Both sites are part of the extensive ‘Northwich Woodlands’ complex, and are owned and managed by Cheshire West and Chester Council.

Witton Lime Beds is a SSSI, having been selected to represent a calcareous habitat in a county where there are few remaining natural outcrops of limestone or areas of calcareous soil or calcareous sand dunes.

Ashton’s Flash has a large area of open water surrounded by reeds. There are herb-rich banks at the edges, including a South-facing bank with abundant Bird’s Foot Trefoil used by Dingy Skipper Butterfly and Six-belted Clearwing Moth. Saline conditions prevail across parts of the site, enabling the establishment of coastal plants. Shallow water bodies with an extensive summer drawdown zone provide significant areas of exposed wet silts. Reclamation of Ashton’s Flash was around 2000.

Recorders: Chloe Aldridge, Phil Brighton, Eric Davies, Keith Fowler, Nicola Garnham, Gary Hedges, Jane Hewitt, Tim Lloyd

Notable Records:

Sepsis thoracica (Sepsidae), P. Brighton

• A first VC58 and North West England record.
• This ant-like fly has a mainly coastal distribution and usually inhabits cow dung.
• A glossy lower half of the sternopleuron makes it unmistakable amongst other Sepsis species.

Provisional Species List: