A future for rare wildlife at Craigall Rocks

Craigall Rocks - an escarpment with giant boulders and stunted woodland - was one of the most important sites for rare plants in County Derry . It is the last known location for Wood small-reed in Northern Ireland, and also holds old records for scarce wildflowers like Small white orchid and Intermediate wintergreen. As a result, it was designated as a Site of Local Nature Conservation Importance, but this has done nothing to protect the site from quarrying - which is able to take place under an archaic planning permission that predates most of our environmental legislation.

There are signs that the woodland on Craigall Rocks may be Ancient (around since at least 1650):
- many of the trees are clearly old and gnarly, with thick stools and many stems;
- there is a huge diversity of woodland wildflowers;
- and old woodland-associated lichens are present.
Ancient Woodland is extremely rare in Northern Ireland, covering only 0.08% of our land surface.

The surviving area of natural boulderfield and possibly Ancient Woodland at Craigall Rocks is tiny, spanning around an acre. There is still plenty of space to expand the quarry without destroying this precious and irreplaceable habitat. We are therefore urging FP McCann, the operators of Craigall Quarry, to set this small but important area aside , so that it may continue to provide refuge for rare species for centuries to come, and for the enjoyment of future generations.