Cutsdean Quarry () is a nature reserve in Gloucestershire, England.Kelham, A, Sanderson, J, Doe, J, Edgeley-Smith, M, et al., 1979, 1990, 2002 editions, 'Nature Reserves of the Gloucestershire Trust for Nature Conservation/Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust' The site is listed in the 'Cotswold District' Local Plan 2001-2011 as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS).Cotswold District Local Plan, Appendix 2, Key Wildlife Sites
The site is managed by the

Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust The Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust is the Gloucestershire local partner in a conservation network of 46 Wildlife Trusts. The Wildlife Trusts are local charities with the specific aim of protecting the United Kingdom's natural heritage. The Gl ...

under licence from the Stanway Estate since 1981.

Location and habitat

The quarry is sited in the north

Cotswolds The Cotswolds (, ) is a region in central-southwest England, along a range of rolling hills that rise from the meadows of the upper Thames to an escarpment above the Severn Valley and Evesham Vale. The area is defined by the bedrock of Jur ...

. It is at Heaver Cross-roads and is about two miles to the north-east of Temple Guiting. Records have not been located on the full age of the quarry. It is, however, shown on an 1865 Stanway Estate map when it was smaller being one acre. The first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1883 shows its size had increased. The quarry is one of many similar sites in the area. These produced Chipping Norton limestone or slate for Cotswold roofing tiles. Cutsdean quarry was used to produce limestone. It is now disused and has been allowed to colonise naturally. This has resulted in habitats on scree, grassland and scrub.

Flora

Plants which grow on the western scree include pyramidal orchid, autumna gentian and wild mignonette. The areas of the quarry which are now grassed support tor-grass and upright brome mixed with other species. These include fairy flax, harebell, dropwort, field scabious, lady's bedstraw,

quaking-grass ''Briza'' is a genus of annual and perennial plants in the grass family, native to northern temperate regions of Eurasia, North Africa, and certain islands in the Atlantic. The group is generally referred to as the quaking grasses because the ...

and

woolly thistle ''Cirsium eriophorum'', the woolly thistle, is a herbaceous biennial species of flowering plant in the genus '' Cirsium'' of the family Asteraceae. It is widespread across much of Europe. It is a large biennial plant with sharp spines on the tip ...

. It is recorded that the bare limestone rubble, which is on the face of the main excavation area, used to support the rare perfoliate or Cotswold pennycress. This has not been seen for some time.

Gorse ''Ulex'' (commonly known as gorse, furze, or whin) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. The genus comprises about 20 species of thorny evergreen shrubs in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae. The species are n ...

flourishes on this site. Bramble and

elder An elder is someone with a degree of seniority or authority. Elder or elders may refer to: Positions Administrative * Elder (administrative title), a position of authority Cultural * North American Indigenous elder, a person who has and tr ...

scrub grow on the eastern side of the site. There is cow parsley,

common nettle ''Urtica dioica'', often known as common nettle, burn nettle, stinging nettle (although not all plants of this species sting) or nettle leaf, or just a nettle or stinger, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Urticaceae. Or ...

and

rosebay willowherb ''Chamaenerion angustifolium'' is a perennial herbaceous flowering plant in the willowherb family Onagraceae. It is known in North America as fireweed, in some parts of Canada as great willowherb, in Britain and Ireland as rosebay willowherb. In ...

Fauna

Birds recordings are good for this habitat and include linnet, whitethroat, tree pipit and the

greenfinch The greenfinches are small passerine birds in the genus ''Chloris'' in the subfamily Carduelinae within the Fringillidae. The species have a Eurasian distribution except for the European greenfinch, which also occurs in North Africa. These finc ...

. Sightings of the Duke of Burgundy butterfly are recorded here, as are populations of

ringlet The ringlet (''Aphantopus hyperantus'') is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is only one of the numerous "ringlet" butterflies in the tribe Satyrini. Range The ringlet is a widely distributed species found throughout much of the Pale ...

, large skipper and marbled white. This quarry is an area for basking adders.

Conservation

The grassland is cut annually to encourage wildflower growth and to prevent invasion by dominant grasses. Hawthorn and bramble spread is controlled.

Publications

* Kelham, A, Sanderson, J, Doe, J, Edgeley-Smith, M, et al., 1979, 1990, 2002 editions, 'Nature Reserves of the Gloucestershire Trust for Nature Conservation/Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust' * 'Nature Reserve Guide – discover the wild Gloucestershire on your doorstep' – 50th Anniversary, January 2011, Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust

References

{{Reflist, 2

External links

Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust

Nature reserves in Gloucestershire Cotswolds Quarries in Gloucestershire