Sherbourne Meadows

Also within

Warwickshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Hedgerow scrub

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Alluvium, Mudstone

Landscape processes: Fluvial

Description

Description Sherbourne Meadows comprises a series of eight adjoining unimproved fields lying on either side of Sherbourne Brook. Seven of the fields have a long history of management as hay meadows, the other is now grazed. Five of the fields along the brook, on alluvium overlying the Mercia Mudstone, have a vegetation characteristic of meadow foxtail great burnet flood meadow. The other three fields on higher land not adjoining the brook have ridge and furrow topography and overlie Mercia Mudstone. Their herb rich neutral grassland vegetation is of the common knapweed crested dog's tail meadow and pasture type. There is evidence that in the nineteenth century these grassland types were widespread and common in some parts of Britain, particularly in the Midlands and also southern England in the case of flood meadows. In the twentieth century, however, they have declined very severely as a result of agricultural improvement. The extent of flood meadows has been further reduced by neglect of common meadow rights and from gravel extraction. Sherbourne Meadows is the largest area of unimproved neutral grassland in Warwickshire. The award associated with the meadow foxtail great burnet community is species rich with a great diversity of herbs. It shows some variation in composition throughout the site due to local drainage conditions. Sixteen species of grass have so far been recorded and characteristically no single one of them appears dominant. The most abundant species are meadow foxtail Alopecurus pratensis, crested dog's tail Cynosurus cristatus, red fescue Festuca rubra, yellow oat grass Trisetum flavescens and perennial rye grass Lolium perenne. Other species that are very frequent are sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum, Yorkshire fog Holcus lanatus, cock's foot Dactylis glomerata and common bent Agrostis capillaris. The density of herbs in the sward is exceptionally high with great burnet Sanguisorba officinalis, ribwort plantain Plantago lanceolata, common knapweed Centaurea nigra, red clover Trifolium pratense and meadow buttercup Ranunculus acris all generally abundant. Other species characteristic of this grassland which occur frequently include quaking grass Briza media, meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria, meadow vetchling Lathyrus pratensis and rough hawkbit Leontodon hispidus. The common knapweed crested dog's tail community on the higher fields away from the brook also has a herb rich sward which is low growing and especially tight on the ridges. The community is the lady's bedstraw Galium verum type subcommunity having lady's bedstraw present as an occasional and yellow oat grass as a frequent component of the sward. Twelve species of grass have so far been recorded, none of which shows overall dominance. Red fescue, common bent and crested dog's tail are co-dominant with three other species, sweet vernal grass, cock's foot and Yorkshire fog almost as frequent and quaking grass is a constant occasional species. Amongst the herb species in the sward there is a high proportion of leguminous herbs with common bird's foot trefoil Lotus corniculatus, white clover Trifolium repens and red clover being the most abundant species. Other species which are frequent include common knapweed, ribwort plantain, meadow buttercup, bulbous buttercup Ranunculus bulbosus and yellow rattle Rhinanthus minor. In places a marked zonation exists between the two neutral grassland communities. Mature hedges with large hedgerow trees, particularly along the brook, serve to protect the site from surrounding improved fields and provide additional habitats for wildlife.

Species mentioned

Plant communities