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