Sandscale summary

This is a 282ha site which forms the northern and most calcareous part of the sand dune complex of North Walney and Sandscale Haws. These two sand dune areas lie within the Duddon Sands Site of Special Scientific Interest, Special Protection Area and Ramsar Site. This site has appeared to suffered in the past from too much grazing, and attempts to set the most appropriate stocking levels for nature conservation are in progress. A small enclosure was set up to establish the pattern of succession following the total removal of grazing. Within the first five years there was an increase in the flowering and species number, as the restraints imposed on the more vigorous plants were released. However, after ten years the species diversity was much lower and scrub had begun to shade out the open dune vegetation (P. Carty, pers. comm.).

As with many other sites changes in domestic stocking regimes and the demise of the rabbit (due to myxomatosis and Rabbit Viral Haemorrhagic Disease) has had a negative impact on the vegetation. The site was used as a rabbit warren by the monks who were the early owners of the dune and their absence since the 1950s may have played an important part in the coarsening of the vegetation and threat to some of the more important species on the site.