Plants Maidenhair spleenwort.
Damp and shaded areas provide moisture-loving species such as liverworts and mosses, collectively known as bryophytes, with a perfect environment to thrive, sometimes resulting in the plants entirely covering walls and surrounding rocks. As well as providing habitat for insects and nesting material for birds, red squirrels and mice, mosses and liverworts provide moisture regulation by absorbing water and reducing runoff. Several species of fern have adapted to growing on shady walls, where
they grow in the cracks and crevices between the stones. Hart’s-tongue, maidenhair spleenwort and wall-rue are commonly found in walls across a variety of habitats. Where small amounts of soil develop
around the mosses, liverworts and ferns, flowering plants can establish in the tilth. Ivy grows well in the shade, whilst sedums and saxifrages favour drier, sunnier conditions. Winter is a great time to seek out
ferns and bryophytes as many other plants have died down!
Birds and mammals
Troughout the year birds feed on the range of insects living amongst the stones, and the wall- tops make suitable perches, especially where trees are scarce. Small mammals such as voles and mice seek shelter and safety in walls, and can be seen darting into the tiniest of holes when threatened. For larger mammals, the bases of walls also provide cover for hunting or moving across territory, whilst gaps offer nest sites. Holes and gates enable mammals to pass through, but where long stretches of wall are uninterrupted, burrowing badgers can bring a wall down.
A spotlight on dry stone
WAL Field vole.
Our dry stone walls are a familiar sight, shaping our field, land and garden boundaries, yet despite the intention to enclose, these oſten-age-old structures provide miles upon miles of wildlife corridors. Branching across the county through damp and shady woodlands, exposed high-altitude uplands, urban neighbourhoods and windswept coasts, our walls connect a wide variety of habitats and provide ideal growing conditions, shelter and hunting ground for many species throughout the year.
8 Cumbrian Wildlife | November 2025
© MARGARET_HOLLAND
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