Briarcroft Pasture - Reason For Notification

Reason For Notification

SSSIs are designated by Natural England, formally English Nature, which uses the 1974-1996 county system. This means there is no grouping of SSSIs by Stockton-on-Tees unitary authority, or County Durham which is the relevant ceremonial county . As such Briarcroft Pasture is one of 18 SSSIs in the Cleveland area of search.

Briarcroft Pasture is nationally important for its species-rich grassland which is unimproved by fertilisers. This type of grassland - once common in the Tees lowland - is becoming increasingly rare with associated species also becoming rare. Briarcroft Pasture is one of only two remaining examples of this habitat in the Tees lowland area. The other example is Whitton Bridge Pasture an SSSI approximately 3 km to the north which was designated at the same time but is significantly larger.

Under the British National Vegetation Classification (NVC), Briarcroft Pasture is considered as mesotrophic grassland because it represents a well-drained and permanent pasture. In particular it is considered the MG5 community due to the species present. MG5 is widespread in many lowland areas in England, Wales and Scotland as well as the Midlands and Yorkshire. Briarcroft Pasture is predominantly subcommunity MG5c (Danthonia decumbens) however this forms a mosiac with community MG9 which is associated with poorly-drained permanent pastures.