Arcot Hall Grasslands and Ponds facts for kids

Arcot Hall Grasslands and Ponds is a special natural area near Cramlington in Northumberland, England. It's known as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This means it's a protected place because of its unique plants, animals, or geology. This site is the biggest area of lowland grassland in North East England that has many different kinds of species.

The area includes grasslands, heath, ponds, and wet places. These types of habitats are now quite rare in Northumberland.

What's in the Name?

Arcot Hall got its name from Sir Arcot Ramasamy Mudaliar. He was an important person in history. He helped start the United Nations Economic and Social Council. He was also part of the Imperial War Cabinet.

Exploring Arcot Hall's Nature

Arcot Hall Grasslands and Ponds covers about 68 hectares (that's like 168 football fields!). It's located in the north-east of England. You can find it south-east of the town of Cramlington. The A1068 road forms its eastern edge. The A19 road is along its southern border.

The site is about 70 meters above sea level. It's mostly flat farmland. However, new houses and factories are being built nearby. Cramlington new town started developing in 1958.

Amazing Habitats

This special site has many different natural areas. These include flooded pond areas, wet and dry grasslands, and heathland. There are also some woodlands.

Arcot Hall is very important for its bug population. It has 33 different types of water-beetles! It's also home to a very rare moth called the Least Minor moth (Photedes captiuncula).

The wet parts of the site are quite new. Water started coming up from underground around 1966. Because of this, you can see how plants begin to grow and spread in these new wet areas.

Wonderful Plants

The grassland parts of Arcot Hall are home to many interesting plants. You can find adder's-tongue (Ophioglossum vulgatum) and dyer's greenweed (Genista tinctoria). These plants are not common in Northumberland.

Other plants here include yellow rattle (Rhinanthus minor) and common knapweed (Centaurea nigra). You might also spot common milkwort (Polygala vulgaris) and cat's-ear (Hypochaeris radicata). Eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis) also grows here. Look closely for common spotted and lesser butterfly orchids (Dactylorhiza fuchsii and Platanthera bifolia).

The acid grassland areas have different plants. These include mat-grass (Nardus stricta) and tormentil (Potentiel erecta). You can also find heath-grass (Danthonia decumbens) and devil's-bit scabious (Succisa pratensis). Betony (Stachys officinalis) grows here too. In wetter spots, you might see glaucous sedge (Carex flacca) and pepper-saxifrage (Silaum silaus).

The heathland is mostly covered by heather (Calluna vulgaris). The scrub areas have birch trees and hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna). Gorse (Ulex europaeus), blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), and bramble (Rubus fruticosus) also grow here. You might also find creeping soft-grass (Holcus mollis).

The wettest parts of the site have lots of soft rush (Juncus effusus). Stable wet areas are home to Sphagnum moss. Other wet spots have sharp-flowered rush (Juncus acutiflorus). Herbs like water mint (Mentha aquatica) and sneezewort (Achillea ptarmica) are also present. You can also find bulrush (Typha latifolia), floating sweet-grass (Glyceria fluitans), and common spike-rush (Eleocharis palustris).

Looking After the Site

Arcot Hall Grasslands and Ponds is divided into three sections for management. In 2011, all sections were rated "unfavourable - recovering." This means they were not in perfect condition but were getting better. However, the risk of problems for two of these sections was rated as high. This shows that the site needs continued care to protect its special nature.