Quarrington Hill Grasslands

Site of Special Scientific Interest

Location| MAGiC MaP
Nearest city|  City of Durham
Coordinates| 54°43′51″N 1°28′40″W﻿ / ﻿54.73083°N 1.47778°W﻿ / 54.73083; -1.47778
Area| 4.49 ha (11.1 acres)
Established| 2000
Governing body| Natural England
Website| Quarrington Hill Grasslands SSSI

Quarrington Hill Grasslands is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in County Durham, England. The site consists of three separate areas, two closely adjacent to the east of the village of Quarrington Hill, the third immediately west of the village, which lies 8 km south-east of Durham City.

The area is important for its magnesian limestone grassland communities, which are largely confined to County Durham and increasingly scarce even there. The grasslands at Quarrington Hill are typical of the type, being characterised by the presence of blue moor-grass, Sesleria albicans, and small scabious, Scabiosa columbaria. Less common species include common milkwort, Polygala vulgaris, hairy violet, Viola hirta, and wild carrot, Daucus carota. The nationally scarce dark-red helleborine, Epipactis atrorubens, is found at the site, as is basil thyme, Clinopodium acinos, a southern species that is uncommon this far north. [1]

The Durham Argus butterfly, Aricia artaxerxes salmacis, a form which is only found in the magnesian limestone areas of Durham, is known to breed at the site.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Quarrington Hill Grasslands : Reasons for SSSI status" (PDF). Natural England. Retrieved 1 April 2022.

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Sites of Special Scientific Interest in County Durham

* Backstone Bank and Baal Hill Woods
* Baldersdale Woodlands
* Bishop Middleham Quarry
* Bollihope, Pikestone, Eggleston and Woodland Fells
* Botany Hill
* Bowes Moor
* Bowlees and Friar House Meadows
* Brasside Pond
* Brignall Banks
* Burnhope Burn
* Butterby Oxbow
* Cassop Vale
* Castle Eden Dene
* Causey Bank Mires
* Charity Land
* Close House Mine
* Cornriggs Meadows
* Cotherstone Moor
* Crag Gill
* Crime Rigg and Sherburn Hill Quarries
* Dabble Bank
* Derwent Gorge and Horsleyhope Ravine
* Durham Coast
* Fairy Holes Cave
* Far High House Meadows
* Fishburn Grassland
* Foster's Hush
* Frog Wood Bog
* God's Bridge
* Grains o' th' Beck Meadows
* Green Croft and Langley Moor
* Greenfoot Quarry
* Hannah's Meadows
* Hawthorn Dene
* Hawthorn Quarry
* Hell Kettles
* Hesledon Moor East
* Hesledon Moor West
* Hexhamshire Moors
* Hisehope Burn Valley
* Hulam Fen
* Hunder Beck Juniper
* Kilmond Scar
* Low Redford Meadows
* Lune Forest
* Mere Beck Meadows
* Middle Crossthwaite
* Middle Side and Stonygill Meadows
* Middleton Quarry
* Middridge Quarry
* Moorhouse and Cross Fell
* Muggleswick, Stanhope and Edmundbyers Commons and Blanchland Moor
* Neasham Fen
* Newton Ketton Meadow
* Old Moss Lead Vein
* Park End Wood
* Pig Hill
* Pike Whin Bog
* Pittington Hill
* Pow Hill Bog
* Quarrington Hill Grasslands
* Railway Stell West
* Raisby Hill Grassland
* Raisby Hill Quarry
* Redcar Field
* Rigg Farm and Stake Hill Meadows
* Rogerley Quarry
* Sherburn Hill
* Shipley and Great Woods
* Sleightholme Beck Gorge – The Troughs
* Slit Woods
* Stony Cut, Cold Hesledon
* Teesdale Allotments
* The Bottoms
* The Carrs
* Thrislington Plantation
* Town Kelloe Bank
* Trimdon Limestone Quarry
* Tuthill Quarry
* Upper Teesdale
* Waldridge Fell
* West Newlandside Meadows
* West Park Meadows
* West Rigg Open Cutting
* Westernhope Burn Wood
* Wingate Quarry
* Witton-le-Wear
* Yoden Village Quarry

Neighbouring areas
Cleveland
Northumberland
Tyne and Wear

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