Hutton Roof National Nature Reserve

Our View

Hutton Roof NNR contains some of the best areas of limestone pavement in Britain, with a wealth of unusual plants and animals. The fretted pavement occurs in a mosaic with ancient ash-maple woodland and scrub, limestone grassland and heath. Limestone pavement specialists include the rigid buckler fern, limestone fern and angular Solomon’s-seal, while in the more open areas there are dark red helleborine and fly orchids. Juniper is abundant both on the pavement and the grassland. On thicker soil, bracken with bilberry and heather thrives. In summer,birds such as the willow warbler and skylark, along with residents such as nuthatch, greater spotted woodpecker and woodcock, fill the air with their song, while in autumn the reserve is alive with flocks of long-tailed tits, redwing, fieldfare and mistle thrush. From April there is a succession of butterflies. Firstly the small tortoiseshell and brimstone butterflies and the green hairstreak, then from May onwards there are fritillaries along with common blue, peacock and grayling. Badgers, foxes and roe deer are also frequently seen on the reserve.