Notes on a brief visit to a field known as ‘Scarborough Field’, situated in Tickhill, at Grid ref. SK 594934
The site was visited between 1pm and 2pm on Monday 18th May 1998 in the company of Mr. Brian Buckley of the Tickhill Countryside Group and three other local residents.
GEOGRAPHICAL CONTEXT
The field in question is situated to the rear of a number of large, well treed and sometimes overgrown domestic gardens to the north of Sunderland Street, and is flanked on its north-western side by a public recreation ground. It clearly forms a significant oasis of cover, feeding and breeding sites for a wide range of plants and animals in an otherwise urban area. It therefore functions significantly in maintaining the biodiversity of central Tickhill.
(Hedgerows)
It is bounded by very tall hedgerows, most of which have not been maintained as ‘stock-proof’ barriers for many years but have developed into lines of canopy-forming trees.
(Flooded Ditch)
A flooded ditch is present along the boundary with the recreation ground. The tree/hedgeline adjacent to it forms stable shaded conditions allowing the development of a wooded plant community.
(Pond)
One of Tickhill’s few natural (non-domestic) ponds along the western boundary. This is well known to local residents as a major breeding site for local amphibians.
It may be vulnerable to landfill or poisoning from agricultural sprays.
(Access)
Access is gained vis two well used public rights of way together with several presumably unofficial tracks from the adjacent recreation ground.
Vehicular access is normally not possible but had been achieved on this occasion by tractors entering via an adjacent property and through a newly created access through the rear boundary hedge of that property – a group of well grown conifers having been removed for the purpose.
(Maps)
The 1 to 2500 scale Ordnance Survey maps of 1902 and 1929 show the size and shape of the site (highlighted on enclosures). They also show the position of the pond and the presence of the mature tree-line near to where many of woodland herb species are currently present.
Site Description
The field in question consists of lush damp pasture land situated on both weathered magnesian limestone and clay (presumably Permian marl) soils. The damp nature of the field no doubt results from water percolating through the porous magnesian limestone emerging at the surface where it hits the impermeable marl on which much of Tickhill is situated.
The predominant grassland seems to be similar to Alopecurus pratensis hay meadow of the National Vegetation Classification MG4, though several other grassland communities have developed due to the influence of shrub and woodland development.
The damp nature of the site id typified by the occasional presence of the once widespread but increasingly scarce flower ‘Milkmaids’ or ‘Cuckoo Flower’ (Cardamine pratense) and areas of sedges.
The moist and shaded nature of parts of the filed are typified by carpets of blue Birds-eye speedwell (Veronica chamaedrys) and yellow Lesser Celandine (Ranunculus ficaria).
Large areas o-dominated by Cow Parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris) and Hogweed (Heracleum spondylium) producing blossom which was attracting large numbers of various species of hoverflies and butterflies.
Presumably due to a long succession of years without regular grazing or hay cropping, shrub and tree development had taken place to the extent that numerous ash, elder and hawthorn trees, together with the dog-rose and bramble thickets had developed across the field. Bird song of Blackcap, Robin, Song Thrush and Blackbird issued forth from the clumps, which still survived at the northern end of the site, indicating the presence of occupied territories. Sadly, time didn’t allow any searching for occupied nests.
The boundary hedgerows which had in places developed into linear woodland, included the following native and locally typical species:- Ash, Holly, Elder, Wych Elm, and sycamore.
The woodland herb layer within this shade zone included Wood Avens (Geum urbanum), Wild Arum (Arum maculatum), Hedge Woundwort (Stachys sylvatica) and Lesser Celandine (Ranunculus ficaria).
Pond
To the western side is the site of a pond (see enclosed maps). The concentric zones of riparian, marshy and aquatic vegetation indicate the habitat to be of some antiquity, but is currently much reduced in size due to long term drought and natural vegetation colonization. None the less, the pond has a flooded core which is populated by newts, several of which surfaced to breath during the few minutes of the inspection.
Plants associated with the pond and associated marsh included Sedges (Carex sp.), Marsh Fox-tail (Alopecurus geniculatus), Hairy Willowherb (Epilobium hirsutum), Floating Sweet-grass (Glyceria fluitans) and Marsh Horsetail (Equisetum palustre).
Traditionally the site is regarded as a major frog spawning site, and indeed, for a number of years local residents have informed the museum of the super-abundance of spawn much of which is translocated (with unrecorded success) into local garden ponds.
Further studies (nocturnal torchlight counts and net trawls) would help establish the significance of this amphibian site. The numbers of breeding species and the numbers of each species produce a points score which enables English Nature to evaluate such sites on a regional basis.
Comments and Future Management
The maintenance of Biodiversity is now. Since the Government endorsement of Agenda 21 Agreement of the 1992 Rio World Environmental Summit, Government and Doncaster MBC Policy.
Since this site functions significantly in the maintenance of the biodiversity of central Tickhill, it is right that DMBC staff, Tickhill Town Council and various environmental groups have an interest in the survival and conservation of the wild creatures and plants which flourish on this site.
I would suggest that representatives of these bodies assist the current owner/occupier of the site to act within the requirements of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and encourage the owner/0ccupier to enter the MAFF Countryside Steward Scheme. This would produce an income in exchange for the conservation management of the site (notably its haymeadow species and amphibian breeding pond).
Plants and animals recorded during this brief preliminary visit include the following :-
| Vascular Plants | |
| Acer pseudoplatanus` | Sycamore |
| Aegopodium podagraria | Ground Elder |
| Alliaria petiolate | Garlic Mustard |
| Alopecurus geniculatus | Marsh Fox-tail |
| Alopecurus pratensis | Meadow Fox-tail |
| Anthriscus sylvestris | Cow Parsley |
| Bellis perennis | Daisy |
| Carex sp. | Sedge sp. |
| Chamerion angustifolium | Rose-bay Willowherb |
| Cirsium arvense | Creeping Thistle |
| Cirsium vulgare | Spear Thistle |
| Crataegus monogyna | Hawthorn |
| Dactylis glomerata | Cock’s-foot Grass |
| Epilobium hirsutum | Hairy Willowherb |
| Epilobium montanum | Broad-leaved Willowherb |
| Equesetu, palustre | Marsh Horsetail |
| Fraxinus excelsior | Ash |
| Galium aparine | Cleavers |
| Glechoma hederacea | Ground Ivy |
| Glyceria fluitans | Floating Sweet-grass |
| Hedera helix | Ivy |
| Heracleum sphondylium | Hogweed |
| Ilex aquifolium | Holly |
| Poa annua | Annual Meadowgrass |
| Potentilla anserina | Silverweed |
| Potentilla reptans | Creeping Cinquefoil |
| Ranunculus acris | Meadow Buttercup |
| Ranunculus ficaria | Lesser Celandine |
| Ranunculus repens | Creeping Buttercup |
| Rosa canina | Dog Rose |
| Rubus fruticosus | Bramble |
| Rumex acetosa | Common Sorrel |
| Rumex crispus | Curled Dock |
| Rumex obtusifolius | Broad-leaved Dock |
| Salix cinerea | Grey Willow |
| Sambucus nigra | Elderberry |
| Senecio vulgaris | Groundsel |
| Senecio jacobaea | Common Ragwort |
| Stachys sylvatica | Hedge Woundwort |
| Taxus baccata | Yew (seedling) |
| Ulmus glabra | Wych Elm |
| Urtica dioica | Stinging Nettle |
| Veronica chamaedrys | Germander (Bird’s-eye) Speedwell |
| Butterflies | |
| Celestina argiolus | Holly Blue |
| Anthocharis cardamines | Orange-tip |
| Artogeia napi | Green-veined White |
| Artogeia rapae | Small White |
| Aglais urticae | Small Tortoiseshell |
| Birds | |
| Blackcap | |
| Blackbird | |
| Blue Tit | |
| Robin | |
| Song Thrush | |
| Wren | |
| Amphibians | |
| Common Frog | |
| Newt sp. |
(C. A. Howes, Environmental Records Officer, Doncaster Museum. 19.5.1998)
