Baldersdale Woodlands
Encyclopedia
Baldersdale Woodlands is a Site of Special Scientific Interest
in the Teesdale
district of south-west County Durham
, England
. It consists primarily of ancient, semi-natural woodland
growing on steep valley slopes, including scree
, on both banks of the River Balder
over a stretch of some 3 km, upstream (i.e. west) of the village of Cotherstone
. The site has a rich faunal assemblage and the woodland and associated stretch of the river is home to a variety of birds, including dipper
and goosander.
In part, the site derives its importance from the proximity of similarly protected sites in other valleys in the River Tees
catchment area; the Shipley and Great Woods
SSSI occupies a similar position in the valley of the Tees immediately north of Cotherstone.
The condition of the site was last assessed by Natural England
in September 2009, when it was mostly rated as "favourable"; a small area, just over 10 percent of the total area, is suffering from cattle grazing but was rated as "recovering".
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
in the Teesdale
Teesdale (district)
Teesdale was, from 1974 to 2009, a local government district in County Durham, England. Its council was based in Barnard Castle and it was named after the valley of the River Tees....
district of south-west County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It consists primarily of ancient, semi-natural woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
growing on steep valley slopes, including scree
Scree
Scree, also called talus, is a term given to an accumulation of broken rock fragments at the base of crags, mountain cliffs, or valley shoulders. Landforms associated with these materials are sometimes called scree slopes or talus piles...
, on both banks of the River Balder
River Balder
The Balder is an English river that rises on the eastern slope of Stainmore Common in the Pennine Chain and flows eastwards for about 13 miles to the River Tees at Cotherstone.The River Balder is in County Durham...
over a stretch of some 3 km, upstream (i.e. west) of the village of Cotherstone
Cotherstone
Cotherstone is a village and civil parish in the Pennine hills, in Teesdale, County Durham, England.Cotherstone lies within the historic county boundaries of the North Riding of Yorkshire, but along with the rest of the former Startforth Rural District it was transferred to County Durham for...
. The site has a rich faunal assemblage and the woodland and associated stretch of the river is home to a variety of birds, including dipper
Dipper
Dippers are members of the genus Cinclus in the bird family Cinclidae, named for their bobbing or dipping movements. They are unique among passerines for their ability to dive and swim underwater.-Description:...
and goosander.
In part, the site derives its importance from the proximity of similarly protected sites in other valleys in the River Tees
River Tees
The River Tees is in Northern England. It rises on the eastern slope of Cross Fell in the North Pennines, and flows eastwards for 85 miles to reach the North Sea between Hartlepool and Redcar.-Geography:...
catchment area; the Shipley and Great Woods
Shipley and Great Woods
Shipley and Great Woods is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in the Teesdale district of south-west County Durham, England. It occupies a steep ravine in the valley of the River Tees, just north of the village of Cotherstone...
SSSI occupies a similar position in the valley of the Tees immediately north of Cotherstone.
The condition of the site was last assessed by Natural England
Natural England
Natural England is the non-departmental public body of the UK government responsible for ensuring that England's natural environment, including its land, flora and fauna, freshwater and marine environments, geology and soils, are protected and improved...
in September 2009, when it was mostly rated as "favourable"; a small area, just over 10 percent of the total area, is suffering from cattle grazing but was rated as "recovering".