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Viewing swaag.org website implies consent to set cookies on your computer. Full details Swaledale and Arkengarthdale Archaeology Group
Registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation Number 1155775
SWAAG Honorary President:
Tim Laurie F,S,A,

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 *****SWAAG_ID***** 813
 Date Entered 05/07/2014
 Updated on 06/07/2014
 Recorded by Tim Laurie
 Category Flower / Plant Record
 Record Type Botanical HER
 SWAAG Site Bellerby Moor
 Site Access Army Range
 Record Date 24/06/2014
 Location Bellerby Moor. Park Gill and Black Beck Gill.
 Civil Parish Preston Under Scar
 Brit. National Grid SE 089 936
 Altitude 310
 Geology Glacial hummocky drift over Namurian cherts and sandstones with calcareous, tufa and oncolite-forming springs. Black Beck Gill is an ice margin channel of considerable length.
 Record Name A return visit to Bellerby Moor.
 Record Description NOTE! Public Access to the Army Ranges on Bellerby Moor and other live firing areas of the Catterick and Feldom Ranges is only possible with express permission from the Range Officer. This record will introduce the rich flora which survives in the vicinity of Park Gill Beck and the tufa springs located on the Swale/Ure interfluve at the head of Park Gill Beck south of Black Beck Gill.The flora at these spring flushes was first noted by English Nature in 1993 during their 'major survey of areas of the North Pennines'. The nationally scarce and botanically rich tufa and oncolite-forming springs at the head of Park Beck and the presence of Stonewort (Chara sp) in Park Gill Beck were specifically noted during an archaeological walk-over survey carried out during the winter of 1992/3 by SWAAG Members in advance of the construction of a new Range, see a total of 18 earlier SWAAG Database Records (Search for Bellerby Moor). However the winter season was not suitable to record the flora and it was resolved to record the plants in flower at the first opportunity, hence this revisit.
 Dimensions See photos
 Geographical area Wensleydale
 Species Birdseye primrose. Marsh pimpernel. Least clubmoss.
 Scientific Name  Primula farinosa. Anagallis tenella. Selaginella
 Common / Notable Species Colonies of a Stonewort (Chara sp) - provisionally identified as Chara aspera- were present intermittently throughout the length of Park Gill Beck above Park Gill. The water level was low and these colonies had in part dried out. The locally very rare Water Speedwell (Veronica anagallis-aquatica)was seen both at Park Gill and within Black Beck Gill. Large colonies of the scarce Flat Sedge (Blysmus compressus were seen intermittently throughout the whole length of Park Gill Beck above Park Gill and in Black Beck. Full list of plants to follow.
 Additional Notes During this visit a number of plants were recorded which are either locally scarce or have not been recently recorded in the most recent available Flora of Wensleydale (Reference: Deborah Millward 1988. A Flora of Wensleydale. The Yoredale Natural History Society). A full list of the plants seen during this visit has been prepared by Mrs Linda Robinson, BSBI Regional Recorder for North Yorkshire (Vice County 65) and Botanist to the Catterick and Feldom Ranges Conservation Group. This list will be made available to the Army Range Conservation Group at their next meeting in September.
 Image 1 ID 5514         Click image to enlarge
 Image 1 Description Recording at the tufa springs. New Range visible in mid distance.
 Image 2 ID 5515         Click image to enlarge
 Image 2 Description Tufa spring rise south of Black Beck, with oncolites.
 Image 3 ID 5516         Click image to enlarge
 Image 3 Description Oncolites or concentrically laminated pebbles formed from the annual deposition of calcium carbonate during winter on the summer growth on colonies of blue-green bacteria in calcium rich spring water. Small stromatolite growths are also present but these, while formed in the same manner, are fixed to a stone base.
 Image 4 ID 5517         Click image to enlarge
 Image 4 Description Birdseye Primrose with Butterwort, Least Clubmoss and several sedges grow in species rich vegetation at these tufa spring flushes.
 Image 5 ID 5518         Click image to enlarge
 Image 5 Description Birdseye Primrose, Primula farinosa. Detail.
 Image 6 ID 5520         Click image to enlarge
 Image 6 Description Birdseye Primrose, Primula farinosa.
 Image 7 ID 5521         Click image to enlarge
 Image 7 Description Large areas with the (scarce to this area) Flat Sedge, Blysmus compressus were seen on both banks of Park beck below the springs.
 Image 8 ID 5522         Click image to enlarge
 Image 8 Description Left to right: Flat sedge: Blysmus compressus. Yelow sedge: Carex demissa. Flea sedge: Carex pulicaris. Carex dioica female infl and C.dioica male infl.
 Image 9 ID 5523         Click image to enlarge
 Image 9 Description The very small and rare Bog Rush, Schoenus nigricans.
 Image 10 ID 5524         Click image to enlarge
 Image 10 Description A good crowd of Swaledale sheep being moved to lower pastures.
 Image 11 ID 5525         Click image to enlarge
 Image 11 Description Clappa Bridge over Park Gill Beck
 Image 12 ID 5526         Click image to enlarge
 Image 12 Description The stonewort, provisionally identified as Chara aspera in Park Gill Beck.
 Image 13 ID 5527         Click image to enlarge
 Image 13 Description Chara aspera in Park Gill Beck.
 Image 14 ID 5528         Click image to enlarge
 Image 14 Description Globular colonies of blue green algae on the rocks are coated with calcium carbonate.
 Image 15 ID 5529         Click image to enlarge
 Image 15 Description Last and Least of the once great coal building tropical forest Lycopodia family. The 1 inch high fertile stems of Least Clubmoss, Selaginella selaginoides in turf at Park Gill Springs.
 Image 16 ID 5530         Click image to enlarge
 Image 16 Description Marsh Pimpernel, Anagallis tenella. A locally abundant and often unseen beauty (but not recently recorded in Wensleydale).
 Image 17 ID 5531         Click image to enlarge
 Image 17 Description Are lunch box contents not sacred! Not to this little shrew!
 Image 18 ID 5532         Click image to enlarge
 Image 18 Description Shrew and one crumb.
 Image 19 ID 5536         Click image to enlarge
 Image 19 Description Black Beck Gill. Species rich calcareous Springs rise above Black Beck.
 Image 20 ID 5537         Click image to enlarge
 Image 20 Description Recording at Black Beck Springs
 Image 21 ID 5538         Click image to enlarge
 Image 21 Description Marsh Pimpernel, Anagallis tenella.
 Image 22 ID 5539         Click image to enlarge
 Image 22 Description Marsh Pimpernel, Anagallis tenella.
 Image 23 ID 5540         Click image to enlarge
 Image 23 Description Ragged Robin. A reduced form of this favourite flower.
 Image 24 ID 5541         Click image to enlarge
 Image 24 Description Ragged Robin with Flat Sedge (Blysmus)
 
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