Yellow House Meadow

Also within

Worcestershire County

Condition (Natural England)

Geology & landscape

Geological Period: Jurassic

Description

Description Yellow House Meadow is located on the East Worcestershire plain near the village of Naunton Beauchamp. It is a traditionally managed hay meadow overlying a medieval ridge and furrow system. The soils are predominantly neutral with a slight calcareous influence, derived from the underlying Lower Lias clays of the Jurassic period. The special interest of this site lies in the diversity of the semi natural grassland sward which has been maintained under traditional management by hay cutting and grazing, and is of a type which is nationally scarce and declining. The vegetation conforms with the mesotrophic neutral grassland characterised by common knapweed Centaurea nigra and crested dog’s tail Cynosurus cristatus. The undulating topography of the ridge and furrow increases the diversity of the grassland giving rise to two sub communities of this grassland type. Frequent within the seasonally wet furrows are meadow foxtail Alopecurus pratensis, tall fescue Schedonorus arundinaceus, rough meadow grass Poa trivialis, glaucous sedge Carex flacca and meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria. In contrast, the dominant grasses on the ridges are sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum, downy oat grass Avenula pubescens, meadow brome Bromus commutatus and red fescue Festuca rubra. Associated herbs include oxeye daisy Leucanthemum vulgare, common birds foot trefoil Lotus corniculatus, black medick Medicago lupulina, cowslip Primula veris and yellow rattle Rhinanthus minor agg. Uncommon and lime loving Calcicole species found occasionally throughout the sward are adder’s tongue Ophioglossum vulgatum, dropwort Filipendula vulgaris, hoary plantain Plantago media, salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba and pepper saxifrage Silaum silaus. The whole meadow is surrounded by tall, well structured hedgerows with thick scrubby bases. Shrubs and trees found in these hedgerows include English elm Ulmus procera, hawthorn Crataegus monogyna, blackthorn Prunus spinosa, field maple Acer campestre, ash Fraxinus excelsior, crack willow Salix fragilis, dogwood Cornus sanguinea and crab apple Malus sylvestris. The meadow supports a strong colony of the common blue butterfly Polyommatus icarus.

Species mentioned

Insects to look out for

These moths and butterflies are known to feed on plants recorded at this site, and carry a notable UK conservation status — but a host-plant being present doesn't mean the insect has actually been recorded here. Treat this as "worth watching for," not a confirmed sighting.

Hostplant data: Cook et al. (2025), Traits data for the butterflies and macro-moths of Great Britain and Ireland, 2024, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology / Butterfly Conservation (Open Government Licence). Contains data supplied by UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.