This site is NPWS-owned and managed as a Nature Reserve. It slopes towards the Aille River and has an underlying bedrock of shale. The main semi-natural habitat is wet grassland, much of which corresponds to the habitat Molinia Meadows, which is listed for protection on the EU habitats Directive. This habitat can be very rich in species, and wet flushes (wet areas fed by rainwater and groundwater) occur throughout the area. The site also contains some areas of heath which are confined to the western edge.
Within the areas of wet grassland, dominant species are Meadow Thistle, Sharp-flowered Rush, Purple Moor-grass, Meadow Foxtail and Devil’sbit Scabious. Other species include Tormentil, Lesser Spearwort, Sweet Vernal-grass, Cuckooflower and there is an abundance of marsh-orchids. The flushes are dominated by sedges, Marsh-marigold and Soft Rush, while the heath areas are dominated by Purple Moor-grass, Heather and lousewort. The site is also rich in bryophytes (mosses and liverworts) and invertebrates, and is home to a small colony of the Marsh Fritillary butterfly.
