Description
Area,4.7 ha
Description
This site is a representative example of a traditionally managed neutral grassland, supporting plant communities typical of calcareous clay and loam soils. Such grassland communities are now rare in the East Midlands, as elsewhere in Britain, as they are particularly vulnerable to agricultural improvement. Kingerby Beck Meadows once comprised three fields, but now the old boundaries are marked by remnant hawthorn Crataegus monogyna hedges. The site is bordered to the south by Kingerby Beck and is otherwise enclosed by mature hedges. A wide range of grasses occurs within the site, including sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum, crested dog's tail Cynosurus cristatus, red fescue Festuca rubra, Yorkshire fog Holcus lanatus, common bent Agrostis capillaris, meadow barley Hordeum secalinum and tor grass Brachypodium pinnatum. Associated herbs include common bird's foot trefoil Lotus corniculatus, ribwort plantain Plantago lanceolata, common knapweed Centaurea nigra, meadow buttercup Ranunculus acris, bulbous buttercup Ranunculus bulbosus, cat's ear Hypochaeris radicata, yarrow Achillea millefolium, cowslip Primula veris and yellow rattle Rhinanthus minor. The species composition of the site tends to vary with soil drainage. In the northern most field where the soils are freely draining, plants characteristic of loamy soils, such as glaucous sedge Carex flacca, lady's bedstraw Galium verum, fairy flax Linum catharticum, dwarf thistle Cirsium acaule and pignut Conopodium majus occur. In the southern most field, the soil tends to be heavier, supporting herbs such as meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria, cuckoo-flower Cardamine pratensis, meadow vetchling Lathyrus pratensis, soft rush Juncus effusus and tufted vetch Vicia cracca. Two plants of a restricted distribution, frog orchid Dactylorhiza viridis and adder's tongue Ophioglossum vulgatum, occur within the site.