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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***** 833
 Date Entered 23/08/2014
 Updated on 24/08/2014
 Recorded by Tim Laurie
 Category Tree Site Record
 Record Type Botanical HER
 SWAAG Site Name 
 Site Type 
 Site Name 
 Site Description 
 Site Access 
 Record Date 23/08/2014
 Location Birkdale Common. Uldale Beck. Lower Falls.
 Civil Parish Muker
 Brit. National Grid NY 81206 03287
 Altitude 530m
 Geology Waterfall formed by hard thin bedded strata close to the Crow Limestone.
 Record Name Uldale Lower Falls and relict woodland close to the present altitudinal limit of trees in Swaledale.
 Record Description This record describes two living trees, the first being an ancient rowan, the other a very young seedling juniper. The remains of a third tree, long dead are also mentioned. This small juniper is a surprise, no living juniper survives here today. The nearest known living junipers are an isolated isolated ancient juniper at the waterfall on Little Sleddale Beck and three junipers on Black Scar on Birkdale Beck, upstream of Ellers. However there can be no doubt that that junipers were once widespread on all the tributaries of the Swale and the remains of fossil prehistoric juniper are present, together with birch and willow below deep blanket peat at elevation up to 640m at Lodge Haggs and elsewhere on the eastern slopes Mallerstang Edge and on Birkdale Common, see photos.
 Dimensions See photos
 Geographical area 
 Species 
 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 existence of this isolated and very healthy seedling juniper on the steep heather dominated slope immediately above Uldale Beck Falls is very significant and certainly indicates that natural regeneration from long dormant seed can and does occur today. The locality of this seedling is characteristic of the localities where relict junipers do survive today, and the absence of mature living juniper today in Uldale Gill does not imply that junipers were not present here recently. The rotted remains, unidentified, of a dead tree which were seen on the cliff beside the falls does show that further trees or junipers were recently present here. For an account of the present altitudinal limit of trees in the High Northern Pennines together with details of the existence and age of prehistoric tree remains below deep blanket peat, including Downy Birch, Willow, Aspen and Juniper, at elevations up to 760m in Upper Teesdale within the Moorhouse National Nature Reserve, see Johnson, G.A.L and Dunham, K.C. 'The Geology of Moorhouse' Monographs of the Nature Conservancy No 2. HMSO. 1963.
 Image 1 ID 5794         Click image to enlarge
 Image 1 Description The Lower Falls, Uldale Beck.
 Image 2 ID 5785         Click image to enlarge
 Image 2 Description Approach to the Falls
 Image 3 ID 5796         Click image to enlarge
 Image 3 Description A good place for lunch.The multi stemmed rowan grows at the edge of the Beck below the Falls
 Image 4 ID 5797         Click image to enlarge
 Image 4 Description This old rowan has several stems or trunks. The base of the tree and each stem being concealed below moss.
 Image 5 ID 5798         Click image to enlarge
 Image 5 Description The Rowan in August.
 Image 6 ID 5799         Click image to enlarge
 Image 6 Description 
 Image 7 ID 5788         Click image to enlarge
 Image 7 Description Hard fern, Blechnum spicant at the falls
 Image 8 ID 5800         Click image to enlarge
 Image 8 Description Hard fern and Broad Buckler Fern, Dryopteris dilitata, at the falls.
 Image 9 ID 5783         Click image to enlarge
 Image 9 Description Recording the seedling juniper in heather close to the falls.
 Image 10 ID 5784         Click image to enlarge
 Image 10 Description The small juniper in heather by the falls.
 Image 11 ID 5790
 Image 11 Description Uldale Gill Beck above the Lower Falls
 Image 12 ID 5792
 Image 12 Description Lodge Haggs. Massed tree remains below residual mound of blanket peat, 2-3m deep.
 Image 13 ID 5793
 Image 13 Description Detail of the fossil tree remains. Remains of Downy birch, Willow and Juniper have been identified below peat in this area.
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