valley-mire in the county. The fell is home to a number of plants and insects that are scarce to rare elsewhere in the county.
SSSI status
Waldridge Fell was first notified as an SSSI in 1965. The designated area was revised in 1985, the boundary being extended in some places, while portions around Waldridge village were deleted from the SSSI. [1]
The area is important as one of the largest expanses of lowland heath in County Durham, which is close to northern limit for this type of habitat,[2] and is one of the few such areas in North East England.[3] Lowland heath is a threatened habitat in the United Kingdom, which holds around 20 per cent of the world's stock of the habitat: over the last 200 years some 80 percent of the lowland heath in England has been destroyed, and in the UK as a whole only 44 per cent of the area that existed before 1940 still remains.[4]
Also significant is that the Wanister Bog, an area of seasonally-flooded wetland on the south-east side of the fell, is the only valley-mire in lowland County Durham.[1]
The area currently designated as an SSSI occupies 113.5 ha, of which 98.5 ha is classed as dwarf shrub heath, 13 ha is broadleaved woodland, and the remainder is marsh.[5]
The SSSI shares a common boundary on the south-west side with Daisy Hill
Geography, geology and ecology
Waldridge Fell SSSI is a broadly rectangular area, lying between the valleys of two tributaries of the River Wear, the Cong Burn to the north-west and the South Burn to the south-east. Most of the area lies between 80 and 120 metres above sea level, with a high point of 129 metres.
The area is underlain by
Over most of the area, the habitat is heathland, in which the dominant species is ling,
Wanister Bog occupies a depression in which rainwater from higher up the fell has accumulated and created fen conditions. The characteristic species are Sphagnum mosses, which have also contributed largely to the thick layer of peat that now underlies the bog. Other species that are locally dominant are rushes, Juncus spp., and sedges, Carex spp.[10]
Fauna and flora
The varied habitats within the SSSI support a number of plant and insect species that are rare or local in North East England.
One of the rarest is the red-tipped clearwing, Synanthedon formicaeformis, which was recorded three times in July 2006; this inconspicuous and elusive moth had only been recorded 12 times before in County Durham, the last occasion being in 1948, also in the Waldridge Fell area.[11]
Other notable insects include two other moths, northern drab,
The most notable plant species are found in the alder woodland along the spring-lines on the lower valley slopes. They include royal fern, Osmunda regalis, and narrow buckler fern, Dryopteris carthusiana, hemlock water dropwort, Oenanthe crocata, and smooth-stalked sedge, Carex laevigata, all of which are rare or have a localised distribution in North East England.[1]
Rare plants that occur in Wanister Bog include devil's-bit scabious,
The fell is believed to support a significant population of the slowworm,
Other uses
Waldridge Fell SSSI is broadly coterminous with Waldridge Fell Country Park, which is a popular recreational facility for walkers, dog owners and country lovers.[13] The road between Chester-le-Street and Edmondsley cuts across the northern part of the fell and there are several car parks, from which footpaths radiate over the area, including one all-weather footpath for the disabled.[14]
Coal mining took place on and around Waldridge Fell until late in the 20th century—the last mine in the area, Smithydene
Conservation issues
The fell is actively managed by Durham County Council, in an effort to maintain a broad range of heathland species, including such desirable species as heath bedstraw, Galium saxatile, and common tormentil, Potentilla erecta.[5] Bracken is particularly troublesome because it crowds out the heather and associated species. The County Council has used a combination of burning and selective herbicides to control the bracken, and in 2007 embarked on a three-year trial of a more environmentally-friendly method, using heavy horses to pull a roller that crushes the bracken.[15]
The last time
References
- ^ a b c d e "Waldridge Fell : Reasons for SSSI status" (PDF). Natural England. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
- ^ a b c "Lowland Heath Action Plan". Durham Biodiversity Partnership. 2006. Archived from the original on 2011-10-06. Retrieved 16 July 2010.
- ^ "Waldridge Fell Country Park & Cong Burn Wood". UK Man and Biosphere Committee. 21 July 2009. Retrieved 16 July 2010.
- ISBN 1-85716-558-6.
- ^ a b c Mitchell, Dave (1 June 2010). "Condition of SSSI units - Waldridge Fell". Natural England. Retrieved 16 July 2010.
- ^ "Daisy Hill". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
- ^ "Map of Daisy Hill". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
- ^ "Cong Burn Wood". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
- ^ "Map of Cong Burn Wood". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
- ^ a b Wong, Ming-Hung. "Vegetation Pattern Related to the Edaphic and Biotic Variables on Waldridge Fell". New Asia College Academic Annual. XVI: 437–454.
- ^ Coult, Terry (2006). "The 2006 status of County Durham clearwing moths". The Vasculum. 91.
- ^ "A 'special' place" (PDF). Durham County News. Durham County Council. June 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-08-13. Retrieved 16 July 2010.
- ^ Simpson, David (26 September 2007). "Prized natural asset that was once home to industry". The Northern Echo.
- ^ Hodgskin, Bill; Edwin Allen (29 August 2003). "Fall in love with Waldridge Fell". Evening Chronicle. Newcastle. Retrieved 16 July 2010.
- ^ McKay, Neil (3 July 2007). "Heavy horses go bracken bashing on Waldridge Fell". The Journal. Newcastle. Retrieved 16 July 2010. [dead link]
- ^ "Heavy squad helps to". The Northern Echo. 3 July 2007. Archived from the original on 17 March 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2010.
- ^ "Waldridge Fell Common, Chester-le-Street, Durham" (PDF). Bristol: The Planning Inspectorate. 2 March 2010. Retrieved 16 July 2010.