Oresome Botanical Surveys Site Dossier

OREsome Botanical Surveys

Site dossier - Whitesike and Bentyfield mines

SAM list entry number: 1015832 Grid ref.: NY751425 County: Cumbria District/Parish: Eden, Alston Moor Altitude: 430-460m Habitats: narrow valley with sheep pasture, scrub and mine workings

1. Botanical interest

This site includes one of the richest calaminarian grassland communities remaining on the North Pennine lead mines, with the full suite of North Pennine metallophyte plants all thriving and a rich diversity of other plants, lichens and bryophytes. Most of the calaminarian grassland is to be found on the banks around the Whitesike Mine dressing floors, with smaller areas at Bentyfield Mine and on the edge of the large tailings heap south of the road.

The metallophyte plants found in abundance here are thrift (Armeria maritima), alpine pennycress (Noccaea caerulescens), pyrenean scurvygrass (Cochlearia pyrenaica), mountain pansy (Viola lutea), spring sandwort (Minuartia verna) and pale thread-moss (Bryum pallens). All these have a patchy distribution within the site, determined by local conditions of shelter, soil development and heavy metal levels. Thrift is declining throughout this area and the vigorous population at Whitesike may be the largest and most healthy left in the North Pennines, so it is considered to be of at least regional importance.

The Whitesike dressing floors have lost much of their botanical and lichen interest over the last few years as a result of flood damage and restoration works, but they still support an interesting wet grassland community with butterwort (Pinguicula vulgaris), grass of parnassus (Parnassia palustris), and other plants of wet ground.Soft shield fern (Polystichum setiferum) is in the same area, and the northern edge of the dressing floor has brittle bladder fern (Cystoperis fragilis) and quaking grass (Briza media).

Bentyfield Mine has smaller areas of calaminarian, but with all the same species plus sheep-bit (Jasione montana), a plant that is scarce in this area but common on lead mines in Wales and Cumbria, and the clubmuss Selaginella selaginoides.

Lichen interest on both sites includes a variety of Cladonia, Cetraria and Peltigera species growing on metal-rich soil, as well as metallophyte and other lichens on stone. Some of these may have been lost in recent years, due to flood damage and the consolidation works that followed, and a resurvey is needed.

Map 1. Areas of botanical interest at Whitesyke and Bentyfield, showing the SSSI and SAM: (1) species rich calaminarian on bank and trackway, with metallophyte plants and lichens; (2) wet flush on dressing floor with butterwort and grass of parnassus; (3) calaminarian on bank with mountain pansy and thrift; (4) calaminarian on edge of tailings heap with abundant thrift; (5) calaminarian on track and stream side; (6) calaminarian on spoil; (7) calaminarian on spoil.

2. Site description

These mines are part of an extensive and ancient mining landscape on the west side of Flinty Fell that includes conspicuous air and winding shafts, as well as waste dumps, dams and leats. The mines themselves are of mid-19th age, and are close together in the narrow valley of the Garrigill Burn. They were constrained in their extent by the narrow valley, with dressing floors built up over the stream, and over time this led to the accumulation of deep stratified deposits that in places are waterlogged with unusually well-preserved timbers.

Whitesike mine is just east of the B6277 Alston to Middleton road, with a large tip of fines fenced off to the west of the road. The stream is culverted to pass through this tip (estimated to contain over 60,000 tons of ore-dressing waste) and the road runs over the top. The Brown Gill Low Level enters the hill is at the eastern end and followed the Old Groves Cross Vein to access the productive Brown Gill Vein, from where it eventually joined the network of workings from Nenthead. Lead ore rich in silver was extracted. The portal is still intact, and there are the remains of three small buildings nearby as well as spreads of gravel-sized ore-processing waste. Below a revetment wall are the remains of a 60x20m dressing floor and nine bouse teams. Below this and another revetment is a third dressing floor, 40x15m, with the remains of a wash kiln.

Bentyfield mine is north of Whitesike in the same valley and is accessed by the old tramway that runs up the west side of Whitesike. The portal of the Bentyfield Level is intact, with the remains of a mineshop nearby. This level was driven along the Bentyfield Vein and was productive in extracting lead ore rich in silver. Two other levels in this area were worked as part of Whitesike mine, with tramways to carry the ore. One of these, the Colonel’s Level, has a long spoil tip which crosses the stream to stop just short of the Bentyfield Level. Within the mine area there are also several shafts, thought to be of earlier date, and the remains of a dressing floor and wheelpit.

Map 2. Location of Whitesyke and Bentyfield Mines, showing the SAM in red. Whitesike Mine is to the left and Bentyfield to the right, with shafts and other mining remains on the surrounding hills in the wider landscape. © Crown Copyright and database right 2015. All rights reserved. Ordnance Survey Licence number 100024900.

3. Previous surveys

Whitesyke Mine is easily accessible and has been visited many times by botanists. The most detailed recording was done by Janet Simkin in 2000 and 2005, but as with other visits the flora was only recorded as a single compartment with location details only for a few species of interest. 96 species were recorded from the calaminarian areas, 19 vascular plants, 7 bryophytes and 53 lichens. The site as a whole is much more species rich than this, with an interesting range of wet grassland species on the old dressing floors. Good populations of all the metallophyte plants were present, including an unusual number of thrift for this altitude.

A further visit in 2016 found that the dressing floors had suffered severe erosion, and that subsequent restoration had also done some unavoidable damage to lichen and bryophyte communities, but that the main areas of calaminarian on the banks surrounding the dressing floors were little changed. Many of the lichens seen 15-20 years ago have not been recorded recently, so a full lichen survey would be valuable.

Prior to this project the known biological interest within Whitesike Mine is shown below. For completeness this includes some recent (2018) records from the tailings heap south of the road.

Group Species Last seen Notes Mammals common hare Lepus europaeus 2009 Plants thrift Armeria maritima 2018 Banks, large population on the tailings heap (SE edge) pyrenean scurvy- Cochlearia pyrenaica 2018 Dressing floors, tailings heap (SE) grass

Group Species Last seen Notes spring sandwort Minuartia verna 2018 Banks and trackways, a few plants on the tailings heap (SE edge) alpine penny- Noccaea caerulescens 2018 Banks and trackways, a few cress plants on the tailings heap (SE edge) mountain pansy Viola lutea 2016 Banks and trackways butterwort Pinguicula vulgaris 2003 Dressing floors grass of Parnassus Parnassia palustris 2003 Dressing floors Lichens Bacidia bagliettoana 1999 Wall Bryoria fuscescens 2003 Wall, revetment Cetraria aculeata 2018 Dressing floor, tailings heap (SE edge) Cetraria muricata 2003 Bank, wall Cladonia cervicornis 1999 Dressing floor, waste heap verticillata Cladonia ciliata tenuis 2018 Track, tailings heap (SE edge) Cladonia diversa 2018 Wall, bank, dressing floor, tailings heap (SE edge) Cladonia furcata 2018 Wall, dressing floor, bank, level, tailings heap (SE edge) Cladonia gracilis 1999 Wall Cladonia macilenta 2003 Wall Cladonia rangiformis 2003 track, dressing floor, bank, level Cladonia scabriuscula 2000 Bank Cladonia subulata 2018 Wall, dressing floor, bank, level, tailings heap (SE) Cladonia sulphurina 2003 Wall Cladonia uncialis 1999 Track biuncialis Clauzadea monticola 2003 Wall, bank Collema auriforme 2003 Wall Collema tenax tenax 2003 Wall Dibaeis baeomyces 2018 Dressing floor, tailings heap (SE edge) Epilichen scabrosus 2003 Dressing floor, bank Fuscidea cyathoides 2003 Wall, dressing floor, bank Fuscidea kochiana 2003 Wall, dressing floor Fuscidea lygaea 2003 Wall, dressing floor Ionaspis lacustris 2003 Dressing floor, bank Lecanora gangaleoides 2003 Wall Lichenomphalia 2000 Bank, waste tip umbellifera Micarea leprosula 2000 Bank, dressing floor Micarea lignaria 2018 Dressing floor, bank, tailings heap (SE edge) Miriquidica pycnocarpa 2003 Wall, dressing floor Ochrolechia frigida 2003 wall Ochrolechia parella 2003 Dressing floor Opegrapha gyrocapra 1999 wall Peltigera leucophlebia 2003 Mine shop Pertusaria 2000 Bank, wall pseudocorallina Porina linearis 1999 wall Protopannaria pezizodes 2000 Bank

Group Species Last seen Notes Rhizocarpon 2003 Dressing floor lecanorinum Rhizocarpon oederi 2003 Wall Rhizocarpon petraeum 2003 Wall, bank, dressing floor Schaereria cinereorufa 1999 wall Scoliciosporum 2000 bank umbrinum Solorina spongiosa 1999 Wall Stereocaulon nanodes 2003 Dressing floor Stereocaulon 2003 Wall vesuvianum Tephromela grumosa 2003 Wall Tremolechia atrata 1999 Dressing floor, level Table 1. Previous records from Whitesike Mine.

Bentyfield Mine is further from the road and less often recorded. The lichens were surveyed thoroughly by Janet Simkin in 1998 and 2003, together with the plants of the calaminarian areas (only). The full suite of metallophytes was found but in small numbers. A brief visit in 2016 found the metallophytes had become more numerous but the lichens appeared to have declined.

Lizzie Madison and others also visited in 2016 and describe the site as having heathy grassland on the banks, but with calaminarian, with all the usual metallophytes, on the path and riverside interspersed with areas of short turf.

The recent record of sheep’s-bit (Jasione montana) is notable for this area as it has a strongly western distribution in Britain and is rarely found in the North Pennines. This small plant is heavy-metal tolerant and is characteristic of the more acidic lead mines in mid-Wales.

Past records from Bentyfield Mine include:

Group Species Last seen Notes Plants thrift Armeria maritima 2016 On mine spoil pyrenean scurvy- Cochlearia pyrenaica 2016 On mine spoil grass sheep-bit Jasione montana 2016 On mine spoil spring sandwort Minuartia verna 2016 On mine spoil alpine penny-cress Noccaea caerulescens 2016 On mine spoil mountain pansy Viola lutea 2016 On mine spoil Clubmosses Selaginella selaginoides 2016 On mine spoil Lichens Bacidia bagliettoana 2003 Wall Cetraria aculeata 1998 Wall, bank Cladonia arbuscula 2003 Trackway, bank Cladonia cervicornis 1998 Wall, bank verticillata Cladonia floerkeana 1998 Wall, bank Cladonia rangiformis 2003 Trackway, bank, spoil Cladonia subulata 2003 Wall, spoil Cladonia uncialis biuncialis 1998 Bank Collema auriforme 2003 Wall Collema tenax tenax 2003 wall

Group Species Last seen Notes Dibaeis baeomyces 1998 bank Fuscidea cyathoides 2003 Wall, spoil Fuscidea lygaea 2003 wall Lecanora handellii 2003 Wall (metallophyte) Lecanora intricata 1998 wall Micarea leprosula 1998 bank Miriquidica pycnocarpa 2003 Wall Micarea lignaria 2003 Bank, spoil Myriospora smaragdula 1998 wall Ochrolechia frigida 1998 bank Peltigera leucophlebia 2003 spoil Pertusaria pseudocorallina 1998 Wall Porina linearis 2003 Wall, bank Porpidia melinodes 2003 Wall (metallophyte) Rhizocarpon oederi 2003 Wall, bank (metallophyte) Rhizocarpon petraeum 1998 Bank Scoliciosporum umbrinum 1998 Wall, bank Stereocaulon vesuvianum 2003 Wall Tephromela grumosa 2003 Wall Lichenicolous Epilichen scabrosus 2003 On Baeomyces fungi rufus, on trackway and spoil Table 2. Previous records from Bentyfield Mine.

4. OREsome survey compartments

For this site it is helpful to distinguish between the flora of the old dressing floors and that of spoil heaps, tailings and banks. The dressing floors at Whitesike in particular have plants not usually associated with calaminarian which are well worth recording.

At Whitesyke Mine, WS1, the path along the southern edge of the dressing floors, includes a steeply sloping bank down to the top of the retaining wall. This is unstable in places and easily damaged, but in the past it has been found to be rich in lichens and bryophytes.

The large tailings heap on the other side of the road, WS4, is unstable and dangerous, and so is not to be surveyed by volunteers. It may be reprofiled in the near future.

ID Grid ref. Description Known species of interest WS1 Path along top, with Armeria, Minuartia, Cochlearia, Viola, Noccaea, steep bank down to Epilichen scabrosus, Protopannaria pezizoides retaining wall, south of dressing floors WS2 Dressing floors, level Minuartia, Cochlearia, Noccaea, Viola, Parnassia, entrance and mine shop Pinguicula, Peltigera leucophlebia, Ionaspis lacustris

ID Grid ref. Description Known species of interest WS3 Banks, trackway and Armeria, Viola, Noccaea, Minuartia, Cochlearia, wall north of the stream Solorina, Ochrolechia frigida, Epilichen scabrosus, Solorina spongiosa, Ionaspis lacustris, Stereocaulon vesuvianum WS4 Tailings heap Armeria, Minuartia, Noccaea, Viola Table 3. OREsome survey compartments at Whitesyke Mine.

Map 3. OREsome survey compartments at Whitesyke Mine.

Bentyfield Mine is long and thin, so it breaks down easily into three compartments. Previous visits suggest that BF1 will have the greatest botanical interest and may be the only one worth recording in any detail.

ID Grid ref. Description Known species of interest BF1 Track way and remains of Minuartia, Cochlearia, Armeria, Noccaea, Viola, dressing floors north of Epilichen scabrosus, Ochrolechia frigida, Cladonia the stream arbuscula, C. cervicornis verticillata, Stereocaulon vesuvianum BF2 Spoil heaps south of the Selaginella selaginoides stream BF3 Spoil east of the bridge Table 4. OREsome survey compartments at Bentyfield Mine.

Map 4. OREsome survey compartments at Bentyfield Mine.

5. ORESome survey results

All six compartments, three at Whitesyke and three at Bentyfield, were surveyed by volunteers in summer 2017.

Whitesyke Mine was visited by six volunteers (AD, SG, RF, JN, LB and JD) on 4th June 2017 and three compartments surveyed for the calaminarian indicator species. Three quadrats were recorded in each, together with an overall compartment list. This is not a full list for the compartment but just the indicator species and others of interest. Notes include:

WS1 – banks / footpaths / old walls and washing floors. The banks near the beginning had a lot more calaminarian species, probably more trampling on top due to the path. The path towards the end is very grassy with not much sign of calaminarian.

WS2 – old dressing floor, river bank with some calaminarian species. This area is of particular interest for the variety of wet flush species on one of the dressing floors, including Pinguicula vulgaris and Parnassia palustris, and for ferns such as soft shield (Polystichum setiferum).

WS3 – area to the NW of the river becoming colonised with other species, particularly up bank Q1.

A separate visit by Janet Simkin in April 2018 included part of W4, the tailings heap below the road, which was accessible at the time. Only the small part that could be accessed safely was examined. Calaminarian was found along the southern edge, with Minuartia verna, Noccaea caerulescens, Viola lutea and a large and healthy population of Armeria maritima. The usual assemblage of mine spoil lichens was also present. Examination of the waterfall by binoculars suggested plants, bryophytes and possibly lichens of interest but it was not possible to confirm their identity.

Bentyfield Mine was surveyed by Lizzie Maddison on 21st June 2017 in poor weather, and again on 6th July 2017. 5 quadrats were recorded in BF1, 2 in BF2 and 3 in BF3. Notes include:

BF1 – a long thin path with the best sites on rubble banks. Minuartia verna and Noccaea caerulescens occasional to frequent throughout, along with Weissia controversa and Bryum pallens. Lots of erosion and damage to the river banks.

BF2 – Minuartia verna was colonising many of the bare spoil heaps and was scattered throughout, but there was no sign of Noccaea caerulescens.

BF3 – Numbers of Noccaea caerulescens recorded.

All the metallophyte indicator plants were found, together with other species characteristic of calaminarian grassland.

The species recorded in both areas are listed below by compartment, using the DAFOR scale of abundance (D – dominant, A – abundant, F – frequent, O – occasional, R – rare):

Site Whitesyke Bentyfield Compartment WS1 WS2 WS3 WS4 BF1 BF2 BF3 Altitude 430 430 430 425 460 460 460 Species richness 21 25 27 45 28 18 19 bare ground/stone A A R A A A A Grasses etc. Agrostis capillaris common bent O O O F F F F Anthoxanthum odoratum sweet vernal-grass O O O O O F O Briza media quaking grass O O Carex flacca glaucous sedge O R O O O Carex leporina oval sedge O Deschampsia cespitosa tufted hair-grass O F Deschampsia flexuosa wavy hair-grass O R Festuca ovina sheeps fescue F A F F F A A Festuca rubra red fescue O O O Holcus lanatus yorkshire fog O O O Luzula campestris field woodrush O O O O Forbs Achillea millefolium yarrow O O O Alchemilla glabra lady's mantle R Armeria maritima thrift O F O A R Campanula rotundifolia harebell R O O O O F F common mouse- Cerastium fontanum R O O O F O O ear pyrenean scurvy- Cochleria pyrenaica O O O R O O O grass northern marsh Dactylorhiza purpurella R R O orchid Geum rivale water avens F Leontodon hispidus rough hawkbit O R Linum catharticum fairy flax O R F O O Lotus corniculatus birds-foot trefoil O R O Mercurialis perennis dogs mercury O Minuartia verna spring sandwort O F O F F F changing forget- Myosotis discolor O me-not Noccea caerulescens alpine pennycress O R O O O Oxalis acetosella wood sorrel R Parnassia palustris grass of parnassus O mouse-ear Pilosella officinalis R hawkweed Pinguicula vulgaris butterwort R

Site Whitesyke Bentyfield Compartment WS1 WS2 WS3 WS4 BF1 BF2 BF3 Plantago lanceolata ribwort plantain O F Prunella vulgaris self-heal O O O Ranunculus repens creeping buttercup O O Thymus polytrichus thyme R O R F F O Trifolium repens white clover O R Vicia sepium bush vetch O Viola lutea mountain pansy O O R Euphrasia sp. eyebright R R O Rhinanthus minor yellow rattle R Ferns and horsetails Botrychium lunaria moonwort R Cystopteris fragilis brittle bladder fern R Dryopteris filix-mas male fern O R Equisetum arvense field horsetail R O O Polystichum setiferum soft shield-fern R Clubmosses Huperzia selago R Selaginella selaginoides O Bryophytes Bryum pallens O O O O Ctenidium molluscum O Polytrichum juniperinum O O Racomitrium sp. O Weissia controversa O O F O F other bryophytes R F O O F O F Lichens O Baeomyces rufus O Cetraria aculeata O Cladonia chlorophaea s. O lat. Cladonia diversa R Cladonia furcata O Cladonia sp. O O O Dibaeis baeomyces R Lecidea lithophila O Micarea lignaria var. F lignaria Ochrolechia frigida O Peltigera hymenina O Peltigera membranacea O Peltigera neckeri R O O Peltigera sp. R O O O O Porpidia tuberculosa R Rhizocarpon reductum O other lichens R F F O Table 5. Species recorded at Whitesyke and Bentyfield Mines.

Since then the tailings heap on the Garrigill Burn south of the road has also been examined, and a large populations of Armeria maritima was found in a small area along the SE edge, continuing down the slope a short distance to the heap where it lies over the culvert. The Armeria maritima was accompanied by small populations of Noccaea caerulescens, Minuartia verna, Cochlearia pyrenaica and lichens. This population of Armeria maritima is one of the largest remaining on the north Pennine lead mines, but is threatened by the planned reprofiling of the tailings heap.

The ORESome survey of Whitesyke Mine included quadrat recording at the locations shown below:

Maps 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. Sketch maps of survey locations within Whitesyke Mine.

6. Further investigation

Whitesike Mine, especially the adit and dressing floor areas, has suffered considerable disturbance in recent years so a resurvey for lichen and bryophytes is needed. Knowing what has survived and what has been lost could help inform future consolidation works.

The Whitesyke tailings heap is to be reprofiled as part of works to consolidate the Garrigill Burn culvert, and the effect of this on the calaminarian grassland along the eastern edge should also be monitored after a few years.