South House Pavement Nature Reserve

The reserve of just over five hectares consists entirely of an enclosed pavement of the lower Carboniferous Great Scar Limestone, surrounded by the typical dry-stone walls of the district. On the eastern edge these stand above a low natural cliff marking the boundary. The rather narrow clints (blocks) and grikes (fissures) make exploration a pleasure only for the sure-footed, but with care the site reveals a good variety of limestone plants, including narrow-leaved buttercress, hairy stonecrop, limestone bedstraw, rigid buckler fern and limestone fern.

Blue moor-grass and tall herbs such as meadowsweet and spear thistle have colonised some clints, sometimes covering the grikes, while elsewhere the clints remain as bare rock. Rosebay willowherb and bracken occupy relatively small areas, requiring careful monitoring. Scattered throughout, though concentrated at the northern end and along the western boundary, are small trees and shrubs, such as rowan, bird cherry and ash in small numbers, with hawthorn, blackthorn, willow and sycamore more frequent. Less obvious is a rich moss and lichen flora.

Although the reserve is noted mainly for its botanical interest, species such as common blue butterfly are numerous in some years – an unexpected pleasure at an altitude of 380 metres. Stoats and common lizard have also been seen on occasions. Limestone pavement offers little to attract birds, but the pastures above can hold migrant thrush flocks in autumn.

The Trust has been allowing the site to develop naturally, retaining the less common species and with some control of invasive ones, by maintaining stock-proof boundaries. The land was leased to the Trust in 1975 and purchased when the farm changed hands in 1981, with grant aid from the YDNP and English Nature. The Trust reserve of Southerscales is also part of the Ingleborough National Nature Reserve.

Directions

The reserve lies beyond South House which is off the B6479 Horton to Selside road on the lower slopes of Simon Fell, east of Ingleborough Hill. There is limited roadside parking opposite the approach road to South House and up to three cars may be parked with permission off the track near the house.