Ellenborough Park, Weston-super-mare
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| Ellenborough Park | |
|---|---|
| Area of Search | Avon |
| Grid Reference | ST319608 |
| Interest | Biological |
| Area | 1.8 hectare |
| Notification | 1989 |
| Location Map | English Nature |
Ellenborough Park (grid reference ST319608) is a park situated in the centre of Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset, England.
The western part of the park, an area of 1.8 hectares, is of significant biodiversity interest, due to its plant communities, and was notified as a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1989.
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[edit] Site description
The park is situated just inland from Weston-super-Mare beach, on a site which was formerly part of a sand dune system of the Bristol Channel. The soil here is calcareous and sandy, and the short-turf grassland which is supports is believed to be remnant dune grassland from this dune system, which was enclosed in the 19th century.
[edit] Vegetation
The species composition of this grassland includes the following grasses: Sand Cat's-tail Phleum arenarium, Red Fescue Festuca rubra, Sea Fern-grass Desmazeria marina and Cock's-foot Dactylis glomerata. Herb species present include Sea Stork's-bill Erodium maritimum, Buck's-horn Plantain Plantago coronopus, Rough Clover Trifolium scabrum, all of which are indicative of a maritime influence, plus Wild Clary Salvia verbenaca, Smooth Hawk's-beard Crepis capillaris and Pink-sorrel Oxalis articulata.
[edit] Rare plants
Ellenborough Park supports two Red Data Book plants, Branched Horsetail Equisetum ramosissimum and Smooth Rupturewort Herniaria glabra. Branched Horsetail is only found in one other locality in Great Britain, in Lincolnshire. Smooth Rupturewort is found in eight other localities in Britain, all in East Anglia.
[edit] Source
