Border Mires, Kielder - Butterburn

General site character

• Bogs, Marshes, Water fringed vegetation, Fens (80%)
  
• Heath, Scrub, Maquis and Garrigue, Phygrana (18%)
  
• Coniferous woodland (1%)
  
• Other land (including Towns, Villages, Roads, Waste places, Mines, Industrial sites) (1%)
  

Annex I habitats that are a primary reason for selection of this site

• 7130 Blanket bogs (* if active bog)  * Priority feature

  This complex is part of what was once the largest continuous tract of Blanket bogs across northern England and is particularly important for the quality of the transition it represents between blanket bog and raised mire. Although much of the land has been afforested, significant areas of the original bog remain throughout the forested expanse and these have been selected to represent this habitat type in northern England. The climate is wetter here than in some other parts of northern England, and this is reflected in the composition of the vegetation, which is dominated by species of cottongrass Eriophorum and a reduced cover of heather Calluna vulgaris. At Butterburn Flow the wetter climate is also emphasised by quite distinct surface patterning of Sphagnum hollows separated by Sphagnum ridges in the largest of the open areas. It is a very good example of the Sphagnum-rich cross-leaved heath Erica tetralix and Sphagnum papillosum vegetation type.

• 7140 Transition mires and quaking bogs

  Border Mires, Kielder – Butterburn is made up of several individual sites running north-east from Carlisle. Collectively, these sites contain a wide range of bog-moss Sphagnum species, for example 11 on Caudbeck alone, along with an almost equally large number of Carex species. The transition mire element of these sites is relatively small, but is an important component of one of the least-damaged and more valuable species-rich mire complexes in England.

Annex I habitats present as a qualifying feature, but not a primary reason for selection of this site

• 4010 Northern Atlantic wet heaths with Erica tetralix
• 4030 European dry heaths
• 7220 Petrifying springs with tufa formation (Cratoneurion)  * Priority feature

Annex II species that are a primary reason for selection of this site

• Not Applicable

Annex II species present as a qualifying feature, but not a primary reason for site selection

• Not Applicable