Abel Heath is a registered common (CL103) and County Wildlife Site (CWS 1380) owned by the National Trust, lying between the parishes of Blickling and Aylsham. The site consists of unimproved acidic grassland, scrub and young oak woodland. It is intersected by four roads, and surrounded by arable land. A disused railway line passes along the south-east edge.
The grassland contains fine-leaved grasses, plentiful sheep's sorrel, with occasional harebell and heather. Together with areas of gorse and hawthorn, this forms an acid scrub/grassland mosaic.
Please note this site is not a Norfolk Wildlife Trust reserve.
Habitat description from the Wildlife in Common Survey
This site is an unimproved acidic grassland with young oak
Quercus robur woodland. It is intersected by four roads and surrounded by arable land. A disused railway line passes along the south-east edge. Part of this has been ploughed in, part of it has been filled in as it used to be a rubbish tip.
There is a good diversity of fine-leaved acidic grasses and mosses in the centre. This area is mown regularly but grades into more overgrown grassland. Here the grasses contain much sheep's sorrel
Rumex acetosella and occasional gorse
Ulex europaeus and hawthorn
Crataegus monogyna scrub, forming an acid scrub/grassland mosaic.
Areas of acid grassland support hairy tare
Vicia hirsuta, dovesfoot cranesbill
Geranium molle, common vetch
Vicia sativa, common cat’s ear
Hypochaeris radicata, germander speedwell
Veronica chamaedrys, ribwort plantain
Plantago lanceolata, heath bedstraw
Galium saxatile and scattered gorse and abundant bracken
Pteridium aquilinum. Heather
Calluna vulgaris occurs in occasional patches, with rarer bell heather
Erica cinerea. Harebell
Campanula rotundifolia is rare. Other grassland species include agrimony
Agrimonia eupatorium, common bent
Agrostis capillaris, creeping bent
Agrostis caninna, field woodrush
Luzula campestris, lesser stitchwort
Stellaria graminea, red fescue
Festuca rubra, pignut
Conopodium majus, sand spurrey
Spergularia rubra, sweet vernal grass
Anthoxanthemum odoratum, yarrow
Achillea millefolium and Yorkshire fog
Holcus lanatus.
The east and western edges are characterised by young oak woodland with bracken
Pteridium aquilinum as the dominant ground flora. Herbs found in these areas include primrose
Primula vulgaris, daffodil
Narcissus spp., red campion
Silene dioica, ground-ivy
Glechoma hederacea, woodsage
Teucrium scorodonia, honeysuckle
Lonicera periclymenum and lords-and-ladies
Arum maculatum.
Tree species recorded occasionally across the site include oak, ash
Fraxinus excelsior, hawthorn, silver birch
Betula pendula, field maple
Acer campestre and hazel
Corylus avellana. Goat’s beard
Tragopogon pratensis, perforate St John’s wort
Hypericum perforatum and greater stitchwort
Stellaria holostea are occasional. Other forbs found, often associated with hedges and scrub, include lesser celandine
Ficaria verna, barren strawberry
Potentilla sterilis, garlic mustard
Alliaria petiolata and dog violet
Viola riviniana. Two bee orchid
Orphrys apifera spikes were recorded in the north east of the site. Native bluebell
Hyacinthoides non-scripta and hybrid bluebell
Hyacinthoides x massartiana occur in the north of the common.