Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
Area of Search | Cumbria |
---|---|
Grid reference | NY655097 |
Coordinates | 54°28′39″N2°32′46″W / 54.4774°N 2.546°W Coordinates: 54°28′39″N2°32′46″W / 54.4774°N 2.546°W |
Interest | Biological/Geological |
Area | 1.35 square miles (350.2605 ha) |
Notification | 29 May 1986 |
Location map | Magic Map (Defra) |
Natural England website |
Great Asby Scar is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and National Nature Reserve in Cumbria, UK. It is an area of limestone pavement, south of the village of Great Asby.
A "scar" is the local name for a limestone pavement—an area of limestone rock which has been eroded by an overlying ice sheet during the Last Glacial Maximum and then fissured by rain to form a flat rocky pattern which resembles man-made pavement. [1] Many limestone pavements in the UK have been exploited by quarrying but this example is comparatively extensive and unspoilt. [1] [2]
The overall area of pavement covers about 15 square miles (39 km2) and is called the Westmorland Scars. Great Asby Scar is in the centre of this region. Other scars include Orton Scar, Grange Scar, and Little Asby Scar. [3]
It is in the Orton Fells in the district of Eden, near the village of Great Asby. Great Asby Scar was first designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1969 and the designation covers an area of about 864 acres (350 ha). It was also designated as a National Nature Reserve in 1976 and that designation covers an area of about 409.5 acres (165.7 ha). [4]
A walled settlement was constructed on a small plateau, covering an area of about 1.25 acres. This is known as Castle Folds and, as it dates back to Roman times, is protected as a scheduled monument. [4]
The region has been described as a matrix of both acidic and alkaline grassland, dominated by blue moor-grass and matgrass. Various other species have been known to exist in this region, including rare species of buckler ferns and limestone ferns. [4] As the area is quite exposed, the vegetation tends to grow in the crevices between the limestone blocks which are known as grykes. Notable species include autumn gentian, helleborines and Solomon's Seal. [3]
The area is quite bleak and barren. The most notable creature is a rare snail, Vitrea subrimata . [4]
National nature reserves in England were established by English Nature, now Natural England, which manages them either directly or through non-governmental organisations such as the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds or the National Trust.
An alvar is a biological environment based on a limestone plain with thin or no soil and, as a result, sparse grassland vegetation. Often flooded in the spring, and affected by drought in midsummer, alvar support a distinctive group of prairie-like plants. Most alvars occur either in northern Europe or around the Great Lakes in North America. This stressed habitat supports a community of rare plants and animals, including species more commonly found on prairie grasslands. Lichen and mosses are common species. Trees and bushes are absent or severely stunted.
Ingleborough is the second-highest mountain in the Yorkshire Dales, England. It is one of the Yorkshire Three Peaks, and is frequently climbed as part of the Three Peaks walk.
Whitbarrow is a hill in Cumbria, England. Designated a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest and national nature reserve, it forms part of the Morecambe Bay Pavements Special Area of Conservation due to its supporting some of the best European examples of natural limestone habitats. Also known as Whitbarrow Scar, the hill lies about 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) south-west of Kendal, just north of the A590 road, close to the village of Witherslack. Part of the site is a local nature reserve called Whitbarrow Scar.
Hutton Roof Crags is a hill in south-eastern Cumbria in north-west England, located near to the village of Hutton Roof. It has extensive areas of limestone pavement as well as grassland and woodland. The hill forms the Hutton Roof Crags Site of Special Scientific Interest and is part of the Morecambe Bay Pavements Special Area of Conservation. A significant proportion of the UK's 20 km2 (7.7 sq mi) of limestone pavement is to be found on Hutton Roof Crags and the neighbouring Farleton Knott.
Orton is a village and civil parish in Cumbria, England. It lies 15 miles (24 km) south of Penrith, 8 miles (13 km) from Appleby-in-Westmorland and 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from the M6 motorway. It is in the upper Lune Valley, set at the foot of Orton Scar in the Orton Fells. The Lake District is nearby. A few miles from Orton Scar is the Eden valley. Historically in the county of Westmorland, the parish is now in the Eden district of Cumbria.
The Cheddar Complex is a 441.3 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest near Cheddar around the Cheddar Gorge and north east to Charterhouse in the Mendip Hills, Somerset, England, notified in 1952.
Wildcat Mountain State Park is a state park of Wisconsin, United States, on the Kickapoo River in the Driftless Area. Sandstone bluffs topped with limestone, two of which are Wildcat Mountain and Mount Pisgah, provide views over the narrow valley of the river and its tributaries. The Kickapoo Valley Reserve is immediately adjacent and forms a continuous protected area. Wildcat Mountain State Park is open for year-round recreation including hiking, canoeing, fishing, and cross-country skiing. The 3,643-acre (1,474 ha) park is located in Vernon County near the town of Ontario, Wisconsin.
Corrie Fee is a glacier-carved corrie situated at the head of Glen Clova in the Angus Glens of Scotland. It forms part of Corrie Fee National Nature Reserve (NNR), which is managed by NatureScot and lies within the Cairngorms National Park. The adjoining Corrie Sharroch and the slopes of Craig Rennet are also included in the NNR.
Torsburgen, Tors borg or þors borg are the remains of an ancient hillfort in Kräklingbo on the Swedish island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea. The fort is approximately 1.2 km2 (0.46 sq mi), was constructed in the 1st-4th century and in use until the 12th century. Situated on a plateau hill it is protected by high cliffs and wall sections, almost 2 km (1.2 mi) long in total. The fort is featured in the Gutasaga. The plateau is also a nature reserve.
Little Asby is a small village in Cumbria, England. Historically part of Westmorland, its name is said to be derived from the Norse words askr, meaning "ash", and by, meaning "farm". A chapel at the site, of which little remains, is the main reason that the village was built.
Great Asby is a village in Cumbria, England. Historically part of Westmorland, it is located approximately 15 miles (24 km) south east of Penrith and approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) south of Appleby-in-Westmorland. Its name is said to be derived from the Old Norse: askr, meaning ash and by, meaning farm.
Stenders Quarry is a 2.8-hectare (6.9-acre) biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in the Forest of Dean Gloucestershire, England, notified in 1966 and renotified in 1990. The site is designated as an SSSI for its important geological features, although there is also a diversity of plants and animals recorded.
Lower Wye Gorge is a 65-hectare (160-acre) biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, notified in 1954 and renotified 1987. The site includes two Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust nature reserves being Ban-y-gor Wood and Lancaut. The Natural England citation states a revision for Lancaut inclusion.
Shorn Cliff And Caswell Woods is a 69.2-hectare (171-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, notified in 1986. The site is listed in the 'Forest of Dean Local Plan Review' as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS).
East Wood and is a 0.82-hectare (2.0-acre) nature reserve in Gloucestershire, England. The west site is 0.45-hectare (1.1-acre). The east site is 0.37-hectare (0.91-acre). It is part of a larger area of woodland called East Wood, which is adjacent to Oakhill Wood and Woolaston Wood (east). The site was leased from the Forestry Commission in 1986 and is managed by the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust. The site is listed in the 'Forest of Dean Local Plan Review' as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS).
Teiči Nature Reserve is a nature reserve situated in eastern Latvia, spread across Madona, Varakļāni and Krustpils municipalities.
The Orton Fells is an upland area in Northern England, mostly consisting of limestone hills, plateaus and moorlands. Historically in Westmorland, the area lies within the modern county of Cumbria and is bounded by the Lake District to the west, the Eden Valley to the north and east, and the Yorkshire Dales and Howgill Fells to the south. The area mostly falls within the boundaries of the Yorkshire Dales National Park while a small part of the western fells is in the Lake District National Park. The fells are one of 159 National Character Areas defined by Natural England.
Castle Folds or Castlesteads was a Romano-British walled settlement on Great Asby Scar – an area of limestone pavement in the parish of Asby, Cumbria, England. In medieval times, it was used as a shieling – a temporary summer shelter. It is now in ruins but is protected as a scheduled monument.