Arncott Bridge Meadows

Also within

Oxfordshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Fast flowing river and stream

Geology & landscape

Landscape processes: Fluvial

Description

Area, 8.66 hectares 21.39 ac Description Arncott Bridge Meadows lie on the flood plain of the River Ray. The meadows exhibit medieval ridge and furrow features indicating that parts, at least, have remained unploughed for many centuries. They are managed as hay meadow and pasture and accordingly support a wide range of plant species which are largely confined to such old, unimproved, neutral grassland. The meadows are situated on fine loamy clay drift soils of the Wickham 2 Series. Parts of the site are seasonally waterlogged which reflects the position of the site adjacent to the River Ray and the underlying geology of impermeable Oxford Clay with Kellaway Beds. The rich flora is, in part, attributable to the variation in the soil wetness caused by the ridge and furrow together with field ditches and localised depressions. The wettest areas which hold standing water in winter are characterised by species such as false fox sedge Carex otrubae, brown sedge Carex disticha and soft rush Juncus effusus, together with the grasses creeping bent Agrostis stolonifera and tufted hair grass Deschampsia cespitosa. Abundant herbs present include tubular water dropwort Oenanthe fistulosa, ragged-robin Silene flos-cuculi and meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria. On the tops of the ridges and other drier soils, the meadow sward contains a high proportion of herbs including many species indicative of ancient, unimproved grassland. This sward is characterised by grasses such as crested dog's tail Cynosurus cristatus and common bent Agrostis capillaris with an abundance of great burnet Sanguisorba officinalis, yellow rattle Rhinanthus minor and common spotted orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii. Other species indicative of old meadowland include saw wort Serratula tinctoria, pepper saxifrage Silaum silaus, adder's tongue Ophioglossum vulgatum, green winged orchid Anacamptis morio, carnation sedge Carex panicea and dropwort Filipendula vulgaris. The vegetation in and along the banks of the adjacent River Ray contains species which are becoming increasingly rare, both regionally and nationally. The bank grassland contains the nationally uncommon narrow leaved water dropwort Oenanthe silaifolia, a species now confined to a few sites in Britain. Other locally uncommon species along the riverbank include flowering rush Butomus umbellatus and bladder sedge Carex vesicaria.

Species mentioned

Plant communities