Quarrington Hill Grasslands

Quarrington Hill Grasslands is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in County Durham, England.

The site consists of three separate areas, two closely adjacent to the east of the village of Quarrington Hill, the third immediately west of the village, which lies 8 km south-east of Durham City.

The area is important for its magnesian limestone grassland communities, which are largely confined to County Durham and increasingly scarce even there.

The grasslands at Quarrington Hill are typical of the type, being characterised by the presence of blue moor-grass, Sesleria albicans, and small scabious, Scabiosa columbaria.

The nationally scarce dark-red helleborine, Epipactis atrorubens, is found at the site, as is basil thyme, Clinopodium acinos, a southern species that is uncommon this far north.