Pittington Hill

Pittington Hill
Site of Special Scientific Interest
Disused Pittington Quarry, now part of Pittington Hill SSSI
Country England
Region North East
District County Durham
Location NZ331447
 - coordinates GB-ENG 54°47′45″N 1°29′15″W / 54.79583°N 1.48750°W / 54.79583; -1.48750Coordinates: GB-ENG 54°47′45″N 1°29′15″W / 54.79583°N 1.48750°W / 54.79583; -1.48750
Area 6.4 ha (15.8 acres)
Notification 1987
Management Natural England
Area of Search County Durham
Interest Biological
Map of England and Wales with a red dot representing the location of the Pittington Hill SSSI, Co Durham
Location of Pittington Hill SSSI, Co Durham
Website: Map of site

Pittington Hill is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in County Durham, England. It lies adjacent to the village of Pittington, some 6 km north-east of Durham city. A disused quarry occupies part of the site.

The hill slopes and former quarry support an extensive area of primary magnesian limestone grassland. Blue moor-grass, Sesleria albicans, a characteristic plant of such grassland, is present but not abundant in the primary grassland on the hill slopes, where herbs such as rock-rose, Helianthemum nummularium, are more common; blue moor-grass is more plentiful in the secondary grassland on the quarry floor and spoil heaps, where it is associated with species such as quaking grass, Briza media, salad burnet, Sanguisorba minor, and autumn gentian, Gentianella amarella.[1]

References

  1. "Pittington Hill" (PDF). English Nature. 1987. Retrieved 31 July 2010.


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