Briarwood Banks


Briarwood Banks is the name given to a woodland Site of Special Scientific Interest in north Northumberland, North East England. Composed mainly of elm, oak and ash, the site is semi-natural and now recovering from the removal of planted conifers.

Location and natural features

Briarwood Banks is situated in the south-west of the county of Northumberland, some south-south-east Bardon Mill and west south-west of Haydon Bridge. The site occupies the banks of a fan of north-east running tributaries of the north-running River Allen including Farnalees Burn, Black Sike and Kingswood Burn, and its north-east boundary is formed by the Allen. The designated woodland area is in length and up to wide, covering and falling from above sea level in the south-west to at the Allen confluence.
It is one of a number of SSSIs on the River Allen; to the south are Stewardpeel Woods starting upstream and the Allen Confluence Gravels some upstream.

Vegetation

A number of distinct assemblages of flora are observed at Briarwood Banks. Dominant on lower slopes is wych elm, beneath which are found dog’s mercury, woodruff, wood melick, giant bellflower, enchanter’s nightshade and wood avens. Oak predominates the higher slopes with creeping soft-grass, false brome, wood sorrel and broad buckler-fern ; and on very acid soil beneath oaks, great wood-rush, bilberry and common cow-wheat are found.
Ash is found site-wide, together with occurrences of downy birch, bird cherry, yew and alder. Beech and sycamore in the woods are thought to survive from a historic management regime. Shrubs found in the woods include hazel, holly and hawthorn.
Rocky outcrops on the site support hard shield-fern and hart’s-tongue. By contrast, wet flushes on the site support giant fescue, tufted hair-grass, bugle, yellow pimpernel and meadowsweet. Dark and damp areas of the woodland give rise to rare lichens such as, and, as well as mosses and ferns including epiphytic polypody and oak fern.
Other plant species noted are rare wood fescue found amongst moss on screes, mountain pansy on alluvial deposits on the bank of the Allen; and reflecting the influence of heavy metals leachate from the Northern Pennine Orefield, alpine penny-cress is found.
The condition of Briarwood Banks was judged to be 'unfavourable-recovering' in 2010 & 2012 inspections, as actions to remove non-native species and exclude grazing take effect.

Fauna

asserts that the woods are one of the most northerly habitats for dormice. Other species associated with the woods include roe deer and red squirrel. Bird species include the pied wagtail and the greater spotted woodpecker.

Access

Northumberland Wildlife Trust manages of the site as a nature reserve with full public access, including provision for wheelchair users.