Kingweston Meadows

Also within

Somerset County

Condition (Natural England)

Geology & landscape

Geological Period: Jurassic

Birds & fish recorded

Birds

Description

Description This site is an excellent example of an unimproved herb rich neutral grassland of a type which is now rare in Britain. Since the Second World War over 95 percent of such habitat in Britain has been lost as a result of agricultural improvement and the annual rate of loss is estimated to be increasing. In Somerset, a county where this habitat was once widespread and extensive, less than 10 sites of this size and quality are now known. It is located on level ground on calcareous clay soils which have developed from the underlying Jurassic clays. The sward consists largely of the crested dog's tail common knapweed Cynosurus cristatus Centaurea nigra community. It contains in abundance herbs such as, betony Betonica officinalis, dyer's greenweed Genista tinctoria, saw wort Serratula tinctoria, lady's bedstraw Galium verum, cowslip Primula veris, pepper saxifrage Silaum silaus, agrimony Agrimonia eupatoria, devil's bit scabious Succisa pratensis and common knapweed. Green winged orchid Anacamptis morio, adder's tongue Ophioglossum vulgatum and corky fruited water dropwort Oenanthe pimpinelloides, which is a nationally scarce species, are also present. In the wetter areas, which are mostly associated with the field gutters, rushes Juncus spp. become abundant along with species such as, meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria, creeping Jenny Lysimachia nummularia, cuckoo-flower Cardamine pratensis and hairy sedge Carex hirta.

Species mentioned