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Viewing swaag.org website implies consent to set cookies on your computer. Full details Swaledale and Arkengarthdale Archaeology Group
Registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation Number 1155775
SWAAG Honorary President:
Tim Laurie F,S,A,

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 *****SWAAG_ID***** 609
 Date Entered 20/09/2012
 Updated on 21/09/2012
 Recorded by Tim Laurie
 Category Tree Site Record
 Record Type Botanical HER
 SWAAG Site Name 
 Site Type 
 Site Name 
 Site Description 
 Site Access Public Footpath
 Record Date 19/09/2012
 Location Muker. Keld, Birk Hill Scars and woodland on south bank of the Swale below track to Kisdon High Force
 Civil Parish Muker
 Brit. National Grid NY 8975 0094
 Altitude 330m-360m
 Geology Vertical north facing cliffs and talus slopes below.Upper reaches of Kisdon Gorge cut by the Swale through Main and Underset Limestones
 Record Name Birk Hill Scars above Kisdon Falls. Limestone ashwood with aspen, yew and juniper.
 Record Description Species rich limestone ashwood with aspen, yew, juniper, wych elm, hazel,sallow, rowan,elder,rose and a rich ground flora in north facing woodland above the River Swale. Several ancient yews and wych elms on the face of sheer limestone cliffs. Many old birches, bird cherries and hazel coppices on the talus slopes below. Aspen clones in a species rich ashwood community with ancient wych elms on the top edge of the upper cliff. On the opposite side of the gorge, stunted oaks (Qu. robur here) are present on the chert strata overlying the limestone at the top edge of the cliffs. Oak is absent from the North Facing cliffs. Holly appears to be absent from these woods. Among the ground flora, melancholly thistle is prominent.Harts tongue fern grows on the limestone cliff and mossy saxifrage is present on the scree slopes. See also Record No 379 for the woodland on the upper cliff at Birk Hill.
 Dimensions See photofile
 Geographical area Upper Swaledale
 Species Aspen, juniper, yew, wych elm, gean.
 Scientific Name 
 Common / Notable Species 
 Tree and / or Stem Girth 
 Tree: Position / Form / Status 
 Tree Site ID 0
 Associated Site SWAAG ID 0
 Additional Notes The single juniper is on a detached block of chert strata with an estabished acidic vegetation, see photos.
 Image 1 ID 3347         Click image to enlarge
 Image 1 Description River Swale in woodland above Kisdon High Falls.
 Image 2 ID 3348         Click image to enlarge
 Image 2 Description Fallen limestone block in bed of River Swale above Kisdon High Falls.
 Image 3 ID 3349         Click image to enlarge
 Image 3 Description The Upper Falls.
 Image 4 ID 3350         Click image to enlarge
 Image 4 Description View towards Keld from footpath above Birk Hills upper scar with yews, aspen, birch and wych elm.
 Image 5 ID 3351         Click image to enlarge
 Image 5 Description Birk Hills upper scar with aspen.
 Image 6 ID 3352         Click image to enlarge
 Image 6 Description Wych elms, both alive and dead at top of Upper Scar.
 Image 7 ID 3353         Click image to enlarge
 Image 7 Description Wych Elm, detail of the base of this ancient self or wind coppiced tree.
 Image 8 ID 3366         Click image to enlarge
 Image 8 Description Isolated juniper with rowan, birch and bird cherry on detached block of chert strata in scree.
 Image 9 ID 3355         Click image to enlarge
 Image 9 Description View down towards the Kisdon Gorge.
 Image 10 ID 3357         Click image to enlarge
 Image 10 Description Birk Hills. Upper cliff from below with yews, aspen, birch and wych elm.
 Image 11 ID 3358
 Image 11 Description Ancient yew with exposed trunk which supports the large fallen trunk of a Wild Cherry. There are very few wild cherry (Prunus avium) trees in Upper Swaledale. On the other hand Bird Cherry (Prunus padus) are frequent in most ravines.
 Image 12 ID 3359
 Image 12 Description Ancient yew with exposed trunk, detail of the base of this extraordinary tree which grows on the cill face. Showing dead, petrified roots of an earlier tree of many centuries in age supporting a 'young offspring, above.
 Image 13 ID 3360
 Image 13 Description Typical yew on top edge of cliff.
 Image 14 ID 3361
 Image 14 Description Vegetation on face of the lower cliff.
 Image 15 ID 3362
 Image 15 Description Harts-tongue fern on face of cliff.
 Image 16 ID 3363
 Image 16 Description Old hazel 'trees' by the Swale
 Image 17 ID 3364
 Image 17 Description Detail of last
 Image 18 ID 3365
 Image 18 Description Prostrate Bird Cherries like this are frequent in most ravines in Swaledale and usually windblown but very much alive.
 Image 19 ID 3367
 Image 19 Description Detached stack at base of cliff which has survived a recent rock fall.
 Image 20 ID 3368
 Image 20 Description Detached stack at bse of cliff which has survived a recent rock fall, but seems to have moved away since the last photo was taken...
 Image 21 ID 3369
 Image 21 Description Woodland with downy birch.
 Image 22 ID 3370
 Image 22 Description Detail of the base of a very ancient coppiced birch tree.
 Image 23 ID 3371
 Image 23 Description The recent rock fall. This fall has carried down several trees from the cliff.
 Image 24 ID 3372
 Image 24 Description The Upper Falls, the end of the footpath and end of this photopicture of a fine native Swaledale Wood.
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