Chaceley Meadow

Also within

Gloucestershire County

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Fast flowing river and stream

Birds & fish recorded

Birds

Description

Area, 1.98 ha. 4.9 ac. Description Chaceley Meadow is an unimproved herb rich neutral grassland, a habitat formerly widespread in the Severn Vale. Locally the grassland is damp and is subject to occasional flooding by the River Severn in winter. The meadow is managed traditionally for hay with aftermath grazing. The sward is composed largely of sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum, meadow foxtail Alopecurus pratensis, crested dog's tail Cynosurus cristatus, red fescue Festuca rubra and soft brome Bromus hordeaceous and also contains a number of rushes and sedges including brown sedge Carex disticha, hairy sedge Carex hirta and glaucous sedge Carex flacca. The meadow supports a good range of herb species typical of meadows of this type, in particular, meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria, great burnet Sanguisorba officinalis, meadow vetchling Lathyrus pratensis, cuckoo-flower Cardamine pratensis and ragged-robin Silene flos-cuculi. Of particular interest is the large population of slender spike rush Eleocharis uniglumis, a rare species within Gloucestershire. The site is bounded by mature hawthorn Crataegus monogyna and blackthorn Prunus spinosa hedges with numerous large White willow Salix alba pollards. Open ditches along the northern boundary provide additional aquatic species interest to the site.

Species mentioned

Plant communities