Bowerchalke Downs

Bowerchalke Downs (grid reference SU004218) (also known as Woodminton, Marleycombe Down and Knowle Down), is a 128.6 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Wiltshire, notified in 1971. The downs encompass the entire southern outlook of the village of Bowerchalke in the Salisbury district of Wiltshire, England, and are adjacent to both the Hampshire and Dorset county boundaries. The Bowerchalke Downs are located within the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and are part of the Southern England Chalk Formation.

Site of Special Scientific Interest

The English Nature citation from 1971 states that -

"This site is an extensive area of floristically rich chalk grassland, a habitat which has become increasingly scarce due to agricultural intensification. It lies along an escarpment of the Middle Chalk overlooking the Ebble Valley in South Wiltshire and has slopes of several aspects. Present on the site are plant and animal species with a nationally restricted distribution."^[1]

"Most of the site comprises species-rich turf in which Sheep's Fescue (Festuca Ovina) and Meadow Oat-grass (Avenula pratensis) are major components whilst Quaking grass (Briza media), Salad Burnet (Sanguisorba minor), Small Scabious (Scabiosa columbaria), and Cowslip (Primula veris) are widespread and frequent."^[1]

"Several species considered indicative of continuous management in the absence of fertilisers, herbicides and ploughing also occur throughout. These include Clustered Bellflower (Campanula glomerata), Frog Orchid (Coeloglossum viride), Chalk Milkwort (Polygala calcarea) and Betony (Stachys officinalis)."^[1]

"There is, however, much variety within the vegetation and several species that are generally scattered in the turf such as Glaucous Sedge (Carex flacca), Spring-Sedge (Carex caryophyllea), Wild Carrot (Daucus carota) and Kidney Vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria) show localised abundance."^[1]

"Over quite extensive areas Dwarf Sedge (Carex humilis) becomes dominant, a species largely restricted to the downs of south west Wiltshire and Dorset. Two other species with a localised national distribution are early Gentian (Gentianella anglica) and Musk Orchid (Herminium monorchis). The latter is found in an area particularly rich in Orchids including Pyramidal Orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalis), Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera), Common Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii), Fragrant Orchid (Gymnadenia conopsea) and Common Twayblade (Neottia ovata)."^[1]

"Where the sward has been more lightly grazed Upright Brome (Bromus erectus), Hairy Oat-grass (Avenula pubescens), Cock's-foot (Dactylis glomerata) and False Oat-grass (Arrhenatherum elatius) become more predominant. Associated with these are herbs such as Yellow Rattle (Rhinanthus minor), Greater Knapweed (Centaurea scabiosa) and Common Knapweed (Centaurea nigra) as well as species common to the whole site like Salad Burnet and Cowslip. In these areas there are also colonies of Meadow Saxifrage (Saxifraga granulata) and small populations of both Greater Butterfly Orchid (Platanthera chlorantha) and Adder's-tongue (Ophioglossum vulgatum)."^[1]

"Scrub is scattered on some slopes, becoming dense in one or two places. There is a diversity of shrub and tree species; Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Wayfaring tree, Gorse, Whitebeam, Hazel and ash."^[1]

"Anthills produced by the Yellow Meadow ant (Lasius flavus) are a feature of several slopes. "The grassland supports a variety of butterfly species including Dingy Skipper, Dark Green Fritillary and Common Blue. The Adonis Blue is also found where its larval food plant, Horseshoe Vetch (Hippocrepis comosa) grows in favourable conditions. In Britain this butterfly is confined to a limited number of chalk and limestone grassland sites in the south."^[1]

"Birds typical of this habitat include Skylark, Corn Bunting, Yellowhammer and Grey Partridge. Both European Green Woodpecker and Great Spotted Woodpecker visit the site to feed and Buzzard and Kestrel hunt the area."^[1]

References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 English Nature citation

Source

English Nature citation sheet for the site (accessed 8 August 2006)

External links

English Nature website (SSSI information)

Biological Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Wiltshire

Acres Farm Meadow River Avon System Baverstock Juniper Bank Bencroft Hill Meadows Bentley Wood Bincknoll Dip Woods Blackmoor Copse Botley Down Bowerchalke Downs Box Mine Bracknell Croft Bradley Woods Bratton Downs Brickworth Down and Dean Hill Brimsdown Hill Britford Water Meadows Burcombe Down Burderop Wood Calstone and Cherhill Downs Camp Down Chilmark Quarries Chickengrove Bottom Chilton Foliat Meadows Clattinger Farm Clearbury Down Cley Hill Cloatley Manor Farm Meadows Clout's Wood Coate Water Cockey Down Colerne Park and Monk's Wood The Coombes, Hinton Parva Cotswold Water Park Cranborne Chase Dank's Down and Truckle Hill Distillery Farm Meadows East Harnham Meadows Ebsbury Down Emmett Hill Meadows Figsbury Ring Fonthill Grottoes Fyfield Down Gallows Hill Goldborough Farm Meadows Great Cheverell Hill Great Yews Gutch Common Ham Hill Hang Wood Harries Ground, Rodbourne Haydon Meadow Heath Hill Farm Homington and Coombe Bissett Downs Honeybrook Farm Inwood, Warleigh Jones's Mill River Kennet Kennet and Lambourn Floodplain King's Play Hill Knapp and Barnett's Downs Knighton Downs and Wood Landford Bog Landford Heath Langley Wood and Homan's Copse Little Grubbins Meadow Long Knoll Loosehanger Copse and Meadows Lower Coombe and Ferne Brook Meadows Lower Woodford Water Meadows Midford Valley Woods Morgan's Hill The New Forest North Meadow, Cricklade Odstock Down Out Woods Parsonage Down Pewsey Downs Picket and Clanger Wood Piggledene Pike Corner Pincombe Down Porton Down Porton Meadows Prescombe Down Rack Hill Ravensroost Wood Restrop Farm and Brockhurst Wood Rotherley Downs Roundway Down and Covert Salisbury Plain Savernake Forest Scratchbury & Cotley Hills Silbury Hill Spye Park Starveall and Stony Down Steeple Langford Down Stockton Wood and Down Stoke Common Meadows Stratford Toney Down Sutton Lane Meadows Throope Down River Till Tytherington Down Upper Waterhay Meadow Upton Cow Down West Yatton Down Whiteparish Common Whitesheet Hill Win Green Down Winklebury Hill Winsley Mines Wylye and Church Dean Downs Yarnbury Castle

Neighbouring areas Avon Berkshire Dorset Gloucestershire Hampshire Oxfordshire Somerset

Coordinates: 50°59′44″N 1°59′44″W / 50.99559°N 1.99567°W / 50.99559; -1.99567

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