SD86 - 03 - SD8063 - Lichens North of Giggleswick Station, along the bypass to Close House

Sun 24 March 2019:
SD8063 is the fourth monad (1km square) going up on the left hand side of Hectad SD86   (10 by 10 km square) that contains Settle.

The landscape gently rises above the flood plain. It is not particularly dramatic or  stunning. Part of this 1 km square is bisected by the 4 mile long Settle bypass with traffic hurtling past at 70 plus mph. By the end of today's walk I find I have visited 8 different habitats:

1.Young trees on Settle bypass verge - (To think I remember when the bypass was opened - Dec 1988- and Craven Conservation Group made suggestions to the planners as to what tree species to plant!!) The trees are now now 30 years old - but generally only showing the usual five species tolerant to nitrogen compound pollution - Xp, Pt, Le, Lc and Ar

A sycamore bud on a young tree beside the bypass. I say that the buds do not bust here till April 16 - but this bud is quite big and it is only 24 March.  The photo shows the Xanthoria parietina lichen growing on the twig - a sign of high nitrogen chemical input.

This was the only "interesting lichen I saw on the bypass trees - and I looked at a lot of trees

Here is a picture of it close up.   Fruiting  bodies that are more than twice as log as wide, and with black carbonaceous margins are said to be lirellate

2. Ancient leached railway sleeper near the railway track supporting Cladonia ochrochlora   (?)

3. Newish stile over fence to cross the railway, supporting Xanthoria ucrainica and Physcia dubia on the gravel and tarmac coated steps

Xanthoria ucrainica - the yellow one

4. Dry stone wall with siliceous rocks in pastures.



5. Old wall at farm with mortar near top. Lecanora campestris and Caloplaca citrina were growing in abundance on the wall. Other species such as Verrucaria muralis were growing in the mortaron the wall further round to the right.

Lecanora campestris

6. The Cutting towards underpass to the bypass that had plaster on one side that had possible Toninia sedifolia.


7. Old sycamore trees down either side of tarmac drive, but they were mostly inaccessible due to fence on either side of drive. One accessible trunk near the beginning  had Hyperphyscia adglutinata. 


8. An old wooden gate near the south end of the drive had Fuscidea lightfootii.

Fuscidea lightfootii.

Gate with lichens - and a very old wall behind. (Much older than the enclosures act walls)

Score: 27 species including 5 new species today: total species seen: 42.

The next Monad will be SD8064 - off the road above Giggleswick school.  We are getting higher now.