Major Farm, Braiseworth

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 52.3092, 1.1095

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Suffolk County

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
TM120724 — Favourable 1.18 2012-07-10

Habitats

Hedgerow scrub

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Glacial Till

Landscape processes: Glacial

Birds & fish recorded

Birds

SpeciesSeason
cuckoo Unknown

Description

Area, 1.2 hectares 2.9 ac Description Major Farm Meadow is damp and species rich, one of the few remaining unimproved hay meadows in Suffolk. The meadow is shallow sloping, on boulder clay of low soil fertility and characterised by an abundance of mole hills. The sward supports a wide variety of grasses and herbs of which sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum, common sorrel Rumex acetosa, meadow buttercup Ranunculus acris and ribwort Plantago lanceolata are dominant. Other species include crested dog's tail Cynosurus cristatus, red fescue Festuca rubra, rough stalked meadow grass Poa trivialis, perennial rye grass Lolium perenne, cock's foot Dactylis glomerata and Yorkshire fog Holcus lanatus. Herbaceous species include cuckoo-flower Cardamine pratensis, pepper saxifrage Silaum silaus, oxeye daisy Leucanthemum vulgare, adder's tongue Ophioglossum vulgatum and the white flowered form of the bugle Ajuga reptans, with colonies of cowslip Primula veris, twayblade Neottia ovatal, green winged orchid Anacamptis morio and common spotted orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii. The meadow is bounded by a mature hedgerow containing oak and ash standards and rich in woody species. Within the meadow there is a fine specimen of the rare native black poplar Populus nigra.

Species mentioned

English name
search for this in other sites		 Latin name
search with Google		 IUCN / Red List Type Family
adders-tongue fern Ophioglossum vulgatum LC fern ophioglossaceae
sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum LC grass poaceae
crested dog's tail Cynosurus cristatus LC grass poaceae
cock's foot Dactylis glomerata LC grass poaceae
red fescue Festuca rubra LC grass poaceae
Yorkshire fog Holcus lanatus LC grass poaceae
perennial rye-grass Lolium perenne LC grass poaceae
rough meadow grass Poa trivialis LC grass poaceae
bugle Ajuga reptans LC herb lamiaceae
green-winged orchid Anacamptis morio NT herb orchidaceae
cuckoo-flower Cardamine pratensis LC herb brassicaceae
spotted orchids Dactylorhiza fuchsii LC herb orchidaceae
oxeye daisy Leucanthemum vulgare LC herb asteraceae
ribwort plantain Plantago lanceolata LC herb plantaginaceae
cowslip Primula veris LC herb primulaceae
meadow buttercup Ranunculus acris DD herb ranunculaceae
common sorrel Rumex acetosa LC herb polygonaceae
pepper saxifrage Silaum silaus EN herb saxifragaceae
black poplar Populus nigra LC tree salicaceae

Plant communities

W21 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub

Crataegus monogyna-Hedera helix scrub

Hedera helix, Salix cinerea, Acer pseudoplatanus, Ilex aquifolium, Betula pendula, Corylus avellana, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Fraxinus excelsior, Malus sylvestris, Sorbus aria, Taxus baccata, Ulmus glabra, Ulmus procera, Sambucus nigra, Viburnum lantana, Euonymus europaeus, Cornus sanguinea, Juniperus communis, Ligustrum vulgare, Clematis vitalba, Rhamnus cathartica, Crataegus laevigata, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Juncus effusus, Plagiomnium undulatum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Kindbergia praelonga, Rhynchostegium confertum, Tamus communis, Heracleum sphondylium, Torilis japonica, Arum maculatum, Arctium minus, Cirsium arvense, Lonicera periclymenum, Moehringia trinervia, Silene dioica, Stellaria graminea, Stellaria holostea, Stellaria media agg., Calystegia sepium, Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Iris foetidissima, Glechoma hederacea, Lamium purpureum, Origanum vulgare, Stachys sylvatica, Teucrium scorodonia, Allium ursinum, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Circaea lutetiana, Rumex sanguineus, Anemone nemorosa, Ranunculus repens, Fragaria vesca, Geum urbanum, Potentilla sterilis, Poterium sanguisorba, Rosa arvensis, Rosa canina, Rubia peregrina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Galium aparine, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Anisantha sterilis, Arrhenatherum elatius, Brachypodium pinnatum, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Bromopsis erecta, Dactylis glomerata, Elytrigia repens, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Asplenium scolopendrium, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris filix-mas

W22 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub

Prunus spinosa-Rubus fruticosus scrub

Hedera helix, Acer campestre, Corylus avellana, Ulex europaeus, Prunus spinosa, Plagiomnium undulatum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Eurhynchium striatum, Kindbergia praelonga, Thuidium tamariscinum, Atrichum undulatum, Lophocolea bidentata, Achillea millefolium, Cardamine flexuosa, Lonicera periclymenum, Moehringia trinervia, Silene dioica, Silene uniflora, Stellaria media agg., Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Stachys sylvatica, Teucrium scorodonia, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Oxalis acetosella, Digitalis purpurea, Plantago lanceolata, Veronica chamaedrys, Armeria maritima, Rumex acetosa, Filipendula ulmaria, Geum urbanum, Rosa canina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Rubus idaeus, Galium aparine, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Agrostis capillaris, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Asplenium scolopendrium, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris borreri, Dryopteris filix-mas

W23 — Brownfield, Hedgerow scrub

Ulex europaeus-Rubus fruticosus scrub

Hedera helix, Calluna vulgaris, Cytisus scoparius, Ulex europaeus, Kindbergia praelonga, Pseudoscleropodium purum, Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus, Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus, Achillea millefolium, Crepis capillaris, Hypochaeris radicata, Jacobaea vulgaris, Campanula rotundifolia, Jasione montana, Cerastium fontanum, Silene dioica, Teucrium scorodonia, Digitalis purpurea, Plantago lanceolata, Veronica chamaedrys, Veronica officinalis, Rumex acetosa, Rumex acetosella, Potentilla erecta, Rubus fruticosus agg., Rubus idaeus, Galium saxatile, Viola riviniana, Agrostis capillaris, Aira praecox, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Arrhenatherum elatius, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Dactylis glomerata, Deschampsia flexuosa, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa pratensis, Pteridium aquilinum