DNS Field Trip to the Roman Ridge 16/9/00
Recorders – Pip Seccombe and Derek Allen
Route and Site Description
The starting point was the junction of Ridge Balk Lane and West Ave. Woodlands, from where we walked along the Roman Ridge towards Highfields, including a diversion towards the old pit yard, as far as the fishing pond, just short of the allotments – SE 5207 and 5307. In the afternoon we walked along the Ridge in the other direction as far as the km boundary, just beyond the end of the housing – SE 5208.
The pit yard has been flattened and contained several large piles of apparently recycled brick rubble. The grassland sloping down towards the pit yard has been scarified with Bird’s-foot Trefoil, Teasel and Yorkshire Fog among the species surviving round the edges.
Further along the ridge towards Highfields were some mature Ash trees, one of the largest measuring 89” in circumference. Just before the fishing pond was a thriving patch of Wild Liquorice on both sides of the lane.
Additional Species
Mammals – Dead rat
Dragonfly – Common Darter – Sympetrum striolatum
Birds – Blackbird, Coot, Magpie, Green Woodpecker, and House Martin
Butterflies – Common Blue, Speckled Wood, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell and Large White
Galls
| Host Plant | Gall Name | Common Name |
| Acer campestre | Artacris cephalonia | |
| Acer campestre | Eriophyes eriobius | |
| Acer Pseudoplatanus | Artacris cephalonia | |
| Acer Pseudoplatanus | Eriophyes pseudoplatani | |
| Glechoma hederacea | Rondaniola bursaria | Lighthouse Gall |
| Rosa cannina | Diplolepsis nervosa | Sputnik Gall |
| Rosa cannina | Diplolepsis rosae | Ronin’s Pincushion |
| Veronica chamaedrys | Jaapiella veronicae |
Botanical Records – Roman Ridge
| Botanical Name | Vernacular Name | SE5307 | SE5207 | SE5208 |
| Acer campestre | Field Maple | X | X | X |
| Acer pseudoplatanus | Sycamore | X | X | x |
| Achillea millefolium | Yarrow | X | X | |
| Anthriscus sylvestris | Cow Parsley | X | X | x |
| Arctium minus | Burdock | X | X | X |
| Armoracia rusticana | Horseradish | X | ||
| Arrhenatherum elatius | False Oat Grass | X | ||
| Artemesia absinthium | Wormwood | X | ||
| Artemesia vulgaris | Mugwort | X | X | X |
| Arum maculatum | Lords & Ladies | X | X | |
| Aster sp. | Michaelmas Daisy | X | ||
| Astragalus glycyphyllos | Wild Liquorice | X | ||
| Ballota nigra | Black Horehound | X | x | |
| Bellis perennis | Daisy | x | ||
| Bryonia dioica | White Bryony | X | X | |
| Calystegia sylvatica | Large Bindweed | X | X | x |
| Capsella bursa-pastoris | Shepard’s Purse | X | ||
| Centaurea nigra | Hardhead | X | X | |
| Centaurea scabiosa | Greater Knapweed | X | ||
| Chamerion angustifolium | Rosebay | X | X | X |
| Cirsium arvense | Creeping Thistle | X | X | x |
| Cirsium vulgare | Spear Thistle | X | X | |
| Convolvulus arvensis | Field Bindweed | X | X | |
| Cornus sanguinea | Dogwood | X | x | |
| Corylus avellana | Hazel | X | X | x |
| Crataegus monogyna | Hawthorn | X | X | X |
| Crepis capillaris | Smooth Hawk’s-beard | X | ||
| Dactylis glomerata | Cock’s Foot | X | X | X |
| Dipsacus fullonum | Teasel | X | X | |
| Epilobium montanum | Broad-leaved Willowherb | X | ||
| Epilobium hirsutum | Great Willowherb | X | ||
| Equisetum arvense | Common Horsetail | X | ||
| Euphorbia helioscopia | Sun Spurge | X | ||
| Fagus sylvatica | Beech | X | ||
| Filipendula ulmaria | Meadow Sweet | X | ||
| Foeniculum vulgare | Fennel | X | X | |
| Fraxinus excelsior | Ash | X | X | X |
| Fumaria officinalis | Fumitory | X | ||
| Galium aparine | Cleavers | X | X | x |
| Geranium molle | Dove’s-foot Crane’s-bill | X | ||
| Geranium robertianum | Herb Robert | X | ||
| Geum urbanum | Wood Aven | X | ||
| Glechoma hederacea | Ground Ivy | X | ||
| Hedera helix | Ivy | X | X | X |
| Heracleum sphondylium | Hogweed | X | ||
| Hieracium agg. | Hawkweed | X | ||
| Holcus lanatus | Yorkshire Fog | X | X | |
| Hordeum murinum | Wall Barley | X | X | X |
| Hypericum perforatum | Common St. John’s Wort | X | X | |
| Hypochaeris radicata | Cat’s Ear | X | X | |
| Inula conyzae | Ploughman’s Spikenard | X | X | |
| Juncus articulates | Jointed Rush | X | ||
| Juncus inflexus | Hard Rush | X | ||
| Lactuca serriola | Prickly Lettuce | X | ||
| Lamium album | White Dead-nettle | X | X | X |
| Lamium purpureum | Red Dead-nettle | X | ||
| Lapsana communis | Nipplewort | X | X | |
| Ligustrum ovalifolium | Garden Privet | X | X | |
| Ligustrum vulgare | Wild Privet | X | X | X |
| Linaria vulgaris | Common Toadflax | X | ||
| Lolium perenne | Rye Grass | X | X | X |
| Lonicera periclymenum | Honeysuckle | X | ||
| Lotus corniculate | Bird’s-foot Trefoil | X | X | |
| Malva sylvestris | Common Mallow | X | X | X |
| Matricaria discoidea | Pineapple Weed | X | ||
| Medico lupulina | Black Medic | X | ||
| Mentha aquatica | Water Mint | X | ||
| Mercuralis perennis | Dog’s Mercury | X | X | |
| Odontites vernus | Red Bartsia | X | ||
| Ononis repens | Restharrow | X | ||
| Phragmites australis | Common Reed | X | ||
| Picris echoides | Bristly Ox-tongue | X | ||
| Pimpinella saxifraga | Burnet Saxifrage | X | ||
| Plantago lanceolata | Ribwort Plantain | X | ||
| Plantago major | Tat-tailed Plantain | X | X | |
| Poa annua | Annual Meadow Grass | X | X | X |
| Polygonum aviculare | Knotgrass | X | ||
| Potentilla anglica | Trailing Cinquefoil | X | X | |
| Prunella vulgaris | Selfheal | X | ||
| Prunus avium | Cherry | X | X | |
| Prunus spinosa | Blackthorn | X | x | |
| Pteridium aquilinum | Bracken | X | ||
| Quercus petraea | Sessile Oak | X | ||
| Quercus robur | Pedunculate Oak | X | ||
| Ranunculus repens | Creeping Buttercup | X | X | |
| Reseda luteola | Weld | X | ||
| Rosa canina | Dog Rose | X | X | x |
| Rubus caesius | Dewberry | X | ||
| Rubus fruticosus | Bramble | X | X | X |
| Rubus idaeus | Raspberry | X | ||
| Rumex crispus | Curled Dock | X | ||
| Rumex obtusifolius | Broad-leaved Dock | X | X | |
| Salix alba | White Willow | X | ||
| Salix caprea | Goat Willow | X | ||
| Salix fragilis | Crack Willow | X | ||
| Sambucus nigra | Elder | X | X | X |
| Senecio jacobaea | Common Ragwort | X | X | X |
| Senecio squalidus | Oxford Ragwort | X | ||
| Senecio viscosus | Sticky Groundsel | X | X | |
| Senecio vulgaris | Groundsel | X | X | |
| Silene dioica | Tred Campion | X | ||
| Silene latifolia | White Campion | X | X | |
| Silene vulgaris | Bladder Campion | X | X | |
| Sinapis arvensis | Charlock | X | ||
| Sisymbrium officinale | Hedge Mustard | X | X | X |
| Solanum dulcamara | Bittersweet | X | ||
| Solidago canadensis | Golden Rod | X | ||
| Sonchus arvensis | Corn Sow-thistle | X | ||
| Sonchus asper | Prickly Sow-thistle | X | ||
| Sonchus oleraceus | Smooth Sow-thistle | X | X | |
| Stachys sylvestris | Hedge Woundwort | X | X | X |
| Stellaria media | Chickweed | X | X | |
| Symphytum officinale | Comfrey | X | ||
| Tamus communis | Black Bryony | X | X | X |
| Tanacetum parthenium | Fever-few | X | ||
| Taraxacum agg. | Dandelion | X | X | X |
| Torilis japonica | Hedge Parsley | X | ||
| Trifolium pratense | Red Clover | X | X | |
| Trifolium repens | White Clover | X | ||
| Tripleurospermum inodorum | Scentless Mayweed | X | ||
| Tussilago farfara | Coltsfoot | X | X | |
| Typha latifolia | Reedmace | X | ||
| Ulmus glabra | Wych Elm | X | X | x |
| Ulmus procera | English Elm | X | X | |
| Urtica Dioica | Stinging Nettle | X | X | X |
| Veronica chamaedrys | Bird’s-eye Speedwell | X | ||
| Veronica persica | Field Speedwell | X | X | X |
| Viburnum opulus | Guelder Rose | X | ||
| Vicia cracca | Tufted Vetch | X |