Blake Mere. Summary. Introduction SJ Wildlife Site quality Small area of W5 Alnus glutinosa woodland Too heavily wooded along the shoreline.

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1 Blake Mere SJ Summary Wildlife Site quality Small area of W5 Alnus glutinosa woodland Too heavily wooded along the shoreline. Introduction Bake Mere and Kettle Mere are essentially one site a peat-filled basin with two deeper hollows. It Figure 1: Blake Mere from the SE corner. must have once been one large lake, because the flat ground between Blake Mere and Kettle Mere is clearly a drained wetland. Blake Mere itself has a remarkably sandy substrate, whereas Kettle Mere appears more peaty. It is possible that the site was drained in around 1800, for the construction of the canal (canals were often routed through peatlands because they were flat and water-tight), or possibly it was drained somewhat earlier. At a guess, the water level must have been lowered by at least a metre or two. Blake Mere is now a heavily wooded mere with fishing platforms along the southern shore, and dense oak and rhododendron woodland around the rest of the margin. The wood to the east is fenced off and used for pheasant rearing, and to the south the canal runs within a few metres. A survey was conducted by A.J. Lockton on 28 th August The Shropshire Flora and Shropshire Wildlife Trust databases were searched for historical records and previous surveys. Figure 2: Field name map dating from 1839 (from Shropshire Archive). Blake Mere, Kettle Mere and Shropshire Union Canal is a County Wildlife Site. Wildlife Trust surveys tend to be for the whole area, and for the purposes of this report they have been excluded, although any species of interest that are not otherwise recorded for one of the individual sites would have been noted (there were none).

2 Results There are many historical records for Blake Mere, which was once a very significant site for aquatic plants. In about 1800 E. Williams recorded Luronium natans, Myriophyllum verticillatum and Potamogeton gramineus there, which are all very rare plants. Before 1840 A. Bloxam recorded Lobelia dortmanna, which shows that the water must have been quite oligotrophic and very clear. It also had Nuphar pumila and it may have been the site where T. Cox first recorded it (the only locality he gave was a mere near Ellesmere ), but it was definitely there in 1872, because W. Whitwell collected a specimen which is now in Nottingham Museum. The last record was in 1973, when E.A. Wilson claimed to have seen it, although he was rather secretive about the precise location. However, in 1970, Sinker described it as being on the canal shore, which is quite specific. In the table below, all these historical records are aggregated into one list for pre-1970, as there are so many lists but few species in total. The 1979 list is by M.J. Wigginton led a team from the England Field Unit of the Nature Conservancy Council. The 1994 list is from a survey by Whild Associates for Shropshire Wildlife Trust. Otherwise, there is only the current survey to provide site-specific records. Species recorded at Blake Mere < Lophocolea heterophylla Variable-leaved Crestwort Pellia epiphylla Overleaf Pellia Sphagnum squarrosum Spiky Bog-moss Dicranoweisia cirrata Common Pincushion Barbula unguiculata Bird's-claw Beard-moss Didymodon fallax Fallacious Beard-moss Syntrichia ruralis Great Hairy Screw-moss Pohlia nutans Nodding Thread-moss Mnium hornum Swan's-neck Thyme-moss Calliergonella cuspidata Pointed Spear-moss Kindbergia praelonga Common Feather-moss Oxyrrhynchium hians Swartz's Feather-moss Plagiothecium nemorale Woodsy Silk-moss Equisetum arvense Field Horsetail Osmunda regalis Royal Fern Pteridium aquilinum Bracken Asplenium scolopendrium Hart's-tongue Dryopteris filix-mas Common Male Fern D. dilatata Broad Buckler-fern Larix decidua Larch Pinus sylvestris Scots Pine Nuphar lutea Yellow Water-lily N. pumila Least Water-lily Ceratophyllum demersum Rigid Hornwort Ceratocapnos claviculata Climbing Corydalis Ranunculus acris Meadow Buttercup R. repens Creeping Buttercup R. lingua Greater Spearwort R. circinatus Fan-leaved Water-crowfoot Buxus sempervirens Box Ribes rubrum Red Currant R. uva-crispa Gooseberry Myriophyllum verticillatum Whorled Water-milfoil Vicia sepium Bush Vetch Trifolium repens White Clover Sorbus aucuparia Rowan Crataegus monogyna Hawthorn Rubus fruticosus agg. Bramble

3 Potentilla anserina Silverweed Geum urbanum Wood Avens Rosa arvensis Field Rose Frangula alnus Alder Buckthorn Ulmus glabra Wych Elm U. procera English Elm Urtica dioica Stinging Nettle Fagus sylvatica Beech Quercus robur Pedunculate Oak Myrica gale Bog Myrtle Betula pendula Silver Birch B. pubescens Downy Birch Alnus glutinosa Alder Corylus avellana Hazel Oxalis acetosella Wood-sorrel Mercurialis perennis Dog's Mercury Populus tremula Aspen P. canadensis Hybrid Black Poplar Salix fragilis Crack Willow S. smithiana Silky-leaved Osier S. cinerea Grey Willow Viola riviniana Common Dog-violet V. palustris Marsh Violet Hypericum elodes Marsh St John's-wort Geranium robertianum Herb-robert Epilobium hirsutum Great Willowherb E. montanum Broad-leaved Willowherb E. palustre Marsh Willowherb Chamerion angustifolium Rosebay Willowherb Circaea lutetiana Enchanter's-nightshade Aesculus hippocastanum Horse-chestnut Acer pseudoplatanus Sycamore Tilia europaea Lime T. cordata Small-leaved Lime Cardamine pratensis Cuckoo-flower C. flexuosa Wavy Bitter-cress Alliaria petiolata Garlic Mustard Persicaria amphibia Amphibious Bistort Rumex sanguineus Wood Dock R. obtusifolius Broad-leaved Dock Stellaria palustris Marsh Stitchwort Cerastium fontanum Common Mouse-ear Sagina nodosa Knotted Pearlwort Silene vulgaris Bladder Campion Montia fontana Blinks Hottonia palustris Water-violet Lysimachia nemorum Yellow Pimpernel L. vulgaris Yellow Loosestrife Rhododendron ponticum Rhododendron Galium palustre Common Marsh-bedstraw G. aparine Cleavers Lithospermum officinale Common Gromwell Myosotis scorpioides Water Forget-me-not Solanum dulcamara Bittersweet Fraxinus excelsior Ash Ligustrum vulgare Wild Privet Digitalis purpurea Foxglove Veronica montana Wood Speedwell V. scutellata Marsh Speedwell V. beccabunga Brooklime V. chamaedrys Germander Speedwell Plantago major Greater Plantain P. lanceolata Ribwort Plantain Littorella uniflora Shoreweed Callitriche stagnalis Common Water-starwort Scrophularia nodosa Common Figwort Stachys sylvatica Hedge Woundwort

4 Scutellaria galericulata Skullcap Teucrium scorodonia Wood Sage Glechoma hederacea Ground-ivy Lycopus europaeus Gipsywort Mentha aquatica Water Mint Pedicularis palustris Marsh Lousewort Ilex aquifolium Holly Lobelia dortmanna Water Lobelia Menyanthes trifoliata Bogbean Arctium minus Lesser Burdock Cirsium vulgare Spear Thistle C. palustre Marsh Thistle C. arvense Creeping Thistle Centaurea nigra Common Knapweed Taraxacum officinale agg. Dandelion Bellis perennis Daisy Senecio jacobaea Common Ragwort Tussilago farfara Colt's-foot Eupatorium cannabinum Hemp-agrimony Sambucus nigra Elder Viburnum opulus Guelder-rose Lonicera periclymenum Honeysuckle Valeriana officinalis Common Valerian Hedera helix Ivy Sanicula europaea Sanicle Anthriscus sylvestris Cow Parsley Angelica sylvestris Wild Angelica Heracleum sphondylium Hogweed Arum maculatum Lords-and-ladies Luronium natans Floating Water-plantain Potamogeton gramineus Various-leaved Pondweed P. alpinus Red Pondweed P. obtusifolius Blunt-leaved Pondweed P. berchtoldii Small Pondweed Tamus communis Black Bryony Iris pseudacorus Yellow Iris Hyacinthoides non-scripta Bluebell Sparganium erectum Branched Bur-reed S. emersum Unbranched Bur-reed Juncus bulbosus Bulbous Rush J. effusus Soft Rush Eleocharis palustris Common Spike-rush Carex remota Remote Sedge C. lasiocarpa Slender Sedge C. acutiformis Lesser Pond-sedge C. riparia Great Pond-sedge C. flacca Glaucous Sedge C. elata Tufted Sedge Milium effusum Wood Millet Schedonorus giganteus Giant Fescue Lolium perenne Perennial Rye-grass Festuca rubra Red Fescue Cynosurus cristatus Crested Dog's-tail Poa annua Annual Meadow-grass P. trivialis Rough Meadow-grass P. pratensis Smooth Meadow-grass Dactylis glomerata Cock's-foot Arrhenatherum elatius False Oat-grass Trisetum flavescens Yellow Oat-grass Deschampsia cespitosa Tufted Hair-grass D. flexuosa Wavy Hair-grass Holcus lanatus Yorkshire-fog H. mollis Creeping Soft-grass Phalaris arundinacea Reed Canary-grass Agrostis capillaris Common Bent A. stolonifera Creeping Bent Calamagrostis canescens Purple Small-reed

5 Phleum pratense Timothy Glyceria maxima Reed Sweet-grass Bromopsis ramosa Hairy Brome Brachypodium sylvaticum False-brome No. species Vegetation surveys The following quadrats have been recorded at Blake Mere, using standard NVC methodology. Details are given in the analysis below. Q59 Q161 Q172 Q1 Q2 Q3 Lophocolea heterophylla Sphagnum squarrosum Pohlia nutans Mnium hornum Kindbergia praelonga Pteridium aquilinum Dryopteris dilatata Ranunculus repens Sorbus aucuparia Crataegus monogyna Rubus fruticosus agg Geum urbanum Rosa arvensis Ulmus procera Urtica dioica Quercus robur Betula pubescens Alnus glutinosa Corylus avellana Salix fragilis Geranium robertianum Epilobium palustre Circaea lutetiana Acer pseudoplatanus Cardamine pratensis Persicaria amphibia Lysimachia nemorum L. vulgaris Galium palustre G. aparine Solanum dulcamara Fraxinus excelsior Callitriche stagnalis Scutellaria galericulata Lycopus europaeus Mentha aquatica Menyanthes trifoliata Senecio jacobaea Viburnum opulus Lonicera periclymenum Hedera helix Angelica sylvestris Iris pseudacorus Juncus effusus Carex remota C. acutiformis C. riparia C. elata Poa pratensis

6 Holcus lanatus Phalaris arundinacea Agrostis stolonifera Calamagrostis canescens Glyceria maxima Vegetation analysis The first three quadrats are by Wigginton on Q59 was a stand of S6 Carex riparia swamp, which could have been along the south shore of the meres, where this species is still fairly abundant. Q161 is a stand of W5 Alnus glutinosa woodland, which may well have been on the east shore, near Q1. Q172 is also W5 and may have been recorded in the same area. Q1. W5 Alnus glutinosa-carex paniculata woodland close to the east shore, SJ , A.J. Lockton, 28 th August This is a fine example of this community, where C. elata has replaced C. paniculata, which is quite common around the meres. Q2. S5 Glyceria maxima swamp on the east shore, SJ It is very unusual to find stands of this grass in the meres, and it seems likely that it arrived here from the canal. It only flourishes in quite eutrophic conditions, so the presence of this community at this site is an indication of unfavourable nutrient status. Q3. W6 Alnus glutinosa-urtica dioica woodland on the narrow strip of woodland adjacent to the canal, SJ This eutrophic, drier type of alder woodland is typical of sites where the soil is beginning to dry out and there has been a high level of disturbance. Figure 3: the SE corner of the mere has Nuphar lutea and Menyanthes.

7 Plan of the NVC communities Discussion and recommendations There are currently 12 species of axiophyte recorded at Blake Mere, which puts it into the range for a Wildlife Site even without including Kettle Mere and the adjacent canal. However, they are mostly woodland species, and the historical records show that in the past it was an important site for its water plants and peat bogs. Thus it is a highly degraded site (there have been 37 axiophytes recorded in total, but many of those were lost a century ago) with little apparent prospect of restoration. Axiophytes recorded at Blake Mere in Bromopsis ramosa 2. Calamagrostis canescens 3. Carex elata 4. Hyacinthoides non-scripta 5. Lysimachia vulgaris 6. Menyanthes trifoliata 7. Milium effusum 8. Oxalis acetosella 9. Sanicula europaea 10. Scutellaria galericulata 11. Sphagnum squarrosum 12. Veronica montana Figure 4: the sandy south shore of the mere.

8 Owing to the proximity of the canal, there is no realistic prospect of raising the water level or restoring the natural hydrology of the area. It would be possible to re-wet some of the lowlying woodland, especially to the east of the mere. It would also be possible to open up the shores considerably, by felling trees and then managing with mowing, especially along the canal side. That would create the possibility of reintroducing Nuphar pumila, which might arguably be worthwhile, as there is just one site remaining for it in England & Wales. However, such reintroductions have a very low success rate (Dalrymple, 2007) and great care would be needed to create the correct environmental conditions before such a reintroduction attempt was made. It could only proceed if the landowner and other land managers such as British Waterways, were supportive. In essence, though, the thing that would need to be done is simply to remove all the trees from the south shore, between the canal and the mere, and keep them from re-growing. The woodland around the north side of Blake Mere is largely beyond restoration, although it could only help if it was thinned, especially along the margins.