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TOWNEND COMMON (CZ/ES02) Click here to see preliminary management plan for the site Click here to see species lists for this site
General InformationSK28709760 Ownership Sheffield City
Council. On long term lease to Deepcar Amenities
Association Trust for 99 years from 1974
Size 5.2 hectares
(997m perimeter) Designation(s) Green Belt and
Area of Natural History Interest Access Freely
accessible via Common Lane Classification A2 Importance A very diverse
site containing both wetland habitats and dry heath
areas Date
Surveyed 12-03-00 (and
subsequent visits in June/July 2000) 1. 2.
Survey informationA large site
containing a variety of open habitats such as
grassland, bracken areas, heathland and rush
flushes. The southern part is where quarrying took
place and this extends further west to Alman Well
Hill (south of the golf course) with more acid
grassland, bare rock outcrops, heather and wet bog
areas. History It is difficult
to date when mineral extraction first took place
within the site (and adjacent area of Alman Well
Hill) but the first edition OS Map of 1855 shows
the southern part of the site containing a
sandstone quarry. Kenworthy (1915) mentions the
general area of the site as important for the
production of firebricks for much of the eighteenth
and nineteenth centuries. Gannister was also mined
for local iron and steel industries and was of a
very high quality. The Geological OS Map of 1932
shows a gannister bed to traverse the site in a
northwest south east direction and two abandoned
adits are indicated adjacent to this bed (also
containing shale and coal). Topography From Common
Lane gently north facing but then becomes very
uneven to rise up further south to the quarry area.
Various fingers of flat plateaux extend out in the
centre of the site, possibly indicating areas of
spoil taken out from old adits, a few of which are
still visible as deep furrows into the hillside and
covered in bilberry and heather. Permanent springs
ensure that the site is wet at virtually all times
of the year. Few ponds are present but there are
many wet boggy areas. Water runs into a stream and
ditch running along the northern edge of the site
with Common Lane. Recreation
and Use Has experienced
much motorcycle scrambling in the past but this
occurs only very sporadically. Some off-road
vehicle rallying takes place - possibly up to three
times a year. Present
Management None Previous
studies/surveys A Sorby Natural
History field trip took place on this site in June
1998 resulting in records for a range of
invertebrates and a plant list of 74 species
collected by Bill Smyllie (see Sorby Newsletter for
December 1998). Since this excursion local
naturalists have recorded several species of
Sphagnum for the site. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Main Plant CommunitiesCommunity General
Description Characteristic
Species Community
A Tall
herb Dactylis
glomerata, Arrhenatherium elatius, Agrostis
capillaris, Chamerion angustifolium, Cirsium sp.,
Urtica dioica, Community
B Bracken
stands Pteridium
aquilinum, Deschampsia flexuosa, Rubus fruticosus
agg. Community
C Rough
grassland Dactylis
glomerata, Agrostis capillaris Community
D Heathland Calluna
vulgaris, Vaccinium myrtillus, Deschampsia
flexuosa, Deschampsia caespitosa, Agrostis
capillaris, Community
E Acid
grassland Nardus
stricta, Deschampsia flexuosa, Agrostis capillaris,
Rumex acetosa, Rumex acetosella, Galium saxatile,
Juncus squarrosus Community
F Juncus
flush Juncus
effusus, J. conglomeratus, Juncus bulbosus,
Polytrichum commune, Sphagnum
sp.(including cuspidatum), Eriophorum
angustifolium. Community
G Birch/willow
and other scrub species Betula sp.,
Salix sp., Pteridium aquilinum, Deschampsia
flexuosa Community
H Gorse
scrub Ulex
sp. Community
I Bramble
bushes Rubus
fruticosus agg. 3. 8.
Ecological InterestA very diverse site in spite of large areas dominated by bracken, heather and some bilberry. The bracken appears to be the main competitor of bilberry on this site. Heather areas are mainly on the north facing slopes of the quarry area where some erosion has occurred due to off-road vehicle rallying and motor bike scrambling (see photos 10 and 11). The ruts of the tracks created by off-road vehicles provide wetland areas for frogs and palmate newts to live and breed. Click to see vegetation map Wetland flushes fed from springs that flow the whole year constitute the main interest within the site. These often contain carpets of Sphagnum and Polytrichum mosses. Several species of Sphagnum have already been recorded on the site including S. cuspidatum , S. squarrosum, S. compactum and S recurvum. The richness of wetland areas attracts many characteristic species and a visit on 16 June 2000 recorded a male Broad-bodied chaser (Libellula depressa) as well as many large red damsels mating. Some of the few visible ponds provide habitat for sedges such as Star sedge (recorded from small areas around two ponds) and Common sedge. Heath rush is very abundant along tracks where water flows on the surface and the north of the site contains a large area of rush (Juncus) dominated vegetation. Water from these wet flush areas flow into a ditch running along the northern boundary of the site with Common Lane. The ditch continues along a northwest route forming part of the northern boundary of neighbouring Stocksbridge golf course. To the southwest of site is a more extensive quarry area with extensive heathland and bog on the periphery adjacent with golf course. A visit in June revealed the presence of green tiger beetle, common lizard and crowberry. This large area merits further study. Some scrub encroachment is developing on the extreme east of the site but this is currently not posing a significant threat to the open heath yet. Tall herb areas are dominated by several species of herb and grass. Acid grassland communities provide habitats for butterflies such as small heath. Invertebrate interest for the site is very high with some nationally uncommon and local species present such as the hoverfly Sericomyia lappona.
9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. Botanical Survey - to view lists of species click here
Stocksbridge SRB5 Greenspace Audit undertaken by Jim Flanagan for Sheffield Wildlife Trust - see their Community Action Handbook - full of good ideas for your local site |
Inner Zone Outer Zone Countryside Zone Industrial Zone
I nner Zone Outer Zone Countryside Zone Industrial Zone
I nner Zone Outer Zone Countryside Zone Industrial Zone
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Text and Photographs (unless stated otherwise) © Steel Valley Partnership Stocksbridge, all rights reserved. Terms of use: Any involved in education or training may copy the contents of these web pages, with the proviso that they always make reference to the original copyright. |
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