Pow Hill Further Information

There are a number of important species resident on the Pow Hill site. These include Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) which survives in the coniferous woodland, Adders (Vipera beris) and Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary (Boloria selene) and Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi) butterflies, both rare in this part of the country.

Management in favour of these species is carried out as far as possible, there is a feeding programme for the red squirrels, and the heathland is managed to encourage the other species.

The Site of Special Scientific Interest at the North of Pow Hill exists to protect the rare valley mire and the areas of soligenous mire (an area of permanently wet peat caused by a water table which is very near to the surface).

These areas contain Cottongrass (Eriophorum angustifolium), Cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccus), Bog asphodel (Narthecium ossifragum) and, in the wetter areas, Sharp flowered rush (Juncus acutiflorus), Purple moor grass (Molinia caerulea), Marsh violet (Viola palustris) and the rarer Narrow leaved buckler fern (Dryopteris carthusiana), Grass of Parnassus (Parnassia palustris) and Lesser skullcap (Scutelleria minor).

This area is being managed by Durham County Council to maintain the high water level and to retain the mires.