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South Tyneside Local Wildlife Site
Field Record and Assessment Form
Part A – Landowner details
Note of use and storage of landowner information
The information about the site owners/tenants will be used to:
1. Ensure correct permission has been granted to survey sites.
2. Consult landowners/tenants of sites which are proposed to be designated as
Local Wildlife Sites.
3. Gain permission for site monitoring visits.
4. Other consultation directly related to the Designation as a Local Wildlife Site.
The information about the site owner will be kept confidentially by Gateshead Council and
Durham Wildlife Trust on behalf of the Local Wildlife Sites Partnership
Site Name Undercliffe Pond
Site Number ST 11
Landowner/occupier
(please specify)
contact details:
Owner
Craig Fitzakerly
Fitz Architects
The Place,
Athenaeum St,
Sunderland,
Tyne and Wear
SR1 1QX
0191 563 7025
South Tyneside Local Wildlife Site
Field Record and Assessment Form
Part B – Site Survey
Site Name: Undercliffe Pond Site Number: ST11 Location (nearest
place & grid ref):
Cleadon
NZ389622
Surveyed By
(name/s & date):
John Durkin July 2015
Total Area of Site: 0.6 ha
Present
Designation
Status (date):
LWS
Other
Designations:
None
Previous Site
Numbers:
Previous Surveys
(Surveyors names
& dates):
March 2013 Phase 1 Survey, EcoNorth.
Guidelines (and
version) used for
Survey:
Reasons for Designation National and Local BAP Habitats Present:
Pond
Woodland
Grassland
Wall
Species: (If the sites primary designation is based on qualifying species, refer to
section 2.4 and Appendix 2 of the criteria, please list the species, verified records and
confirmation of suitable habitat.) N/a
Site Synopsis: (Brief and non technical summary of the site and its qualifying
features).
The site consists of a large pond surrounded by plantation woodland. There
are adjacent areas of grassland. The site is bounded on two sides by a 2 metre
magnesian limestone wall.
Site Description: (A full description of the site giving details of the habitats on
site, species composition of each qualifying habitat, on-site fauna and other
important features of the site. This should include GPS grid references for
notable flora and fauna species).
Grassland 0.16 hectares
The grassland areas had been overgrazed and heavily poached by horses at
the time of the 2013 Phase One Survey, to the extent that most of the ground
was bare mud. Grazing animals had been removed prior to the present survey
and strong regeneration from rootstock enabled the composition to be
determined.
The grassland appears to have been semi-improved with a Ryegrass and White
clover mix, including small numbers of Selfheal, Ribwort Plantain, Greater
Plantain, and small amounts of Timothy and Meadow Foxtail grasses. With
excessive grazing and then none, many weed species have appeared,
including Stinging Nettles, thistles, docks and coarse grasses such as Cocks
Foot and Creeping Bent.
Two large Horse Chestnuts on the edge of the grassland are notable trees. One
(Target note 4) is a good specimen, while the other has major damage creating
very good bat roost potential.
Ringlet, Meadow Brown and Large White butterflies were present at the time of
survey. Tortoiseshell caterpillars were present on the Stinging Nettles.
The Wall 155 metres
The roadside boundary and the east boundary are walls of magnesian
limestone, two metres high and in good condition. The walls have a meagre
selection of lichens and bryophytes, with sections dominated by Ivy with a
small selection of higher plant species. Notable are the ferns Black Spleenwort
and Polypody, both rare in South Tyneside, and the more common Hart’s
Tongue.
Some of the limestone blocks are fossiliferous, others show “cannonball”
limestone formations.
The Pond 0.12 hectares
This is a large pond for South Tyneside, originally a Victorian ornamental pond
with open grassy banks, clumps of willows and some “structural” ornamental
plants such as Pendulous and Tussock Sedges, and probably with ferns such
as Royal Fern and Lady Fern varieties.
In 2015, the pond is very neglected, silted and overgrown with Crack Willows
which excessively shade the water. The original inlet is no longer discernible
and the outlet is no longer functional. In addition, for some years, sewage has
been flowing into the east end of the pond.
There is no submerged vegetation.
Emergent plants are restricted to several large clumps of Yellow Flag with
occasional Brooklime, Water Plantain and Bittersweet. There is one plant of
Pendulous Sedge and one a single large Tussock Sedge, overgrown with other
species, which is probably part of the original planting.
Common Duckweed occurs sparsely as the only floating aquatic species.
A pair of Mallard and a pair of Moorhens with well-grown young were present
at the time of survey.
No fish or amphibians were found.
Invertebrates are present but sparse, mainly pollution-tolerant species.
A ditch with a defunct sluice gate goes to a pipe under the wall and
presumably under the road to a ditch on the south side of the road.
Woodland 0.34 hectares
The woodland area is treated here in two sections, the damp and more species-
rich “Pond Woodland”, and the drier and Ivy-dominated “East Woodland”.
There is a separate survey report on the nature and condition of each tree.
The Pond Woodland 0.31 hectares
The woodland around the pond is plantation woodland dominated by
Sycamore on the drier ground and Crack Willow closer to the water. There are
also Common Lime and Ash trees. A distinctive feature of the Undercliffe
woodland is the large amount of standing and fallen dead timber, important for
some bird species, bats, fungi and invertebrates. This is a unique feature for
South Tyneside.
The shrub layer is sparse, with several Laburnums and one Yellow Azalea.
The ground flora has mostly been damaged by the earlier excessive grazing of
horses, but a number of species are recovering and the ground flora is in a
better condition than the sward in the fields. Red Campion, Feverfew, Hairy
Willowherb, Brooklime, Wood Avens and Bluebell are present. Solomon’s Seal
and Giant Bellflower are probably relics of the original planting. Other, spring-
flowering species, not visible at the time of survey in July, will also be present.
In the south-east corner of the wood a large mammal burrow was present.
The woodland is crossed by the pond outlet ditch.
The East Woodland 0.03 hectares
The woodland strip along the eastern side of the site is a fairly even-aged
plantation of mainly Sycamore with some Ash and Beech. Like the “Pond
Woodland”, standing and fallen dead timber is frequent here.
The shrub layer is sparse and mainly of Elder.
The ground flora layer is dominated by Ivy, which also covers some of the
trees. There are small numbers of Primrose and Bluebell. A number of Giant
Bellflowers are probably survivors from the original planting.
Only the southern part of this area of woodland is within the LWS boundary.
Connectivity: (Description of the site in terms of connecting to the wider
environment, corridors and other sites.)
Undercliffe Pond LWS is in the open country between Cleadon and Whitburn,
but is rather isolated from other wildlife sites in terms of distance and also
because of the walled and fenced perimeter.
The woodland is in proximity to Cleadon Hills Cliffs LWS and to large gardens
in the older part of Cleadon Village.
This section to be completed by South Tyneside Council
Landscape: (How does the site contribute to the landscape character of the
area)
Recorded History and Cultural Associations: (Details of any recorded history
including ecological information and cultural significance of the site).
Value for the Appreciation of Nature and Learning.
Notes on geological and/or archaeological points of interest:
Site Management Advice and Objectives This should include recommendations for management of the habitats present,
suggestions should be brief, clear and specific as in the last bullet point of section 5
of the LWSHSM.
Issues / Objectives:
Conservation actions:
Grassland
The grassland could be restored by grazing, but is probably not retrievable as a
good wildlife habitat because of the high proportion of Ryegrass and weed
species. A proportion will be taken up by the development, access, parking,
formal garden etc. The rest of the grassland, including all of the grassland in
the LWS, could be restored to grazing or hayfield or amenity. The grazing unit
would, however, be quite small and therefore difficult to manage effectively.
Alternatively, a better result for wildlife would be to remove the existing sward
and to resow with a wild flower seed mix such as Emorsgate EM3, which could
be cut or grazed.
In the short term, the grassland could be grazed provided stock were excluded
from the pond and woodland areas.
Wall
The wall needs no management at present. In the longer term the Ivy should
be controlled to prevent the loss of other species.
Pond
The pond needs the overhanging willows cut back to allow more light in, and
this will also enable machine access for de-silting. The outlet ditch and its
sluice need repairing. The inlet indicated on old maps needs to be located, if it
still exists.
Quite a large amount of silt would be removed. This could go offsite or could
be spread on the already damaged grassland and woodland areas.
The pond should be planted with suitable submerged, floating, emergent and
marginal species of plants. These should be chosen for their value for wildlife,
suitability for the conditions and for non-invasive character.
Woodland
The woodland is dominated by non-native Sycamore and has a sparse shrub
layer and a species-poor ground flora. There are high proportions of standing
and fallen dead trees.
It is proposed that the trees, alive and dead, are mostly retained. In the long
term, the tree species mix can be improved with more native species.
The shrub layer needs re-planting with Hazel, Guelder and Holly.
The ground flora may continue to recover now that grazing has ceased.
New Hedges
New hedges are to replace the close-boarded perimeter fences. A
Hawthorn/Hazel/Holly mix with smaller amounts of Elder/Wild Plum/Guelder
would be appropriate.
References
Maps of Site
Fig. 1. Topographic map covering a broader area than the site to set the
geographic context, highlighting the broad area of the site.
Fig. 2. Detailed topographic map and/or satellite image of site – boundary
clearly marked.
Fig. 3. Detailed map showing all the BAP and none BAP habitats within the
site boundary and target notes.
Photographs
The Wall
The Grassland and Stables
The Pond Wood
The East Wood
The Pond
Part C – Assessment of Site Value
This section should include:
Information on the condition assessment of BAP habitats.
The pond is in “unfavourable condition” because of silting, water pollution
and excessive shading from willows.
The wall is in favourable condition.
The woodland is in “unfavourable condition” because of the dominance of
non-native trees, the sparse shrub layer and the ground flora layer
damaged by grazing. “Standing and fallen dead wood”, however, are
exceptionally good.
The grassland is in “unfavourable condition” due to it being severely
overgrazed and then ungrazed. The species composition is dominated by
agricultural species such as Perennial Ryegrass.
Target notes – these should relate to the map in Fig 3.
Target Notes 1 to 8 are the same as in a 2013 P1 Survey.
1. Standing dead trees
2. Standing dead trees
3. Standing dead trees
4. Mature Horse Chestnut
5. Old Apple trees
6. Area of extremely poached land with scattered mature trees (in 2013)
7. Broken sewage pipe leading to building housing cesspit (in 2013)
8. Sewage overflow into pond (in 2013)
9. Solomon’s Seal
10. Tussock Sedge
11. Monkshood
12. Mammal burrow.
Grid references from GPS for notable species, this should relate to Fig 4
and description of its importance.
N/a
Incidental records of other notable species.
See target notes.
Additional information on fauna and flora gathered through data
searches. N/a
Any additional information. N/a
Evidence required for site selection by species. N/a
Species lists for each BAP habitat present and an overall list for the
whole site, including abundances (DAFOR) – this should relate to the
map in Fig 3.
Grassland
Scientific Name English Name Quantity
Agrostis stolonifera Creeping Bent Frequent
Arrhenatherum elatius False Oat Grass Rare
Chenopodium album Fat-hen Rare
Cirsium arvense Creeping Thistle Rare
Cirsium vulgare Spear Thistle Rare
Dactylis glomerata Cock's-foot Frequent
Epilobium hirsutum Great Willowherb Rare
Equisetum arvense Field Horsetail Rare
Festuca rubra Red Fescue Abundant
Galium aparine Cleavers Abundant
Heracleum sphondylium Hogweed Rare
Holcus lanatus Yorkshire-fog Rare
Lapsana communis Nipplewort Rare
Lathyrus pratensis Meadow Vetchling Rare
Lolium perenne Perennial Rye-grass Occasional
Malus sylvestris sens. lat. Apple 5
Phleum pratense Timothy Abundant
Plantago lanceolate Ribwort Plantain Abundant
Plantago media Hoary Plantain Rare
Prunella vulgaris Selfheal Abundant
Ranunculus acris Meadow Buttercup Abundant
Ranunculus repens Creeping Buttercup Abundant
Rubus fruticosus agg. Bramble Rare
Rumex crispus Curled Dock Abundant
Rumex obtusifolius Broad-leaved Dock Rare
Sambucus nigra Elder Rare
Senecio jacobaea Common Ragwort Abundant
Sonchus oleraceus Smooth Sow-thistle Rare
Stellaria media Common Chickweed Rare
Taraxacum agg. Dandelion Abundant
Trifolium repens White Clover Frequent
Tussilago farfara Colt's-foot Rare
Urtica dioica Common Nettle Abundant
Vicia cracca Tufted Vetch Rare
The Walls
Scientific Name English Name Quantity
Asplenium adiantum-nigrum Black Spleenwort 2
Asplenium scolopendrium Hart's-tongue 8
Buddleja davidii Butterfly-bush 1
Chamerion angustifolium Rosebay Willowherb Rare
Epilobium montanum Broad-leaved Willowherb Rare
Hedera helix Common Ivy Abundant
Poa annua Annual Meadow-grass Rare
Polypodium vulgare Polypody 1
The Pond
Scientific Name English Name Quantity
Alisma plantago-aquatica Water-plantain Rare
Carex paniculata Greater Tussock-sedge Rare
Carex pendula Pendulous Sedge Rare
Iris pseudacorus Yellow Iris Frequent
Lemna minor Common Duckweed Rare
Salix x fragilis Hybrid Crack-willow Abundant
Solanum dulcamara Bittersweet Rare
Veronica beccabunga Brooklime Rare
East Woodland Strip
Scientific Name English Name Quantity
Acer pseudoplatanus Sycamore Dominant
Aconitum x stoerkianum A. napellus x variegatum Rare
Campanula latifolia Giant Bellflower Abundant
Fagus sylvatica Beech Occasional
Galium aparine Cleavers Occasional
Geum urbanum Wood Avens Occasional
Hedera helix Common Ivy Dominant
Heracleum sphondylium Hogweed Occasional
Hyacinthoides non-scripta Bluebell Occasional
Ligustrum ovalifolium Garden Privet Rare
Primula vulgaris Primrose Rare
Prunus avium Wild Cherry Rare
Sambucus nigra Elder Abundant
Ulmus glabra Wych Elm Rare
Urtica dioica Common Nettle Occasional
Pond Woodland
Scientific Name English Name Quantity
Acer pseudoplatanus Sycamore Frequent
Aegopodium podagraria Ground-elder Frequent
Arrhenatherum elatius False Oat-Grass Occasional
Campanula latifolia Giant Bellflower Occasional
Cirsium palustre Marsh Thistle Occasional
Crataegus monogyna Hawthorn Occasional
Dactylis glomerata Cock's-foot Frequent
Epilobium hirsutum Great Willowherb Occasional
Equisetum arvense Field Horsetail Rare
Filipendula ulmaria Meadowsweet Rare
Fraxinus excelsior Ash Occasional
Holcus lanatus Yorkshire-fog Occasional
Hyacinthoides non-scripta Bluebell Occasional
Iris pseudacorus Yellow Iris Rare
Laburnum anagyroides Laburnum Rare
Lapsana communis Nipplewort Rare
Phleum pratense Timothy Rare
Polygonatum x hybridum Garden Solomon's-seal Rare
Potentilla anserina Silverweed Rare
Prunella vulgaris Selfheal Occasional
Ranunculus acris Meadow Buttercup Occasional
Rhododendron luteum Yellow Azalea Rare
Rubus armeniacus Bramble rare
Rubus fruticosus agg. Bramble Occasional
Rubus idaeus Raspberry Rare
Rumex obtusifolius Broad-leaved Dock Occasional
Rumex sanguineus Wood Dock Frequent
Salix x fragilis Hybrid Crack-willow Frequent
Sambucus nigra Elder Occasional
Senecio jacobaea Common Ragwort Occasional
Silene dioica Red Campion Frequent
Stachys sylvatica Hedge Woundwort Rare
Tanacetum parthenium Feverfew Occasional
Tilia x europaea Lime Occasional
Tussilago farfara Colt's-foot Rare
Veronica beccabunga Brooklime Occasional