Gowk Bank National Nature Reserve

Gowk Bank National Nature Reserve is a component of the composite North Pennines Dales Meadows SAC. The reserve has a range of traditionally managed hay meadows, mire and tall herb communities. This vegetation survey was undertaken for English Nature to further understand the extent and distribution of the vegetation communities present.

The reserve lies on the western bank of the upper reaches of the River Irthing in Cumbria and consists of traditionally managed hay meadows both on the alluvial plain and on the upper plateau, separated by a steep, partially wooded, bank of glacial moraine with tall-herb communities and, at the southern end of the reserve, a field of purple moor-grass mire and blanket mire.

The main floodplain meadows are semi-improved with MG6c Lolium perenne – Cynosurus cristatus grassland, Trisetum flavescens sub-community predominating with stands of MG8 Cynosurus cristatus – Caltha palustris grassland in hollows. However stands along the banks of Butter Burn are typical of classic meadow MG3 and perhaps hint at what the main meadows were once like. Plantago lanceolata, Rhinanthus, Trisetum, Anthoxanthum, Centaurea, Vicia cracca, Ranunculus acris, Rumex acetosa, Holcus, Festuca pratensis and Dactylis are all constant, and a range of other herbs are occasional to frequent, such as Sanguisorba officinalis, Leontodon hispidus, Lathyrus pratensis, Filipendula and Cirsium heterophyllum.

The main bank supports W7b Alnus glutinosa – Fraxinus excelsior – Lysimachia nemorum woodland, Carex remota – Cirsium palustre sub-community with frequent clearings within which there are stands of tall herb vegetation belonging to M26b Molinia caerulea – Crepis paludosa mire, Festuca rubra sub-community, MG3a Anthoxanthum odoratum – Geranium sylvaticum grassland, Bromus hordeaceus hordeaceus sub-community, stands with abundant Carex acutiformis and tall herbs which are intermediate between S7 Carex acutiformis swamp, M27 Filipendula ulmaria – Angelica sylvestris mire and MG2 Filipendula ulmaria  – Arrhenatherum elatius grassland and stands with abundant bracken and tall herbs which are intermediate between U20 Pteridium aquilinum – Galium saxatile community and MG2 Filipendula ulmaria – Arrhenatherum elatius grassland.

Above the main bank the meadows are largely dominated by M26b Molinia caerulea – Crepis paludosa mire, Festuca rubra sub-community, with areas of M23a Juncus acutiflorus/effusus – Galium palustre rush-pasture, Juncus acutiflorus sub-community and an unmown tall herb grassland community intermediate between MG3 Anthoxanthum odoratum – Geranium sylvaticum grassland and MG2 Filipendula ulmaria  – Arrhenatherum elatius grassland.