Dry Heath

This is one of the important habitats on the Lowes. About 85% of Heathland in the UK has been lost over the last 200 years due largely to changes in agriculture and development. It has a distinctive flora and fauna which therefore are under threat and details of these species are to be found by clicking on the relevant sections of this website

Valley Mires

Mires are the wetland areas of the Lowes. It is unusual for a heathland to have mires and their presence is one of the main reasons for the site to be designated an SSSI, in fact one of the earliest to be so. As the name suggests these mires occur in the valleys of the Lowes which drain into the river Glaven , which itself is surrounded by wetland as it passes the Lowes.

Mires are usually named after the pH of their ground waters. Those with acid water are called Bogs and those with alkaline water are Fens. The area around the Glaven – a chalk stream – is distinctly Fen – the main area is known as Ollie’s Fen after Oliver Barnes who did so much conservation work there.

The valleys draining into the Glaven are more complex. They are fed by chalk springs at their northern end and they provide streams which run down the valley which are alkaline. However the interest lies in the water draining into the valley from the sands and gravels which cover the area. This is acidic and will have a different mineral composition. This water appears just below the edges of the valley in what are called flushes, which are bog-like. This creates a very patchy environment of acid and alkaline areas. The pH range across these valleys can vary from 3 to 7. This is why the habitat is called a mixed valley mire and is the main reason for the site being designated an SSSI.

What is also really special is that the wetlands on the Lowes have probably never dried out! During the heatwave and extremely dry summer of 2022 we mapped the perimeterst of each of the patches of wetland. We found that there was no difference in these from several maps that had been made at different points in the past 60 years.

The plant composition of this area is fascinating, and it is remarkable to see bog and fen plants growing within a few feet of each other. For details of the plants found here see the Wildlife pages

Woodland

There are two types of Woodland on the Lowes:

Dry woodland– basically deciduous with oak and birch, and the occasional pine (an escape from the Country Park plantations). This has developed by succession from the dry heath area. Most of the trees are quite young as the Lowes was essentially treeless prior to the 1960’s.

Not surprisingly this habitat is not particularly rich – but there are areas where bluebells are found. There is often a lot of bracken especially on slopes with few trees. The trees provide nesting sites for birds and sometimes woodpeckers excavate nest holes.

Carr woodland –Carr means apermanently wet woodland. Carrs are to be found

• alongside the Glaven, 
• the Northern Valley around it’s stream,
• in the area south of Soldiers Pond
• at the top of the main mixed valley mire.

The wet woodland on the Lowes is one of the site’s special features, and contains some of its most interesting plants. Dominated by Alder and Grey Willow growing on peaty ground, in places the tangle of branches and fallen trunks, combined with the waterlogged ground, makes it almost impenetrable.

The River Glaven, which forms the south-eastern border of the Lowes, rises from tiny headwaters in Lower Bodham and Baconsthorpe. This small, gently-flowing river winds its way through one of the most beautiful valleys in England for just 17km (10.5 miles) before discharging into Blakeney Harbour at Cley next the Sea. The numerous springs and seepages along its course provide the Glaven with a steady supply of clean, mineral-rich water, and the Glaven is one of Norfolk’s nine globally rare ‘chalk rivers’.

As with the bogs and fens on the Lowes, the wet woodland is fed by springs and seepages and does not receive water directly from the River Glaven (which has been deepened and straightened in the past). Being spring fed, much of the woodland is permanently wet and supports several plants more characteristic of the wetter parts of Britain, including Wood Horsetail, Lesser Skullcap and Common Wintergreen, as well as interesting insects and fungi.