Soil Associations

0555 Downham

Soil and site characteristics

Deep permeable sandy and coarse loamy often ferruginous soils variably affected by groundwater. Some well drained sandy soils on higher ground.

Geology

Glaciofluvial drift over Cretaceous sandstone

Cropping and Land Use

Cereals, sugar beet and potatoes; some permanent grassland.

Component soil series

Subgroup	Series name	Percentage	WRB 2006 link
5.55	DOWNHAM	35%	Arenic Magniferric Endogleyic Luvisols
8.41	WATLINGTON	30%	Luvic Eutric Gleysols
5.51	NEWPORT	20%	Eutric Lamellic Arenosols
8.21	BLACKWOOD	10%	Arenic Mollic Gleysols

Covers 46 km² in England and Wales

Soilscapes Classification

10	Freely draining slightly acid sandy soils

0555 Downham

Detailed Description

The Downham association consists of deep sandy and coarse loamy soils mostly affected seasonally by groundwater. It covers 46 km² of gently sloping, generally west-facing land fringing the Fens between King's Lynn and Downham Market in Norfolk between 5 and 30 m O.D. The soils are formed partly in glaciofluvial sands and partly in thin sandy Head resting on the ferruginous Lower Greensand. Two-thirds of the land is occupied by Downham series, gleyic argillic brown sands, and the Watlington series, typical argillic gley soils. Both are ferruginous, with ironstone nodules as well as flints, and pass downwards into the Greensand. The former is sandy with slight subsoil mottling, the latter coarse loamy with grey mottling at shallow depth. Newport series, typical brown sands, occur mainly on the glaciofluvial sands together with Blackwood series, typical sandy gley soils, on lower lying sites. Ollerton series is also found. Newport and Ollerton series tend to occur on the highest ground on spurs and upper slopes. Downham and Watlington series are mainly on the middle slopes with Blackwood series on footslopes and flat or sometimes hummocky ground adjoining the Fens. Massive concretionary ironstone is found locally in the subsoils of Blackwood and Watlington series.

Soil Water Regime

The soils are permeable or moderately permeable but their water regimes vary according to site. On the lowest ground Blackwood and Watlington soils are naturally waterlogged for appreciable periods in the year (Wetness Classes III and IV). On the slopes Ollerton, Downham and Watlington soils are seasonally wet because of seepage from higher ground (Wetness Classes II and III) whilst Newport soils are well drained (Wetness Class I). The water regime of soils on low ground responds to drainage in the adjacent fens and, where this is controlled by pumping, Blackwood and Watlington soils are now well drained (Wetness Class I), but inaccessible and hummocky ground is still seasonally waterlogged to some degree. Downham, Watlington and Blackwood soils are of moderate waterholding capacity so are slightly droughty for most arable crops, moderately droughty for potatoes and very droughty for grass.

Cropping and Land Use

The land is mainly arable growing barley, wheat and sugar beet, but there is a little grassland for dairying and beef cattle. Where drained there is generally ample time for late harvesting and autumn and spring cultivations by traditional methods on this easily or moderately easily worked land. There are slight restrictions on landwork in late autumn and spring on the loamy Watlington series in wet years. Newport and 011erton soils are very easily worked and can be cultivated within a day or two of rain even during the field capacity period.

0555 Downham

Distribution Map

Note that the yellow shading represents a buffer to highlight the location of very small areas of the association.

Keys to component soil series

Eastern Region

Typical Landscapes

Eastern Region

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Citation: To use information from this web resource in your work, please cite this as follows:
Cranfield University 2024. The Soils Guide. Available: www.landis.org.uk. Cranfield University, UK. Last accessed 09/12/2024