Midsummer Meadow

Also within

Warwickshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Glacial Till

Landscape processes: Glacial

Description

Area, 2.9 ha. 7.2 ac. Description Midsummer Meadow is unimproved grassland which lies to the west of Shipston on Stourin the extreme south of Warwickshire. The meadow has developed on boulder clay overlying Lower Lias clay and shows ridge and furrow formation. The vegetation is a herb rich community of the crested dog’s tail – common knapweed type which was once widespread on the heavy soils of the Midlands. There is evidence that in the nineteenth century this grassland type was widespread and common in some parts of Britain, particularly the Midlands, but in the twentieth century it has declined very severely as a result of agricultural improvement. In several counties in the east Midlands it has almost disappeared and in Warwickshire under ten sites are known. The plant community is dominated by crested dog’s tail Cynosurus cristatus, rough meadow grass Poa trivialis, sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum, meadow foxtail Alopecurus pratensis, common knapweed Centaurea nigra and lady’s bedstraw Galium verum. The meadow is rich in grass species with a total of fourteen so far recorded including quaking grass Briza media, meadow barley Hordeum secalinum and yellow oat grass Trisetum flavescens. Characteristic herbs of this type of grassland which are frequent here include meadow vetchling Lathyrus pratensis, devil’s bit scabious Succisa pratensis, rough hawkbit Leontodon hispidus and cowslip Primula veris. Several plants occur which are uncommon in Warwickshire including saw wort Serratula tinctoria, pepper saxifrage Silaum silaus, spiny rest-harrow Ononis spinosa and the nationally restricted corn parsley Petroselinum segetum.

Species mentioned