Whitton Bridge Pasture - Reason For Notification

Reason For Notification

SSSIs are designated by Natural England, previously 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 Whitton Bridge Pasture is one of 18 SSSIs in the Cleveland area of search.

Whitton Bridge 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 its associated species also becoming scarce. Whitton Bridge Pasture is one of only two remaining examples of this habitat in the Tees lowland area. The other example is Briarcroft Pasture, an SSSI about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) to the south, which was designated at the same time but is significantly smaller.

Under the British National Vegetation Classification (NVC) Whitton Bridge Pasture is considered as mesotrophic grassland because it represents well-drained and permanent pasture. In particular it is considered to be an MG5 community because of the species present. MG5 is widespread in many lowland areas in England, Wales, and Scotland, particularly in the Midlands. Whitton Bridge Pasture is predominantly subcommunity MG5c (Danthonia decumbens), however subcommunity MG5a (Lathyrus pratensis) is present with a substantially different species composition.