Heathland

Common Heather/ Ling (as it is also known) is undeniably my favourite plant. Although it only has a short flowering season between august and september, ling is the most distinctive plant of heathlands and moorlands, carpeting most of the ground with woody gnarled stems and sprigs of fresh green shoots. It is the one plant that really characterises these landscapes, after all what would the mountains of Scotland be like without heather, what would the Yorkshire moors be like without it, and where would the New Forest Pony's graze without the plant as ground cover. It is just at home at sea level on the coast as it is 1000 metres up on a mountain, all it asks is for land to be grazed and there to be acidic soil.

In Leicestershire heathland has become incredibly rare. The only part of the county that harbours sufficient heathland is Charnwood. Guides to this part of the county refer to heathland alongside woodland as being characteristic of the area's landscape; the soil is certainly ideal for this habitat being largely acidic, but nowhere is it extensive enough to typify the landscape. Indeed heathland in Leicestershire is rather the 'Holy Grail' of the county's habitats. It exists, but finding it is the challenge as most is represented in just small pockets hidden amongst other dominant land forms. This year I have taken it on myself to visit all the heathland sites in the county.

BAGWORTH HEATH

Whats in a name? With many place names in the county containing the word heath, you would naturally assume there to be some sort of heathland associated with these places. However, this is not the case:

'Heather' has no heather,
'Ling hill' has no ling,
'No Man's Heath' has no heath,
'Coleorton Moor' has no moor,

The one exception is Bagworth Heath. The country park that now sits on this site used to be Desford Colliery before it closed in the early 1990's. The old workings having been flooded to form lakes, subsidence areas converted to grassland, and much of the rest of the reserve planted with saplings, but it is the spoil heap that is of most interest. The spoil has slowly been colonised by birch trees and grasses, and one section has been planted with heather. When I visited in september the heather was in full bloom and carpeted a substantial patch of land at the highest point on the heap. It is arguably the healthiest population I have seen, and the butterflies flittering around this area would surely be further testament to this.



Ling (Calluna vulgaris) in flower at the newly created heathland at Bagworth.

Common Blue butterfly (Polyommatus icarus) on its foodplant birds foot trefoil (Lotus sp.)

ULVERSCROFT SSSI.


Ulverscroft SSSI, run by Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust has possibly the largest expanse of heathland in the county. There is a greater density of mature heather plants than anywhere else I am familiar with. Cutting of the gorse and the grazing currently being undertaken on this reserve by the trust is sure to increase the amount of heathland. Bilberry is also present on the heath.

Other areas of heathland in the county:-
• Bardon Hill
• Charnwood Lodge - also contains bilberry and cross leaved heath
• Warren Hills