ECOLOGICAL NOTES RELATING TO CARCROFT COLLIERY TIP
Compiled by C.A. Howes Doncaster Museum & Art Gallery
1.0 SITE VISIT :- Evening of Thursday 29th July 1999.
1.1 The site was entered on foot from the A19 and observations were made along a limestone haul road leading onto the low, undulating-to-flat colliery spoil heap and across the tip to an extensive re-colonising rubble area on the western (Carcroft) side of the spoil heap. The return journey tended to be along the southern side of the tip with occasional excursions through the thick Birch/Sallow shrub woodland and tall herbage to the easterly flowing drain on the southern perimeter of the site. A wetland habitat which had formed in a deep north-south trench across the site was also visited.
2.0 HABITATS
2.1 Habitats ranged from (a) arid, sun-baked colliery shale, through various stages of colonisation by grasses and other herbs, to (b) close-cropped rabbit-grazed herbage, and on to (c) tall herbage, (d) Birch/Sallow scrub woodland and (e) young Birch/Oak/Ash woodland.
2.2 Calcareous flora had developed in the influence of the magnesian limestone imported for the haul-road. This gave rise to communities including Centaury (Centaurium erythraea) and Yellow-wort (Blackstonia perfoliata) Ox-eye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare), Bird’s-foot Trefoil (Lotus cornicularia) and Knapweed (Centaurea nigra).
2.3 The acid heath nature of the colliery waste gave rise to acid tolerant grasses such as Wavy and Tufted Hair-grasses (Deschampsia flexuosa and D. cespitosa), Common Bent (Agrostis capillaris), Creeping Bent (Agrostis stolonifera) and Early Hair-grass (Aira praecox ).
2.4 A saline element, often a characteristic of local colliery tips, was apparent in the extensive colonisation in damp areas by Great Reed (Phragmites australis).
2.5 Lichen heaths, dominated by species of Cladonia had developed in odd patches on highly immature soils probably derived from coal measures sandstone and shale.
2.6 Wetland habitats of various forms had developed in depressions of various depths. These ranged from ephemeral puddles with no higher plant development, to areas retaining more permanent dampness, sufficient to create marshland plant communities including various rushes (eg. Juncus effusus, J. inflexus and J. articulatus.), sedges (including Carex otrubae), marsh grasses (such as Great Reed and Reed canary-grass) and flowers (such as Fleabane (Pulicaria dysenterica ) and Marsh Thistle Cirsium palustre).
2.7 Dry, damp and wet beds of Great Reed (Phragmites australis) were a feature of the site and ranged in size from 1 metre to over 25 metres in diameter.
2.8 Areas of permanent water gave rise to aquatic and riparian communities including Reedmace (Typha latifolia), Branched Burr-reed (Sparganium erectum) and Great Reed (Phragmites australis) with riparian communities including Great Hairy Willowherb (Epilobium hirsuitum) Water Figwort (Scrophularia auriculata), Angelica (Angelica sylvestris) Soft Rush (Juncus effusus), Marsh Thistle (Cirsium palustre) and Woody Nightshade (Solanum dulcamara).
2.9 The open Wellsyke Drain which flows in an easterly direction on the southern perimeter of the site contains floating beds of Water Star-wort (Callitriche stagnalis) and Amphibious Bistort (Polygonum I), and is flanked by beds of tall herbage consisting mainly of Great Hairy Willowherb (Epilobium hirsuitum) Water Figwort (Scrophularia auriculata), with Angelica (Angelica sylvestris), Hemlock (Conium maculatum), Couch Grass (Elymus repens), Cleavers (Galium aparine) and Nettles (Urtica dioica). Anecdotal evidence of Kingfisher using this stream indicates that the water quality is sufficiently good to enable small fish to occur.
2.10 Rubble ‘meadow’ habitats, particularly the extensive area on the western end of the site, where brick concrete rubble and mortar gave a calcareous element to the acid colliery shale, had an interesting dynamic flora. This included the locally rare Bristly Ox-tongue (Picris echioides), Whorled Mint (Mentha x verticillata) , imposing stands of Teasel (Dipsacus fullonum), Rosebay (Chamerion angustifolium) and Reed canary-grass (Phalaris arundinacea).
2.11 Tall herbage in the more sheltered conditions and in more fertile soils forming at the edges of the young woodlands on the tip edges contained Creeping Thistle (Cirsium arvense), Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica), Cleavers (Galium aparine), Rosebay, St John’s-wort (Hypericum sp.) Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium) Cow parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris), Upright Hedge-parsley (Torilis japonica).
2.12 Young deciduous woodland around the perimeter of the site was dominated by Birch (Betula pendula) to at least 20ft in height and also contained Common Oak (Quercus robur) Turkey Oak [near the A19] (Quercus cerris), willows, including Crack Willow (Salix fragilis) and Ash (Fraxinus excelsior). It was generally too dense to allow an understorey of herbs, but where openings existed there were tall herb communities of which included Leafy Hawkweed (similar to Hieracium umbellatum), Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium) and Creeping Soft-grass (Holcus mollis). Hummocky undulations in woodland glades occasionally supported colonies of Mouse-ear Hawkweed (Hieracium pilosella). Similar hummock colonised also existed in more exposed areas on well weathered colliery shale.
3.0 Conservation Areas (SSI’s)
3.1 To the north of the disused colliery tip is wet deciduous woodland of Randall Croft Wood which was included as a Local Authority Site of Scientific Interest (SSI) by the South Yorkshire County Council in 1980 and in the Adwick/Bentley/ Sprotbrough Local Plan in 1984. To the south The tip site is Duck Holt Plantation, another wet deciduous woodland which was included as a Local Authority Site of Scientific Interest (SSI) by the South Yorkshire County Council in 1980 and in the Adwick/Bentley/ Sprotbrough Local Plan in 1984.
3.2 These two areas, together with the wetland fenny pasture between the live mineral line and the disused railway embankment on the southern perimeter of the tip site, were included as SSI’s in the DMBC Unitary Development Policy in March 1995. They were subjected to Phase 1 Habitat surveys in ?1997 by the ‘MRB Ecological Consultancy’ on behalf of the DMBC, the results of these surveys are on file at the Planning Department.
3.4 Since the wetland nature of these habitats is the basis of their ecological interest, it is significant to note that on the map for UDP area 3, much of the land taken up by the tip is highlighted as being ‘vulnerable to flooding’.
4.0 Site History
4.1 An examination of pre-colliery maps of the pit tip area, for example the 1:2500 scale Ordnance Survey sheet s 264.16 (1932 edition) and 274.4 (1930 edition) show that woodland and rough grassland of Randall Croft Wood and Duck Holt were originally contiguous. Also the north-south oriented Owston Common Drain flowed along their western edges, presumably linking up with the Well Syke Drain. The current colliery tip is spread over these features, though it is interesting to speculate that a linear wetland in the tip (mentioned above) may be an ‘opened up’ section of the old Owston Common Drain, the fenland species present would indicate this may be the case.
4.2 Since the tip site is situated on the old Owston Common, it would be useful to examine the Owston Enclosure Award of 1761 on deposit at the DMBC Archives (King Edward Road, Balby). This may indicate that certain boundaries (hedgerows and drains) should be maintained in perpetuity by the landowners or tenants.
APPENDIX 1
BIRDS
Recorded in the Evening of Thursday 29th July 1999 (alphabetical order)
Blackbird Mature Birch, Sallow and Oak areas.
Black-headed Gull Flying overhead.
Carrion Crow Flying overhead.
Great Tit In birch and Sallow thickets near water.
Green Woodpecker Feeding on ant nests and flying between areas of mature trees.
Jackdaw Flying overhead.
Magpie Feeding on rabbit carrion.
Moorhen In aquatic habitat in deep trench across site.
Swallow Feeding on insects over site.
Swift Feeding on insects over site.
Turtle Dove In tall birch trees on south border.
Willow Warbler In birch and Sallow thickets near water.
Wood Pigeon Mature Birch, Sallow and Oak areas.
Wren Mature Birch, Sallow and Oak areas.
Reed Bunting Male calling from aquatic habitat in deep trench across site containing, Typha, Sparganium and Phragmites.
MAMMALS
Recorded in the Evening of Thursday 29th July 1999 (alphabetical order)
Fox Droppings located in several areas contained rabbit fur and bone fragments.
Rabbit Well established populations creating significant grazing influence on colonising grasses and helping to develop an ‘urban heathland’ habitat. Being preyed on by foxes.
Roe Deer Footprints and possible grazing evidence on tall grasses such as Phalaris arundinacea. Roe Deer are known to inhabit the mature deciduous woodlands adjacent to the A19 in the Carcroft- Owston area.
Water Vole Runs, grazing ‘lawns’, burrows and latrines along the banks of the Well Syke Drain flowing between the colliery spoil tip and the railway line – on the southern boundary of the site (This species is protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981).