Little Royal Farm Pastures
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SO934743 | — | Favourable | 3.32 | 2011-07-21 |
Geology & landscape
Geological Period: Triassic
Description
Description Little Royal Farm Pastures are situated in north Worcestershire about one kilometre east of the village of Bournheath and are managed as permanent horse pasture. The pastures lie on neutral soils derived from the underlying Mercia Mudstones of the Triassic Period. The special interest of the site lies in the diversity of the semi natural grassland sward. The vegetation conforms to the mesotrophic neutral grassland characterised by crested dog’s tail Cynosurus cristatus and common knapweed Centaurea nigra, with a transition between the meadow vetchling Lathyrus pratensis and heath grass Danthonia decumbens subcommunities. The acidic nature of the pastures is indicated by lady’s mantle Alchemilla filicaulis spp. vestita, devil’s bit scabious Succisa pratensis, tormentil Potentilla erecta and red fescue Festuca rubra. Other characteristic neutral grassland species are autumn hawkbit Scorzoneroides autumnalis, rough hawkbit Leontodon hispidus, lesser hawkbit L. taraxacoides, field wood rush Luzula campestris, betony Betonica officinalis, agrimony Agrimonia eupatoria, saw wort Serratula tinctoria and pepper saxifrage Silaum silaus. Species characteristic of the damper areas are common bird’s foot trefoil Lotus corniculatus, red clover Trifolium pratense, meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria and common bent Agrostis capillaris. The pastures are bounded by hawthorn Crataegus monogyna dominated hedges, with ash Fraxinus excelsior, blackthorn Prunus spinosa and oak Quercus spp.