Hatherleigh Parish Biodiversity Audit
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Parish Biodiversity Audit for Hatherleigh Produced by Emma Magill and Caroline Jones (Devon Biodiversity Records Centre) for Devon Wildlife Trust and the North Devon Nature Improvement Area Project Partnership. February 2013 0 Contents o Introduction 2 o Designated sites 4 o Other habitats (identified from field survey and/or aerial photograph interpretation) 8 o Important species 24 o Biodiversity links 32 o Some ideas for local action 35 1 Introduction A map of the key wildlife features and land use of the parish is shown in Appendix 1. Hatherleigh is a large parish of 2,889 ha located approximately 20km east of Holsworthy, 10km north of Okehampton and 15km south of Great Torrington. The river Torridge forms the northern boundary of the parish and this joins to the river Okement, which follows some of the eastern edge of the parish. The river Lew flows southwards through the parish from the river Torridge, and passes the western edge of the town. Several other tributaries pass through the parish including the Beckamoor Brook, the Merryland Stream, the Hatherleigh Moor Brook, the Pulworthy Brook and the Medland Brook. The dominant land use of the parish is gently undulating agriculturally improved and poor semi-improved grassland, grazed by sheep and cattle. Some of the grassland is cut for hay or silage. Some of the lower lying areas are wet with a cover of rushes and could be quite wildlife-rich. There are several small areas of coniferous plantation within the parish. The largest areas are Lewer Bottom Wood in the north-west of the parish, Furzeham Wood and Postdown Plantation in the south, and South Luggaton Wood in the east of the parish. These areas only account for approximately 50ha of land. There are also areas of mixed plantation woodland as well as wet woodland and broadleaved woodland (approximately 300ha). Some of these are listed in the Ancient Woodland Inventory and may contain lowland mixed deciduous woodland . The most significant of these areas are Bremridge Wood along the northern boundary of the parish, Smale Folly Wood to the east of Hatherleigh Moor and Great Velliford Copse just north of Smale Folly Wood. Many of the areas of woodland are 2ha or less in size. Hatherleigh Moor occupies a large propotion of the parish (approximately 165ha) and is a large expanse of sheep-grazed semi-improved acidic grassland, with some areas that are possibly more unimproved. The moor is common land and several public footpaths cross it. The moor was said to have been given to the parish in the fourteenth centuary for grazing and to gather gorse for fuel. The Lower Moor is designated as a County Wildlife Site as it contains Culm grassland as well as a mosaic of other habitats including scrub, semi-improved grassland and unimproved neutral grassland . There are two Sites of Special Scientific Interest and five County Wildlife Sites within the parish. These sites support habitats including Culm grassland , unimproved neutral grassland ( flower-rich meadows and pastures ), broadleaved woodland and wet woodland . Uncommon species such as the marsh fritillary butterfly, the curlew and the barn owl have been recorded from some of these sites. 2 Other biodiversity features within the parish include some fantastic road verges. These contain a diverse range of flora and support fragments of declining habitats such as Culm grassland , tall herb fen, unimproved neutral grassland and woodland flora. There are many species-rich hedges within the parish as well as some interesting old hedgebanks with a diverse bank flora. Throughout the parish there are some nice mature oaks in hedgerows. Many veteran in field trees are present on either side of the A386 north of the abbatoir, as well as south of Fishleigh House. These areas are visible on aerial photographs and may form probable parkland and wood-pasture habitat. The dismantled railway running through the parish is an important wildlife corridor, containing semi-natural broadleaved woodland with lots of ferns and an attractive woodland flora. Hatherleigh is an ancient market town nestled in the hills with views over Dartmoor National Park. The town has a lot of history and many features of interest including Hatherleigh Moor, the obelisk monument, the Belvedere, Hatherleigh Market and the famous sheep sculpture. The town contains lots of old buildings constructed with cob and thatch and these may provide habitat for swallows, swifts and house martins. Hatherleigh parish has a large number of public footpaths which allow people from the village of Hatherleigh access to the countryside, including Hatherleigh Moor. The Tarka Trail walking trail runs through parish. Hatherleigh Parish falls within the North Devon Biosphere Reserve. Biosphere Reserves are places with world-class environments that are designated by the United Nations to promote and demonstrate a balanced relationship between people and nature. They are places where conservation and sustainable development go hand in hand. http://www.northdevonbiosphere.org.uk/welcome-to-a-very-special-place/ . Most of the information used to create this report and land use map was secured from aerial photograph interpretation together with historical data collected with access permission. Occasionally vantage points within the parish would be used to help to map habitats and establish land use. The fact that potential and confirmed wildlife-rich land is mapped does not imply any right of access and does not change any existing rights or use of the land. Key species and habitats listed in the Devon and North Devon Biosphere Reserve Biodiversity Action Plans are indicated in bold italic text throughout the report. 3 Designated Sites There are seven designated sites within Hatherleigh Parish – five County Wildlife Sites (CWS) and two Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). These sites support habitats including Culm grassland , unimproved neutral grassland ( flower-rich meadows and pastures ), broadleaved woodland and wet woodland . These sites cover 77ha which is just nearly 3% of the total area of the parish. Site Name Grid Area Habitat Description BAP habitat Status Date of reference (ha) survey Southmoor SS564003 28.3 Herb-rich culm Rhôs pasture & SSSI 1986 Farm* grassland, with flower-rich (2010 marshland, scrub & meadows & NE) woodland. pastures – Devon Traditionally BAP, Culm managed for hay; grassland & butterfly site. enclosed farmland - ND Biosphere BAP Hannaborough SS529029 0.7 An important N/a SSSI 2009 Quarry exposure of (NE) lamprophyric lava belonging to the poorly-exposed Exeter volcanic series. Hatherleigh SS550037 5.2 Mostly culm Rhôs pasture & CWS 1991 & Moor grassland with some flower-rich 2010 woodland, meadows & unimproved pastures – Devon grassland, semi- BAP, Culm improved grassland grassland & and a small pond enclosed farmland - ND Biosphere BAP Hannaborough SS523027 6.5 Culm grassland with Rhôs pasture – CWS 1990 Moor scrub Devon BAP, Culm grassland - ND Biosphere BAP Lock's Park SS518019 24.6 Culm grassland, Rhôs pasture – CWS c1990 Farm* scrub & Sanguisorba Devon BAP, Culm officionalis grassland - ND Biosphere BAP Waterhouse SS542013 4.9 Culm grassland (M23 Rhôs pasture & CWS 1991 & & M25) site with wet alder/willow wet 2011 woodland (W7 & woodland – Devon W1). Marsh fritillary BAP, Culm recorded here grassland & broadleaved woodland - ND Biosphere BAP Mount SS564046 7.2 Culm grassland Rhôs pasture – CWS 1991 Pleasant Devon BAP, Culm grassland - ND Biosphere BAP * Part in Hatherleigh and part in adjacent parish. 4 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI): these are notified by Natural England because of their plants, animals or geological features (the latter are geological SSSIs or gSSSI). Natural England needs to be consulted before any operations likely to damage the special interest are undertaken. SSSI is a statutory designation with legal implications. County Wildlife Sites (CWS): these are sites of county importance for wildlife, designated on the basis of the habitat or the known presence of particular species. This is not a statutory designation like SSSIs, and does not have any legal status. The National Planning Policy framework requires local authorities to identify and map locally designated sites of biodiversity importance (such as County Wildlife Sites) as part of the Local Plan process and to draw up criteria based policies against which proposals for development affecting them will be judged. CWS recognition does not demand any particular actions on the part of the Landowner and does not give the public rights of access. However, it may increase eligibility for land management grants. Wet woodland is a UK and Devon Biodiversity Action Plan habitat. Wet woodland occurs on poorly drained or seasonally wet soils, usually with alder, birch and willows as the predominant tree species, but sometimes including ash, oak, pine and beech on the drier riparian areas. It is found on floodplains, as successional habitat on fens, mires and bogs, along streams and hillside flushes, and in peaty hollows. These woodlands occur on a range of soil types including nutrient-rich mineral and acid, nutrient-poor organic ones. Wet woodland supports a rich lichen flora as well as a rich invertebrate flora. Such an abundance of insect food attracts a rich assemblage of breeding birds including the uncommon willow tit. Wet woodland may also provide lying up areas for otters and suitable habitat for dormice . Wet woodland 5 Flower-rich meadows and pastures (or unimproved grasslands) are a habitat of conservation concern in Devon and are listed on the Devon and UK Biodiversity Action Plan . Unimproved neutral grassland habitat has undergone a huge decline in the 20th century, almost entirely due to changing agricultural practice. It is estimated that by 1984 in lowland England and Wales, semi-natural grassland had declined by 97% over the previous 50 years to approximately 0.2 million ha. Unimproved grassland is often very flower-rich and as a result of this attracts an abundance of butterflies and other invertebrates.