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| *****SWAAG_ID***** | 289 |
| Date Entered | 30/10/2011 |
| Updated on | 06/11/2011 |
| Recorded by | Tim Laurie |
| Category | Tree Site Record |
| Record Type | Botanical HER |
| SWAAG Site | Ellerton Moor |
| Site Access | Army Range |
| Record Date | 28/05/2010 |
| Location | Ellerton Scar West |
| Civil Parish | Ellerton Abbey |
| Brit. National Grid | SE 085 966 |
| Altitude | 320m |
| Geology | Site Type:
a) Limestone cliff formed from massively bedded strata of The Main Limestone.
b) Richmond Chert Strata which outcrop above the eastern section of the Scar.
c) Limestone Scree and consolidated talus below the cliff.
d) Kame terrace.
e) Protallus rampart.
f) Landslip originating from the kame terrace below the western section of the Scar.
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| Record Name | Relict Woodland on Ellerton Scar |
| Record Description | Ellerton Scar is rarely visited and probably relatively unknown to the visitor and Swaledale resident alike, in truth the jungle of Borneo is probably more familiar to the general public than is the yew woodland on and below the limestone scars of Swaledale. Ellerton Scar itself is on private land and forms the northern boundary of the Army Range. Walkers on the permissive footpath above the Scar may pass by without noticing this beautiful cliff below with its fine woodland.
Four distinct zones of Ellerton Scar are recognised, each with its own distinctive woodland community.
1. The uppermost fringe of the cliff. See photo ELL.S1.4
Yews and ash are co dominants but with wych elm, oak (on chert strata at the eastern section of the cliff) hazel, rowan, holly, elder, blackthorn, sallow.
2. The face and base of the cliff. See photo ELL.S1.5
Again, yews are co-dominant with ash and yews occasionally form a closed canopy at the base of the cliff.
3. The limestone scree. See photo ELL.S1.6
Scattered yew, ash, elders, birch.
4. The consolidated lower talus slope and the kame terrace. See photo ELL.S1.7 Open birch wood with rare oak and holly. Birch does not grow on the face of the limestone cliff, it is present on the overlying chert strata. The well define kame terrace below the scree is fully vegetated grazed grass pasture on mixed glacial clays, sands and gravels which have slumped at the western end to form a very large solifluction lobe (landslide or rock avalanche, see Google Maps image) well seen above Scar Farm at NGR SE086 968.
(SE085,966 (West) to SE092,072 (East). )
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| Dimensions | 600m west of Scar Spring Wood |
| Geographical area | Lower Swaledale |
| Species | Limestone Ashwood Communitiy with juniper (J.comm. ssp nana) and cliff yews |
| Common / Notable Species | See above |
| Associated Site SWAAG ID | 290 |
| Additional Notes | Aspect: Ellerton Scar is aligned on a South West-North East axis and is fully exposed to the prevailing winds but does receive late sunshine.
Common species present:
Face of the Scar: Species rich Limestone Ashwood with much ash, yew, and wych elm (mostly dead but with many young regenerating shoots from old stumps) hazel, elder, rowan, sallow (see photo ELL.S1.8), blackthorn, hawthorn, dog rose, ivy, The vary rare Alpine Juniper (J. comm. var nana) occurs
Overlying Richmond Chert Strata (which are exposed towards the eastern section of the Scar). Mixed deciduous woodland with a fringe of oak/birch woodland towards the eastern end of the Scar.
Limestone scree: depleted Limestone ashwood with occasional ash trees, yews, old hawthorns, blackthorn, elder.
Consolidated talus slope and Kame terrace Where heavily grazed: relict open birch wood with occasional oak. Where protected from grazing within Spring Scar Wood: species rich mixed deciduous woodland with coppiced oak, yew, birch and much birdcherry thicket.
Generally:
Holly is present but surprisingly scarce. Sallows are present where inaccessible to stock. Rowan frequent. Hazel present but not common except in Spring Scar Wood where it is coppiced. Bird cherry is not present except in Spring Scar Wood.
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| Image 1 ID | 1111 Click image to enlarge |
| Image 1 Description | Ellerton Scar from Kame Terrace. Holly and hawthorn remnants of ancient hedgerow in foreground. |  |
| Image 2 ID | 1102 Click image to enlarge |
| Image 2 Description | Ellerton Scar West. View Westward |  |
| Image 3 ID | 1103 Click image to enlarge |
| Image 3 Description | Ellerton Scar West. View eastward from kame terrace. |  |
| Image 4 ID | 1104 Click image to enlarge |
| Image 4 Description | Ellerton Scar West.Yew with ash and elder 068 |  |
| Image 5 ID | 1105 Click image to enlarge |
| Image 5 Description | Ellerton Scar Central. The two junipers grow on the top of a detached stack here. |  |
| Image 6 ID | 1106 Click image to enlarge |
| Image 6 Description | Ellerton Scar West |  |
| Image 7 ID | 1107 Click image to enlarge |
| Image 7 Description | Ellerton Scar West |  |
| Image 8 ID | 1108 Click image to enlarge |
| Image 8 Description | Ellerton Scar West |  |
| Image 9 ID | 1109 Click image to enlarge |
| Image 9 Description | Ellerton Scar West |  |
| Image 10 ID | 1110 Click image to enlarge |
| Image 10 Description | Ellerton Scar West |  |
