Middle Crossthwaite
54°37′33″N 2°6′27″W / 54.62583°N 2.10750°W / 54.62583; -2.10750
Middle Crossthwaite is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in the Teesdale district of County Durham, England. It is situated on the south bank of the River Tees, about 1.5 km upstream from the village of Middleton-in-Teesdale. The Park End Wood and Middle Side and Stonygill Meadows SSSIs lie on the same stretch of floodplain, while the higher ground to the south is part of the Upper Teesdale SSSI.
The site contains a complex mix of habitats, mainly hay meadows, upland wood pasture and base-rich flushes. Hay meadows are a diminishing habitat, which is threatened by modern agricultural practices, and those at Middle Crossthwaite are among the richest in species in Upper Teesdale. [1]
A wide variety of grasses and herbs are present in the meadows, including the locally rare melancholy thistle, Cirsium helenioides, globe flower, Trollius europaeus, and alpine bistort, Polygonum viviparum. In the areas of wood pasture, typical tree species include ash, Fraxinus excelsior, hazel, Corylus avellana, and blackthorn, Prunus spinosa, over an understorey which includes foxglove, Digitalis purpurea, bluebell, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, and wood sorrel, Oxalis acetosella. [1]
References
- ^ a b "Middle Crossthwaite : Reasons for SSSI status" (PDF). Natural England. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
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- 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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