A phytosociological survey of Hedleyhope Fell, a mid‐Durham heath, was carried out. Much of the Fell is rankNardusgrassland, with damperJuncusandEriophorumpatches. Disturbed areas to the west are covered by poorAgrostis/Trifolium/Festucagrasslands. The eastern end of the Fell forms a locally valuable area of heathland. 115 relevés were taken and 131 species of plant recorded. Classification by two‐way indicator species analysis suggested the delimitation of 19 noda. The principal ordination axes, produced by detrended correspondence analysis, emphasised the importance of soil moisture gradients, organic/mineral soil gradients and levels of disturbance in determining the vegetation. The Fell, at 300 m, falls between the lowland heaths of southern England and the upland mires of the north. Indeed, its vegetation contains some assemblages and species characteristic of both habitats. The heaths of central, mid‐altitude County Durham are found where the coal measures lie close to the surface and so this habitat type has suffered extensively from opencast mining activity in the recent past. Proposed opencast sites, if they go ahead, will destroy th
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