This species is widespread across north-western Europe and in mainland Britain with scattered populations known from Ireland. Locally frequent in some vice-counties where suitable habitats exists but often localised as in ‘Lancashire’ there being only five known populations between Acorn Field Plantation, Knowsley, SJ4397 in the south and Kellet Park Wood, Capernwray, SD5371 to the north.

Plants occur in damp woodlands, along woodland rides and on wooded riverbanks.

The images shown here are from Duxbury Woods, Chorley where a small localised population grows along the banks of the River Yarrow. The stems are green and sub-erect often reaching 2m in height but can be overlooked at a distance especially if growing in association with Raspberry. In the shade the stem prickles are green (as shown here) but can develop to a dark purple in open glades. The frequency of the stem prickles can vary from scarce to numerous and they are short and more triangular based than those of R. scissus which are slender and needle-like.

The leaves generally consist of five to seven leaflets, are a bright green in colour and are thin.

For the image of the rachis of R. nessensis the white flowered Rubus distractiformis and the pink flowered Lancashire endemic ‘The Duxbury Bramble’ can be seen as associated species in the background, at the present time Duxbury Woods, Chorley is the only place on earth where this unique association of species is known to occur.

From the images of the panicles we can see that the prickles are scattered, slender and curved. From the flowering panicles it is possible to see that the stamens become deflexed after the shedding of pollen, anthesis.