Wildlife & Woodland
Shipley and Great Woods SSSI
Official Site of Special Scientific Interest citation information for the ancient woodland surrounding much of the Romaldkirk Anglers beat.
Site details
National Grid Reference: NZ 008212
Area: 63.35 hectares (156.50 acres)
First notified: 1975 Date of revision: 1984
Description
Situated on the steep valley slopes, cliffs and boulder screes of a ravine cut through the underlying limestones, sandstones and gritstones by the River Tees, Shipley and Great Woods is one of the most important woodland sites in North East England. The structure of the woodland and its biological diversity clearly indicate the presence of ancient woodland.
On limestone soils and elsewhere on the lower slopes, ash and wych elm are dominant over a shrub layer containing hazel, holly, bird cherry and yew. The ground flora contains a rich association of woodland species characteristic of base-rich soils, including ramsons, wood forget-me-not, wood crane's-bill, wood anemone and sanicle, as well as local species including herb paris, broad-leaved helleborine, toothwort and wood fescue.
On acidic soils sessile oak woodland is developed. On the upper freely draining slopes the ground flora includes heather, bilberry, wavy hair-grass, common cow-wheat and the local stag's-horn club moss. Downslope, and on cliff ledges, the vegetation is dominated by great wood-rush.
Along streams and in other flushed areas, alder woodland occurs with opposite-leaved golden saxifrage in the ground flora.
Lichens, mosses and liverworts
Shipley and Great Woods support the richest assemblage of woodland lichens known in North East England. Many of the species are nationally or regionally rare and characteristic of ancient woodland. In addition, more than 100 moss and liverwort species are recorded from the site.
Birds and invertebrates
The invertebrate fauna includes the local woodland mollusc Limax cinereoniger. The woodland bird community includes pied flycatcher, redstart, blackcap, wood warbler and nuthatch.
Riverside vegetation
Beside the River Tees, seasonally inundated shingle banks and rock ledges support open vegetation containing tea-leaved willow and an association of species similar to that found on limestone in Upper Teesdale, including sea plantain, northern bedstraw, blue moor-grass and a small population of the nationally rare shrubby cinquefoil.