Rodborough Common is a biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Rodborough,

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...

, England, notified in 1954.Natural England SSSI information on the citation
/ref> The site is listed in the ‘Stroud District’ Local Plan, adopted November 2005, Appendix 6 (online for download) as an SSSI and a

Regionally Important Geological Site Regionally important geological and geomorphological sites (RIGS) are locally designated sites of local, national and regional importance for geodiversity (geology and geomorphology) in the United Kingdom and Isle of Man. These sites are also known ...

(RIGS). The Common is also a

Special Area of Conservation A special area of conservation (SAC) is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), also known as the ''Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora''. They are to protect the 220 habitats and ap ...

(SAC) under the EU Habitats Directive. Rodborough Common is sited south of

Stroud Stroud is a market town and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England. It is the main town in Stroud District. The town's population was 13,500 in 2021. Sited below the western escarpment of the Cotswold Hills, at the meeting point of the ...

and has been owned and managed by the

National Trust The National Trust () is a heritage and nature conservation charity and membership organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Trust was founded in 1895 by Octavia Hill, Sir Robert Hunter and Hardwicke Rawnsley to "promote the ...

since 1937. It is north of Minchinhampton Common. It lies on

Jurassic The Jurassic ( ) is a Geological period, geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately 143.1 Mya. ...

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

and is on top of the Cotswold scarp. It is bounded on either side by the

Nailsworth Nailsworth is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Stroud District in Gloucestershire, England, lying in one of the Stroud Valleys in the Cotswolds, on the A46 road, south of Stroud and about north-east of Bristol and Bat ...

valley and the

Frome Frome ( ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, on uneven high ground at the eastern end of the Mendip Hills and on the River Frome, south of Bath. The population of the parish was 28,559 in 2021. Frome was one of the largest tow ...

valley. It is on a hill (a plateau area), and its margins are dissected by dry valleys. The sides of this plateau are steep. Rodborough Common, like Minchinhampton Common, is notified for its biological and geological importance. The grassland is unimproved, ''herb-rich'' and calcareous. There is an important geological area for fossils for research purposes.

Geology

There are old quarry workings which are near Rodborough Fort. These contain exposures of Inferior Oolite

s of the Middle

Period. The fossils are numerous in the strata, and provide many species. Of particular interest are bivalve molluscs, and these were first defined from specimens collected on this site. The site is particularly significant as it is the only remaining one in the region. It is close to the southern edge of the Middle Inferior Oolite. This is cut out beneath the overlying Upper Trigonia Grit (across the common and to the south). In research terms this shows the effects of earth movements on the local succession.

Biology

Flora

The grassland plateau supports tor-grass, upright brome, sheep's fescue and quaking grass. This area is relatively short as it is grazed and there is recreational use. The slopes support a higher sward and this is the area for insect life. Herbs recorded include chalk milkwort, clustered bellflower, kidney vetch and autumn gentian. There are several species of orchid which include frog orchid, bee orchid and

musk orchid ''Herminium monorchis'', the musk orchid, is a commonly occurring species of orchid. It is widespread across much of Europe and northern Asia from France to Japan, including China, Siberia, Mongolia, Ukraine, Germany, Italy, Scandinavia, etc. I ...

. The rare pasqueflower is recorded at this site. Scrub is scattered over the Common and near the edges. This include hawthorn,

bramble ''Rubus'' is a large and diverse genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, subfamily Rosoideae, most commonly known as brambles. Fruits of various species are known as raspberries, blackberries, dewberries, and bristleberries. I ...

and there are various types of small trees.

Juniper Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' ( ) of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere as far south ...

is present. Where there is broad-leaved woodland, this is mainly

beech Beech (genus ''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to subtropical (accessory forest element) and temperate (as dominant element of Mesophyte, mesophytic forests) Eurasia and North America. There are 14 accepted ...

and ash.

Fauna

Invertebrates flourish on this site and butterflies recorded include the

Duke of Burgundy Duke of Burgundy () was a title used by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, from its establishment in 843 to its annexation by the Crown lands of France, French crown in 1477, and later by members of the House of Habsburg, including Holy Roman E ...

and

marsh fritillary The marsh fritillary (''Euphydryas aurinia'') is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. Commonly distributed in the Palearctic region, the marsh fritillary's common name derives from one of its several habitats, marshland. The prolonged larval st ...

. There are bugs, beetles and moths recorded. The snail '' Abida secale'' is present. In 2019 a project to reintroduce the endangered

Large blue The large blue (''Phengaris arion'') is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. The species was first defined in 1758 and first recorded in Britain in 1795. In 1979 the species became mostly extinct in Britain but has been successfully ...

to the common was undertaken with an estimated 750 butterflies emerging in the summer of 2020.

References

SSSI Source

Natural England SSSI information on the citation

Natural England SSSI information on the Rodborough Common units

External links

Natural England
(SSSI information)
National Trust
Image:Rodborough Common - geograph.org.uk - 187681.jpg, Rodborough Common Image:Rodborough Common, near Stroud - geograph.org.uk - 801852.jpg, Rodborough Common Image:Rodborough Common, near Stroud - geograph.org.uk - 801619.jpg, Rodborough Common flowering Image:Rodborough Common, near Stroud - geograph.org.uk - 801621.jpg, Rodborough Common flowering Image:Lysandra bellargus on Rodborough Common - geograph.org.uk - 365194.jpg, Butterfly on Rodborough Common Image:Orchid, Rodborough Common - geograph.org.uk - 1286533.jpg, Green winged orchid on Rodborough Common Image:Rodborough Common - geograph.org.uk - 1286481.jpg, View to Stroud Image:Rodborough Common and the Frome valley - geograph.org.uk - 1286517.jpg, View to Frome Valley Image:Rodborough Common - geograph.org.uk - 1286466.jpg, View facing east Image:A view west from Rodborough Common - geograph.org.uk - 802543.jpg, A west view Image:A view north from Rodborough Common - geograph.org.uk - 802457.jpg, A north view Image:A view from Rodborough Common - geograph.org.uk - 801793.jpg, Northern extent Image:Rodborough Common, near Stroud - geograph.org.uk - 801827.jpg, View to south-west Image:A view from Rodborough Common - geograph.org.uk - 801618.jpg, View to south-west Image:A view from Rodborough Common - geograph.org.uk - 801622.jpg, A view looking north west to Forest of Dean Image:Rodborough Fort, Rodborough Common, near Stroud - geograph.org.uk - 801624.jpg, Rodborough Fort Image:Rodborough Common, near Stroud - geograph.org.uk - 801719.jpg, Rodborough Common showing Fort {{SSSIs Gloucs geological Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire Sites of Special Scientific Interest notified in 1954 Cotswolds Local Nature Reserves in Gloucestershire