Beltingham River Shingle facts for kids

Beltingham River Shingle is a special place in Northumberland, in the north-east of England. It's called a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) because it has unique plants. These plants can grow even though the riverbed of the River South Tyne has high levels of natural heavy metals.

What is Beltingham River Shingle?

Beltingham River Shingle is a part of the River South Tyne. It includes a small island made of rough stones and a riverbank on the south side. This area is about 4.4 hectares (11 acres) big. It's located in the south-west of Northumberland. You can find it about 0.25 miles (0.40 km) north-west of the village of Beltingham. It's also about 0.5 miles (0.80 km) south-east of Bardon Mill.

The land here is about 80 metres (260 ft) above sea level. The river flows through an area that includes parts of the Northern Pennine Orefield. This area has a lot of natural heavy metals. These metals have built up in the river's sand and stones. This creates a special environment for plants.

Amazing Plants of the Shingle

The plants that grow at Beltingham River Shingle are very special. They can live in soil that has high levels of heavy metals. This soil also doesn't hold much water.

• Shingle Plants: You'll find plants like spring sandwort (Minuartia verna) and alpine pennycress (Thlaspi alpestre). There's also mountain pansy (Viola lutea), thrift (Armeria maritima), and common scurvy grass (Cochlearia officinalis). Sea campion (Silene maritima) also grows here. Other plants include meadow oat-grass (Avenula pratensis), wild thyme (Thymus praecox), and biting stonecrop (Sedum acre). You might also spot harebell (Campanula rotundifolia).

• Lichens: Small plant-like growths called Lichens are also found here. These include dog lichen (Peltigera canina) and reindeer lichen (Cladonia rangiformis).

• Woodland Plants: In areas where the soil is finer, small woods have grown. These woods have trees like alder (Alnus glutinosa) and willow (Salix spp.). You can also see some birch (Betula sp.), elm (Ulmus glabra), and sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus). Scot’s pine (Pinus sylvestris) also grows here. Under these trees, you might find dog’s mercury (Mercurialis perennis) and wild angelica (Angelica sylvestris). Red campion (Silene dioica), hedge woundwort (Stachys sylvatica), and moschatel (Adoxa moschatellina) are also present. Wood sage (Teucrium scordonia) completes the ground cover.

• River's Edge Plants: Right by the river, you might see himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) and lesser burdock (Arctium minus). Monkey flower (Mimulus guttatus) also grows along the river's edge.

One very special plant found here is the narrow-lipped helleborine (Epipactis leptochila). This plant is usually found on chalk hills in southern England. But it also grows in this unique metal-rich shingle area.

In 2012, experts said that Beltingham River Shingle was "unfavourable-recovering." This means it was not in the best condition, but it was getting better.