The "Mosses" of the Stainmore District

Abstract

IN 1904, while mapping the vegetation of the northern Pennines, F. J. Lewis described a characteristic type of plant community dominated by Sphagnum. In spite of the interest of this plant community to students of moorland ecology, it does not appear that any further investigation of these areas has since been made. Hence the following more detailed account of this type of vegetation is presented. There are many features of the associated communities which would repay further study, but as, under existing conditions, it is unlikely that additional work will be practicable, this account may serve a useful purpose as well as record the main features at present existing. The locality to be described lies on the main Pennine watershed, south of Mickel Fell and between Brough in Westmorland and Barnard Castle in Co. Durham. It lies on either side of the main road from Brough to Bowes and thence to Barnard Castle, a road which is Roman in origin and which has undoubtedly been in use since Roman times. A Roman fort and at least one camp occur on the edge of the most interesting area and this is bounded on the north by the road from Brough to Middleton in Teesdale. This area has no collective name, each ridge being named separately, but the summit ridge and western parts are called Stainmore Common. A second area south of the Brough-Bowes road is part of Stainmore Forest. The Pennines at this point consist of a western watershed running towards the north-north-west with a series of broad ridges offset towards the east. The drainage is by a more or less parallel series of tributaries of the Tees, the Balder, Hunder and Deepdale Becks, the River Greta and Ease Gill Beck. All are mountain torrents. The general slopes are steep to the west, very gentle to the east. It is difficult to appreciate the character of the slopes from the map. To the west they are generally from 1 in 8 to 1 in 10 rising even to 1 in 5. On the east, the ruling gradients average from 1 in 35 to 1 in 80. These are often imperceptible on the ground and it is on this type of country that the especially characteristic vegetation of the area is developed. The western escarpment generally averages about 510 m. (c. 1550 ft.) in height, rising to 554 m. (1689 ft.) at Black Tewthwaite and falling gradually eastwards to about 460 m. at Shacklesborough Moss. Most of the important part of the area lies between 460 and 490 m., with the tabular hills of Beldoo and Shacklesborough sticking up some 30-40 m. higher. These hills are almost