OAK/HAZEL WOODLANDS ON THE ISLE OF MAN. Part Two: An Inventory of Manx Oak/Hazel Woodlands

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1 OAK/HAZEL WOODLANDS ON THE ISLE OF MAN Part Two: An Inventory of Manx Oak/Hazel Woodlands Wildflowers of Mann Project 2011

2 1 INTRODUCTION This concluding section of the oak/hazel report is an inventory of the sites identified in the first report. Thirty sites are listed in alphabetical order, with each site receiving a profile and accompanied by annotated maps. The larger sites also have landscape maps that show the site in its context. Tier 1 sites are marked in red. Tier 2 sites are marked in blue. Tier three sites are marked in black. As some site names, such as Glen Dhoo and Glen Mooar, refer to more than one Island place the nearest village or the parish in which it is in, is given. BALLAGLASS GLEN BALLURE BARNELL BISHOPSCOURT BLOCK EARY BROOKDALE COLBY GLEN CROGGA GLEN DHOON GLEN ELFIN GLEN GARWICK GLEN GLEN AULDYN GLEN DHOO GLEN DUFF GLEN HELEN GLEN KILLEY GLEN KYLLEY GLEN MAYE GLEN MONA GLEN MOOAR GLEN ROY GLEN TRAMMAN GROUDLE GLEN LOWER BALLABEG NARRADALE NUT GLEN OHIO SANTON GORGE SILVERBURN SKYHILL Maughold Ramsey Peel Kirk Michael Sulby Glen Auldyn Colby Santon Maughold Ramsey Laxey Glen Auldyn Foxdale Sulby St Johns Lezayre Dalby Glen Maye Maughold Laxey Laxey Lezayre Onchan Laxey Sulby Ramsey Sulby Santon Ballasalla Glen Auldyn

3 A small national glen with many aspects While to not it, the from equal a ravine, of the to neighboring Ballure Glen in terms cottages, a mature oak plantation species richness, and ecological and swamp. interest, Elfin Glen extends its influence through the The ravine with its picturesque neighboring plantation series woodlands of rapids of is Claughbane the main and visitor draw Llergy and Frissel where which most contain of the hazel and many sanicle native are and found. planted A mixture of bare broadleaves. rock, W8/9, Relic W10/11 oak woodland W17 can also be found in the leafy vegetation types are present. The suburbs and alleyways of canopy is a mixture of semi-natural Southern Ramsey where wood oak, speedwell ash and and elm woodruff and planted are beech, conifer found and among common mature lime. oak trees. Expansion is also uphill with Past secondary the entrance woodland to the extending Glen is an early 200m 19 th up century the valley plantation into upland dominated valley mire by as oak, well though as into with occasional abandoned large meadows beech, below horse the Glen. chestnut and European silver fir. The entire Most area common has been woodland heavily types underplanted are well in the represented early to with mid W8/9 20 th Century and W10/11 with beech dominating trees the that are valley flanks and W7 in the valley now themselves approaching bottom. Smaller Areas of W17 maturity and co-dominating with the can be found on the fringes of earlier the planting. plantation, The indeed site the is best treated mature as conifer W10/11. plantations With dozens of oak support trees with a good a diameter mixed flora. at Elfin breast height Glen over is also a meter notable or for more the and presence of several pure trunk of nearly 10 meters before the pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) spring of crown, this area is the coppice stools. finest stand of trees on the Island, a The lower part of the Glen is fact somewhat hidden by underplanted beech thickets. somewhat impoverished by many mature planted Beech trees, which all but eliminate the The long term health of the veteran ground flora, and are now oak stand will depend upon the seeding themselves widely within strategic the glen. removal This said of the under-planted more beech open before footpaths they are can bounded suppress by the oak species canopy. rich vegetation with remote sedge and sanicle and Above may this well plantation explain why is these a speciesrich species carr woodland can be found (without up to 200m alder, but from W7) the and glen probably in many mid directions, 20 th doubtless spread by walkers. Century and semi-natural. Remote sedge may one day find its way to Ballure Glen by this Woodruff occurs near the cottage in Ballaglass, but outside of the garden so may or may-not be of native origin. The cottage garden, like the mine casing in the glen, acts as welcome glades in the dense woodland though could be the source of invasive exotics such as fuchsia in future. Ballaglass Location: Cornaa, Maughold (SC466898). Size: 5.5 hectares Altitude: m Ownership: Isle of Man Government (DEFA) Species Count: 145 species of vascular plants Gallery: Key Species Oak (Quercus x rosacea) Hazel (Corylus avellana) Sanicle (Sanicula europaea) Hairy Woodrush (Luzula pilosa) Woodruff (Galium odoratum) Clockwise from top Left: a) Veteran (probably planted) oak woodland under-planted with beech; b) Bilberry glade with beech and conifer regeneration; c) W7 carr; d) Cottage with garden/glade; e) Ravine with mature (probably native) oak; f) Veteran beech.

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6 Nestled in Ballure Plantation, Ballure Glen is the most ecologically interesting of the three Ramsey glens. It is divided in two sections by Ballure Reservoir, the lower and upper glen. The lower glen (from 30m 70m) is a deep ravine with primarily speciesrich W8 woodland dominated by ransoms. Notable species are wood sedge, sanicle, hazel, hay-scented buckler fern and oak. W8 ground flora permeates into the neighbouring plantation. W10 can be found in smaller areas on the west bank, where some old oak coppice grows. The woodland is unmanaged and with old conifers and planted beech trees dominating in areas. The waterfall provides the moisture requirements for hay-scented buckler-fern. Above the reservoir the upper glen extends south up to 150m ASL. The woodland is of an upland vegetation type grading from W9 through W11 to W17 in upper parts. There are a few marshy areas that take on a W7 character, but are small and contain no alder. Deadwood is abundant and forms natural dams in the stream. Ballure Glen Location: South of, and adjoining, Ramsey town (SC457933). Size: 5.18 hectares Altitude: m Species Count: 144 species of vascular plants Gallery Clockwise from top left: a) The main waterfall in the lower glen; b) Hay-scented Buckler-fern in the lower glen; Key Species Hairy Woodrush (Luzula pilosa) Hard Shield-fern (Polystichum aculeatum)** Hay-scented Buckler-fern (Dryopteris aemula) * Hazel (Corylus avellana) Oak (Quercus x rosacea) Sanicle (Sanicula europaea) Smooth-stalked Sedge (Carex leavigata) Wild Strawberry (Fragaria vesca) Wood Melick (Melica uniflora)*/** Wood Sedge (Carex sylvatica) *Schedule 7 Species **Not recorded in this survey c) Deadwood in stream; d) Regenerating edge at top of glen; e) Species-rich terrace near top of upper glen; f) Narrow gorge at bottom of upper glen. At its upper limit the woodland gradually degrades into secondary recent semi-natural vegetation, with a colonising front running uphill into the plantation edge. Notable non-natives in the glen include the best populations of tall tutsan and white-flowered fairyfoxglove on the Island. The site was also identified as the best woodland mollusc site on the Island (in the 2011 mollusc survey) with three ancient woodland indicators found, the greatest total number of mollusc species found and with good overall numbers of individuals. One of the two 1909 records for ash-black slug referred to a site near the Douglas to Ramsey road at Ramsey. This was probably at

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9 Barnell Glen is a two mile long tributary of the River Neb; wooded for most of its length. While much of the Glen is planted (and nearly 200 years old) or recent secondary woodland, a small grove of hazel occurs just below the reservoir, (a Manx Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve), which may or may not be semi-natural in origin. Hairy woodrush occurs here but not in other parts of the glen, although smooth-stalked sedge occurs widely in the glen and surrounding mires. The hazel grove is a wood pasture site with a rich W8/9 and W7 vegetation and a mixed overstory dominated by mixed elm species and ash. Barnell Location: Kirk Patrick (SC251812). Size: 0.2 hectares Altitude: 100m Ownership: Private Species Count: Not surveyed Key Species Hairy Woodrush (Luzula pilosa) Hazel (Corylus avellana) Smooth -stalked Sedge (Carex laevigata)

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11 A small ornamental lowland glen with a series of duck ponds and mature trees. Unusually for a ravine woodland, this lies within an intensively managed agricultural landscape. While not the equal of the neighboring Ballure Glen in terms species richness, and ecological interest, Elfin Glen extends its influence through the neighboring plantation woodlands of Claughbane and Llergy Frissel which contain many native and planted broadleaves. Relic oak woodland can also be found in the leafy suburbs and alleyways of Southern Ramsey where wood speedwell and woodruff are found among mature oak trees. Expansion is also uphill with secondary woodland extending 200m up the valley into upland valley mire as well as into abandoned meadows below the Glen. The upper part of the glen is distinctly older with mature beech trees, wych elm and scattered hazel. The hazel areas are accompanied by hairy woodrush and a surprisingly species-rich floral assemblage. The core of this species-rich area, has however, been widely planted with cherry laurel which has spread to create a large ecologically sterile area exactly in the area that would otherwise be most ecologically interesting. Most common woodland types are well represented with W8/9 and W10/11 dominating the valley flanks and W7 in the valley bottom. Smaller Areas of W17 can be found on the fringes of the plantation, indeed the mature conifer plantations support a good mixed flora. Elfin Glen is also notable for the presence of several pure pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) coppice stools. Generally the hazel is too scattered and the site too remote from a more wildlife-rich countryside for the site to be of greater ecological interest. Bishopscourt Glen Location: Ballaugh (SC333922) Size: 1.3 hectares Altitude: 50-85m Ownership: Isle of Man Government (DEFA) Species Count: 74 species of vascular plants Key Species Hazel (Corylus avellana) Hairy Woodrush (Luzula pilosa) The lower part of the Glen is somewhat impoverished by many mature planted Beech trees, which all but eliminate the ground flora, and are now seeding themselves widely within the glen. This said the more open footpaths are bounded by species rich vegetation with remote sedge and sanicle and may well explain why these species can be found up to 200m from the glen in many directions, doubtless spread by walkers. Remote sedge may one day find its way to Ballure Glen by this

12 A tiny oak and hazel grove growing above the Block Eary (also known as Paris Gill) ravine. While not the equal of the neighboring Ballure Glen in terms species richness, and ecological interest, Elfin Glen extends its influence through the neighboring plantation woodlands of Claughbane and Llergy Frissel which contain many native and planted broadleaves. Relic oak woodland can also be found in the leafy suburbs and alleyways of Southern Ramsey where wood speedwell and woodruff are found among mature oak trees. Expansion is also uphill with secondary woodland extending 200m up the valley into upland valley mire as well as into abandoned meadows below the Glen. This tiny fragment of stunted trees and shrubs that is probably a W17 site is scrubby, steep and difficult to study. Block Eary is the only known native oak and hazel site in the Sulby Valley, but perhaps not the only relic woodland. Records for species such as smooth-stalked sedge and two species of hawkweed at Tholt-y-Will, as well as three-nerved sandwort and other stations for beech fern in various Sulby Glen locations, indicate the area was more wooded in past centuries. Most common woodland types are well represented with W8/9 and W10/11 dominating the valley flanks and W7 in the valley bottom. Smaller Areas of W17 can be found on the fringes of the plantation, indeed the mature conifer plantations support a good mixed flora. Elfin Glen is also notable for the presence of several pure pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) coppice stools. Woodland is now rapidly regenerating or being planted in the glen, with native oak and hazel a prominent part of plantings. Block Eary Location: Sulby Valley (SC384902) Size: 0.1 hectares Altitude: 100m Ownership: Isle of Man Government (DEFA) Species Count: Not surveyed Key Species Oak (Quercus x rosacea) Hazel (Corylus avellana) Beech Fern (Phegopteris connectilis)*/** *Schedule 7 Species **Not found during survey The lower part of the Glen is somewhat impoverished by many mature planted Beech trees, which all but eliminate the ground flora, and are now seeding themselves widely within the glen. This said the more open footpaths are bounded by species rich vegetation with remote sedge and sanicle and may well explain why these species can be found up to 200m from the glen in many directions, doubtless spread by walkers. Remote sedge may one day find its way to Ballure Glen by this