About Mountsorrel > Outdoors > Mountsorrel Wildlife Reports
Introduction
Castle Hill
Mountsorrel Marshes
I would like to thank you for allowing me to survey Mountsorrel Marshes and Castle Hill in July last year. I have enclosed a copy of the survey results for your information. Mountsorrel Marshes contain excellent examples of wet grassland, with sedge beds and wet ditches. This habitat is becoming increasingly rare in the Soar Valley, and Mountsorrel Marshes is one of the largest and best
remaining sites. Castle Hill is a very diverse site, with a mosaic of rocky outcrops, neutral/ acidic grassland and scrub developing into woodland. The thin soils around the rocky outcrops support an unusual vegetation community, including
several species which are rare in Leicestershire. I am pleased to inform you that both sites have high ecological value and qualify as Wildlife Sites. Wildlife Sites (also known as Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation) are the most important places for wildlife that are not protected by law. Many of these are irreplaceable and their conservation is crucial to the future of our wildlife. The classification of Wildlife Sites is a new scheme that will replace the old County, District and Parish level ecological sites system in Leicestershire and Rutland. I believe parts of both Mountsorrel Marshes and Castle Hill were designated as District level and Parish level sites under the old system. Wildlife Sites are identified according
to criteria drawn up by a panel of local nature conservation experts. The panel is made up of representatives from Charnwood Wildlife, English Nature, Leicester City Council, Leicestershire County Council's Museums Arts & Records Service and Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust. The main purpose of identifying Wildlife Sites is to provide owners and managers with advice and information. It does not impose any restrictions, beyond those which already exist under the planning system. Further information can be found in the enclosed leaflet, but if you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours sincerely,
Richard Allen (Ecologist)
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Charnwood Wildlife is a joint venture between Charnwood Borough Council and the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust
| Site Name: Castle Hill | Refno:W5814/2 |
| Sub Area: Soar Valley | Parish: Mountsorrel | Surveyed by :R. Allen | Date: 23/07/01 |
| Area: 3.8 ha | Central Grid ref: SK582148 |
| Conservation Status: Candidate SINC | |
| District Level Site (North-eastern Section) | |
| Parish Level Site (South-western Section) | |
A very diverse site with a mosaic of rocky outcrops, neutral / acidic grassland and scrub developing into woodland.
The site is located in the centre of Mountsorrel, between Watling Street and Leicester Road. It consists of two distinct parts, the north-eastern section which includes Castle Hill itself, and the south-western section which contains a series of smaller rocky outcrops. The two sections are divided by an area of flatter land which is crossed by Crown Lane and a network of smaller tracks. Most of the surrounding land is built up, except for the large quarry complex to the west.
The topography of the site is very diverse, including vertical rock faces, very steep vegetated slopes, and areas which are almost flat.
The site is open to the public and crossed by a network of footpaths. It contains the town's war memorial, a beacon, and is a popular local beauty spot, with extensive views over the Soar Valley. Parts of the site are very heavily used, with large amounts of litter, heavily disturbed areas devoid of vegetation, and graffiti on the rocks. Patches of grassland and scrub had also recently been burnt at the time of the survey.
At the time of the survey most of the site was unmanaged, except for the flatter areas to the east of Crown Lane, which had recently been strimmed. The North-eastern section
This area supports a complex mosaic of vegetation types, with a gradual transition from bare rock to short grassland, tall grassland with scattered scrub, and dense scrub.
The grassland is richest on the thin soils around the rocky outcrops. These areas contain a grass sward of common bent, with patches of sheep's fescue and early hair-grass. This contains a range of herb species typical of thin, well-drained, slightly acidic soils including sheep's sorrel, autumn hawkbit, common cat's-ear, ladies bedstraw, harebell, mouse-ear hawkweed, bird's-foot trefoil and tormented. The rocks also support colonies of reflexed stonecrop, a garden escape which has become established at the site. Bryophytes are also locally dominant, including the moss Campylopus introflexus and a species of Polytrichum.
Away from the rocky outcrops the steep slopes support a tall unmanaged grassland community of false oat-grass, cock's-foot, Yorkshire fog and couch, with tall herb species such as rosebay willowherb and stinging nettle. This in turn merges into dense scrub (see below).
The areas of less steep grassland towards Crown Lane are regularly strimmed and support a grassland community of perennial rye-grass and common bent. This is generally herb-poor, containing occasional yarrow, common sorrel, red clover, white clover, ragwort and dandelion.
Large parts of the site, particularly the steep slopes, are covered by dense bramble scrub. This in turn merges into a more established scrub community of hawthorn, elder, dog rose and young ash trees, with occasional garden escapes such as snowberry, buddleia, laburnum and garden privet. In some areas the ash is beginning to form a woodland canopy.
The ground flora under the scrub consists mainly of patches of nettle, goose-grass and ivy, with small amounts of other shade-tolerant species such as cow parsley, wood avens, male fern, foxglove and woody nightshade.
This area consists mainly of unmanaged grassland with scattered bramble scrub, and a large block of mature hawthorn scrub. Rock outcrops are restricted to the southern edge.
This area consists of unmanaged tall grassland dominated by false oat-grass, with patches of bramble scrub, frequent common bent, Yorkshire fog, and occasional couch, meadow foxtail, timothy and perennial rye-grass. This is herb-poor, with only occasional creeping thistle, common sorrel, creeping buttercup, white clover, autumn hawkbit, common cat's-ear, hogweed and ribwort plantain.
The rock outcrops along the southern edge of this area support a similar community to those of Castle Hill itself, with patches of sheep's fescue, squirrel-tail fescue, sheep's sorrel, lady's bedstraw and reflexed stonecrop. Of particular note in this area are small colonies of hoary cinquefoil (approx 8 patches covering an area of 30 cm x 30 cm each) and crow garlic, both of which grow in soil-filled crevices. Hoary cinquefoil is a Leicestershire Red Data Book species, which is known to occur at only 4 other sites in Leicestershire. Both hoary cinquefoil and crow garlic are also listed on the Leicestershire and Rutland Rare Plant Register.
The south-eastern part of this area contains a large stand of mature, 5 m high hawthorn scrub, with frequent young sycamore, and occasional ash, dog rose, holly and elder. The ground flora is dominated by ivy, with patches of nettles and occasional goosegrass, wood avens, cow parsley and hedge woundwort. The ground in this area is very uneven and appears to be heavily used by mountain bikes, which have created large amounts of bare ground.
Several species of butterfly were recorded during the survey, including small tortoiseshell, meadow brown, gatekeeper, brimstone, speckled wood, ringlet and holly blue. Large numbers of grasshoppers were also seen, along with a range of other invertebrates including brown hawker dragonfly, ant hills, bumblebees, harvestmen, wolf spider and garden orb-web spider. Many specimens of common cat's-ear also contained wasp galls.
| Site Name: Mountsorrel Marshes | Rcf no: W 5815/1 |
| Sub Area: Soar Valley | Parish: Mountsorrel |
| Surveyed by: R. Allen | Date: 3/07/01 |
| Area: 5.6 ha | Central Grid ref:SK585152 |
| Conservation Status: Candidate SINC | |
| The southern half of field 3 is a District Level Site | |
| The southern half of field 2 is a Parish Level Site | |
A block of seasonally flooded fields containing wet grassland, grading into sedge-dominated swamp vegetation. The site also includes a network of wet ditches, willow pollards and marginal vegetation bordering the River Soar.
The site is located on the eastern edge of Mountsorrel, being bordered by the River Soar to the North, the A6 embankment to the east, a recreation ground to the south and housing to the west. The whole site is flat and low-lying, being regularly flooded by the River Soar during the winter months. The site is grazed by cattle during the summer (6 cattle and 4 calves present at time of survey) and is divided into 3 fields by fenced wet ditches. Each field is further divided by an unfenced wet ditch, which is easily crossed by cattle.
Field I is the driest of the three and contains a herb-poor grass sward of abundant creeping bent with frequent meadow foxtail and rough-stalked meadow-grass. Other grass species, which occur occasionally, include tufted hair-grass, Yorkshire fog, timothy, perennial rye- grass and meadow fescue.
The only herb species which occurs in any great quantity is creeping buttercup, with other species associated high fertility levels occurring occasionally, such as white clover,< dandelion, creeping thistle and common mouse-ear. Meadow vetchling and meadowsweet (both of which are indicators of unimproved grassland) occur only rarely.
On the eastern boundary of this field (bordering the boundary ditch) a small sedge bed is present, dominated by greater pond sedge.
Field 2 is slightly wetter than field I, containing several sedge beds, dominated by greater pond sedge, slender tufted sedge or a mixture of the two.
The grassland surrounding the sedge beds is also wetter and richer than field I. While creeping bent and creeping buttercup are still the most abundant species, large patches of wetland grasses such as tufted hair-grass and reed canary-grass are also present, along with frequent common spike rush and occasional reed sweet-grass, floating sweet-grass, marsh foxtail, hairy sedge, soft rush, hard rush, meadow vetchling and redshank.
Field 3 is very wet throughout and consists of a complex mosaic of sedge beds, stands of tall wetland grasses, and areas of shorter grassland. This includes large areas dominated by a single species, including dense stands of greater pond sedge, slender tussock sedge, reed sweet-grass, reed canary-grass and tufted hair-grass. Other species of grasses, sedges and rushes occur occasionally or in small patches, including meadow foxtail, floating sweet-grass, marsh foxtail, soft rush, hard rush, jointed rush and common spike-rush. Amongst the grasses, sedges and rushes are a range of herb species typical of wet conditions, including occasional meadowsweet, marsh marigold, redshank, ragged robin and marsh bedstraw. Of particular note is tubular water dropwort, which occurs occasionally throughout the field and forms a large patch in the south-western comer. This species is listed in the Leicestershire and Rutland Rare Plant Register, and is mainly restricted to the Soar Valley.
The wet ditches support a rich wetland community, dominated by tall wetland grasses such as reed sweet-grass and reed canary-grass, with patches of greater pond sedge. The ditch banks contain many of the herb species found in the adjacent fields, such as meadowsweet, marsh bedstraw, and redshank. The wetter conditions in the ditches also provide a habitat for several aquatic species which are absent from the fields. These include water forget-me-not, celery-leaved buttercup, pink water-speedwell, fool's water-cress, gipsywort, water mint and common water-starwort. Ditch 3 (between fields I and 2) has recently been planted with a row of 2 m high crack willow stakes, which will eventually be managed as pollards. A mature willow pollard is also present.
The River Soar, which forms the northern boundary of the site is heavily used by pleasure boats. The river bank is partly grazed by cattle and partly fenced. The marginal vegetation consists of abundant reed sweet-grass, with large patches of sweet flag and reed canary-grass. Other species occur only occasionally and include arrowhead, common club-rush, gipsywort, yellow water lily and water dock.
Large numbers of butterflies and dragonflies were seen during the survey, including meadow brown, red admiral, large skipper, brown hawker and banded demoiselle. Grasshoppers, craneflies, wolf spiders and frogs were also seen.