Meadow Croft, Skythorns

Also within

North Yorkshire County YORKSHIRE DALES National Park

Condition (Natural England)

Description

Area, 0.4 hectares 0.98 ac Description Despite its small size, the meadow adjacent to Meadow Croft contains a remarkably rich mixture of grasses and flowering plants which is dependent on the continuation of the traditional hay cropping regime without the use of artificial fertilisers. The sward is generally calcareous in character and ranges from dry to damp according to proximity to Spiredale Beck which passes through the meadow. In the drier section the grassland is dominated by red fescue Festuca rubra with downy oat grass Avenula pubescens, crested hair grass Koeleria macrantha and quaking grass Briza media. Herb species include pignut Conopodium majus, selfheal Prunella vulgaris, salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba, common knapweed Centaurea nigra and, of particular note, adder's tongue fern Ophioglossum vulgatum. Where the grassland is damper, sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum becomes more prominent in the sward and the salad burnet is replaced by great burnet Sanguisorba officinalis. Other herb species here include wood anemone Anemone nemorosa, lesser celandine Ficaria verna, water avens Geum rivale and lady's mantle Alchemilla xanthochlora.

Species mentioned