Newhall Reservoir Meadow

Also within

Nottinghamshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Description

Area,0.74 hectares Description The site comprises one of the best remaining examples of calcareous clay grasslands in Nottinghamshire and is representative of grassland developed on calcareous clay soils in Central and Southern England. Biology The basal border, slopes and top of this raised, covered reservoir have developed grassland communities of unusual botanical interest. The grass sward on the well drained slopes and reservoir top is dominated by sheep's fescue Festuca ovina, red fescue Festuca rubra, yellow oat grass Trisetum flavescens, false oat grass Arrhenatherum elatius and glaucous sedge Carex flacca. This community is characterised by the abundance of plants such as cowslip Primula veris, hay rattle Rhinanthus minor, rest-harrow Ononis repens, hoary plantain Plantago media and locally, hairy violet Viola hirta. The basal borders of the reservoir are generally less well drained and here the sward is characterised by the abundance of adder's tongue fern Ophioglossum vulgatum, twayblade Neottia ovata and spotted orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii. The site is especially notable for the abundance of the herb species present in the sward and for the variety of its orchid populations, several species of which are uncommon in the East Midlands.

Species mentioned