Pig Hill

54°47′38″N 1°25′56″W / 54.79389°N 1.43222°W / 54.79389; -1.43222Area12.6 ha (31 acres)Established1992Governing bodyNatural EnglandWebsitePig Hill SSSI

Pig Hill is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in the County Durham district of north-east County Durham, England, situated 1 km south of the village of Easington Lane.

The steep hill slopes support an extensive area of primary magnesian limestone grassland in which blue moor-grass, Sesleria albicans, is abundant. The rich assemblage of grassland species includes a number of rare and local species, bird's-eye primrose, Primula farinosa, adder's-tongue fern, Ophioglossum vulgatum, lesser club-moss, Selaginella selaginoides, and grass of Parnassus, Parnassia palustris, as well as an inland colony of sea plantain, Plantago maritima. [1]

Notable among the fauna is the Durham Argus butterfly, Aricia artaxerxes salmacis, a form which is only found in the magnesian limestone areas of Durham.

References

  1. ^ "Pig Hill : Reasons for SSSI status" (PDF). Natural England. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
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