People, Ponds and Water Flagship Sites Flagship Ponds are the very best pond sites in England, Wales and Scotland; identified because they support populations of the some of the UKs rarest species and because they represent some of the least impacted most diverse pond habitats remaining in the country. Flagship Ponds are of particular value because they support these uncommon plants and animals (NERC S41 and S42 species), very rich assemblages of plants and creatures and/or are important pond types. They can be individual pond sites or a pond complex. The current list of 128 Flagship Sites has been compiled in two stages: The first cohort were chosen and agreed within the Habitat Action Plan in 2008. The project since then has aimed to work directly with these HAP Flagship sites to ensure that they are monitored and their quality is maintained. This will ensure that the sites do not degrade. It will also provide more information about the threats to high-quality sites and effective means of mitigation, which can be applied more generally. The second cohort were chosen to be targeted within the People, Ponds and Water (PPW) project, selected in 2014. This PPW Flagship Ponds project aims to help land managers and local people protect the very special species present on these sites. Where needed, the project provides links to experts, training, support and financial assistance so groups can monitor and manage their own local pond heritage for the long-term. People, Ponds and Water Flagship Sites Location Reason Pond type Grid reference ENGLAND Buckinghamshire Black Park Starfruit. Heathland pond TQ011843 Gallows Bridge Priority species True Fox Sedge and Tubular Grassland ponds SP669198 Farm Water-dropwort. Potential site for introduction of Tassel Stonework, and Haliplus furcatus (critically endangered water beetle). Stoke Common Starfruit. Lowland heath SU986853 ponds Cambridgeshire Castor Hanglands Exceptionally species rich site, high pond quality, Grass heath pond TF119016 priority species including Tubular Water-dropwort. in NNR Orton Pits, Great Crested Newt, Clay pits SU845967 Hampton Reserve BAP stoneworts. Stow-cum-Quy Fen Red Data Book water plants including Fen Coprolite pits TL514627 Pondweed. Cheshire Bradley Green Priority species Tubular Water-dropwort and Grass heath ponds SJ543840 Common Wildlife & Countryside Act Sch 5 Lesser Silver Water Beetle. Great Crested Newts present. Sound Common Water plants, Mud Snail; WFD waterbody. Wooded heathland SJ624482 pond Thornton / Gowy The site supports a population of Priority species Grassland ponds SJ435740 Meadows Mud Snail and a wide range of old wetland species. The Wildlife & Countryside Act Sch. 5 Lesser Silver Water Beetle has also occurred on the site. Cornwall Breney Common Mud Snail. Heathland pond SX056611 Grochall This site is part of the Lizard hotspot for Serpentine ponds SW695145 endangered seasonal pond plants including the following Priority species: Three-lobed Crowfoot, Pygmy Rush, Yellow Centaury and Pillwort all of which have national strongholds in this area. There are also other sensitive water plants such as Strawberry Stonewort. Penhale Sands Dune slack pools support the Priority species Dune slack pools SW770570 Petalwort, and Flat Sedge, and also Shore Dock which is only found on the coast in south-west England. Predannack This site is part of the Lizard hotspot for Serpentine ponds SW682147 endangered seasonal pool freshwater associated plants including the Priority species Lizard Crystalwort, the Lizard being the only area where this species occurs with Predannack recently (2014) being found to support the largest population. The site also supports Priority species Three-lobed Crowfoot, Yellow Centuary, Pygmy Rush and Pillwort. It also supports pollution sensitive Strawberry Stonewort, Lesser Water- plantain and Shoreweed. Redmoor Mud snail. Moorland pond SX072623 People, Ponds and Water Flagship Sites Windmill Farm Uncommon plants and invertebrates of temporary Serpentine ponds SW696158 ponds including Three-lobed Crowfoot. Cumbria Barkbooth Lot The site supports a population of Medicinal Leech Moorland ponds which is a Wildlife and Countryside Act, Sch.5 and tarns species. The south Lake District is one of three main population centres for this species in the UK. The site also supports Great Crested Newts. Bowness on The site supports one of the most northerly Coastal Heathland NY206616 Solway populations in England of the Priority species Mud ponds Snail The site also supports nationally uncommon water beetles, Common Toad and Great Crested Newt. Tadnoll Pilwort, Ron's diving beetle. Heathland SY795874 Dorset Creech Heath Priority species Pillwort, Coral-necklace and Heathland ponds SY924838 Pondweed Leafhopper (one of only 5 UK sites) and the Wildlife & Countryside Act Sch.5 Medicinal Leech. Uncommon acid water plants and animals including Marsh Gentian, Brown Beak-sedge, Black Bog-rush, Oblong-leaved Sundew, Pale Butterwort, Bog Orchid, Small Red Damselfly and Southern Damselfly. Essex Epping Forest Crucian carp, high pond quality. Woodland ponds TQ414966 Hampshire Bramshill Forest Pillwort. Acid woodland and SU752624 heathland ponds Crockford Bottom, BAP invertebrates and plants. Heathland pond SZ350990 New Forest Godshill, New BAP invertebrates. Heathland pond Grid reference Forest omitted South Weirs, New Tadpole Shrimp (at one of less than 10 sites in the Heathland pond SU287015 Forest UK) and Fairy Shrimp. It also has previous records of the Priority species Small Fleabane. Pillwort, the Wildlife Countryside Act Sch.5 Heathland pond SU199021 Standing Hat, New Medicinal Leech and Great Crested Newt. It also created by marl Forest has a rich assemblage of nationally uncommon digging water plants and water beetles. Isle of Wight Bouldnor Forest This site supports important populations of Woodand ponds SZ379901 woodland bats which make use of the forest ponds, including Bechsteins bat which has a UK stronghold in the Isle of Wight. The site also has post-2000 records for Priority species Pillwort, although the species has not been seen recently. Gloucestershire Inglestone Tassel Stonewort, Adder’s-tongue Spearwort. Grassland ponds ST759881 Common People, Ponds and Water Flagship Sites Kent Hothfield common Ponds on Hothfield Common have supported Heathland ponds TQ968458 populations of the Priority species Three-lobed Crowfoot and a range of freshwater plant and animal species dependent on unpolluted acid waters. The site is one of very few acid water sites in Kent. Orlestone Forest Invertebrates. Woodland ponds TQ988347 ponds Lancashire Blackpool Pond Ponds in this area support an isolated population of Range of sites SD327394 Trail the Priority species Tubular Water-dropwort. Lincolnshire Willow Tree Fen Likely to be colonised by Greater Water Parsnip, Fen and grassland TF181213 Marsh Stitchwort, Tubular Water-dropwort pools nationally uncommon water plants and national uncommon freshwater invertebrates, especially water beetles. There are records from 2000 of Priority species Grass-wrack Pondweed. Norfolk Catfield Fen The site is exceptionally rich in freshwater and Turf ponds TG368213 wetland species including the Priority species Fen orchid, with probably the second largest colony in the UK, Tubular Water-dropwort, Greater Water parsnip, Marsh Stitchwort, Norfolk Hawker dragonfly, Shining Ram’s-horn snail and Lesser Water Measurer. The site also has a very large number of Red Data Book and nationally uncommon aquatic plants and animals. Frost Common, The site supports a complex of pingos which are Pingos TL936932 Great Hockham being restored from forestry. The site supports Priority species Marsh Stitchwort, a rich assemblage of water beetles including many Red Data Book species and the uncommon Scarce Emerald Damselfly, a temporary pond specialist. The site also supports Great Crested Newts. Sculthorpe Moor The site supports a recently discovered population Fenland temporary TF904303 of Priority species Tassel stonewort, one of only pools four known sites in East Anglia. The site also supports the Priority species Marsh Stitchwort and a range of uncommon wetland and aquatic plants. Spring Covert, The site supports a set of pingos which are Pingos TL790962 Didlington currently shaded by a forestry plantation. There is little information about the site but it is likely that, like other pingo complexes on the fringes of Breckland, the site will be of exceptional freshwater biodiversity importance. Stow Bedon The site is contiguous with Thompson Common and Pingos TL939958 is part of the west Breckland pingo cluster. It is a site of exceptional freshwater biodiversity importance with a very rich water beetle community and pollution sensitive water plants such as Water- violet. People, Ponds and Water Flagship Sites Sutton Fen Has one of the largest concentrations of Priority and Fenland pools and TG366232 endangered freshwater species of any site in the turf ponds UK including the Priority species Shining Ram’s- horn, Greater Water Parsnip, Marsh Stitchwort and Tubular Water-dropwort and a wide range of nationally uncommon invertebrates and water plants. Oxfordshire Cock Marsh and The two sites which are about 750 m apart supports Fen ponds and SU459997 Dry Sandford Pit the Priority species Tubular Water-dropwort and pools Great Crested Newt, a wide range of nationally uncommon pollution intolerant water plants, including Fen Pondweed and Bristly Stonewort, and nationally uncommon aquatic invertebrates. Fowls Pill and New Rich