Haydon Meadow

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 51.5994, -1.8292

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Wiltshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Unfavourable Declining (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SU119889 — Unfavourable Declining 6.34 2021-06-22

Habitats

Hedgerow scrub

Geology & landscape

Geological Period: Jurassic

Description

Description Haydon Meadow is a floristically rich, unimproved lowland neutral grassland, managed as hay meadow. This habitat has largely been lost throughout England, as a result of widespread adoption of intensive agricultural management. The meadow contains populations of two locally uncommon plant species and a breeding site and habitat for a specially protected amphibian. The meadow lies on neutral soils derived from Upper Jurassic Oxford Clay, situated on the northwestern fringe of Swindon. Past agricultural management has formed extensive ridges and furrows over the meadow. These features create a pattern of differing soil drainage across the mostly level field. The meadow is bounded by thick hedges and a small pond lies on one edge. The meadow supports a wide variety of grasses and herbs indicative of a long period of traditional hay meadow management. Common bent Agrostis capillaris, red fescue Festuca rubra, sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum, crested dog's tail Cynosurus cristatus, Yorkshire fog Holcus lanatus and yellow oat grass Trisetum flavescens are all frequent and are joined by several other grasses, including meadow fox tail Alopecurus pratensis, perennial rye grass Lolium perenne, meadow barley Hordeum secalinum and quaking grass Briza media. Typical meadow herb species are abundant throughout the grassland, particularly common knapweed Centaurea nigra, oxeye daisy Leucanthemum vulgare, common sorrel Rumex acetosella, bird's foot trefoil Lotus corniculatus and red clover Trifolium pratense, along with many other species of interest including devil's bit scabious Succisa pratensis, betony Betonica officinalis, saw wort Serratula tinctoria, meadow vetchling Lathyrus pratensis, yellow rattle Rhinanthus minor and pepper saxifrage Silaum silaus. Particularly noteworthy is the strong population of the uncommon green winged orchid Anacamptis morio within the meadow, which makes this one of the most important hay meadow colonies in the county. The flower rich meadow supports a typical range of meadow invertebrates, including the forester moth Adscita statices, which is nationally scarce. Additional habitat features are a small pond and a thick hedge on the meadow's perimeter. Floating sweet grass Glyceria fluitans and the locally uncommon grey club rush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani grow on the pond's margins. The pond and surrounding land are used by the large local population of the great crested newt Triturus cristatus, a species listed on Annex 2 of the European Habitat and Species Directive.

Species mentioned

English name
search for this in other sites		 Latin name
search with Google		 IUCN / Red List Type Family
great crested newt Triturus cristatus LC amphibian salamandridae
common bent Agrostis capillaris LC grass poaceae
meadow foxtail Alopecurus pratensis LC grass poaceae
sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum LC grass poaceae
quaking grass Briza media VU grass poaceae
crested dog's tail Cynosurus cristatus LC grass poaceae
red fescue Festuca rubra LC grass poaceae
floating sweet grass Glyceria fluitans LC grass poaceae
Yorkshire fog Holcus lanatus LC grass poaceae
meadow barley Hordeum secalinum LC grass poaceae
perennial rye-grass Lolium perenne LC grass poaceae
yellow oat grass Trisetum flavescens LC grass poaceae
green-winged orchid Anacamptis morio NT herb orchidaceae
betony Betonica officinalis VU herb lamiaceae
black knapweed Centaurea nigra LC herb asteraceae
meadow vetchling Lathyrus pratensis LC herb fabaceae
oxeye daisy Leucanthemum vulgare LC herb asteraceae
birdsfoot trefoil Lotus corniculatus LC herb fabaceae
yellow-rattle Rhinanthus minor DD herb orobanchaceae
sheep's sorrel Rumex acetosella NT herb polygonaceae
saw wort Serratula tinctoria VU herb asteraceae
pepper saxifrage Silaum silaus EN herb saxifragaceae
devils-bit scabious Succisa pratensis VU herb caprifoliaceae
red clover Trifolium pratense LC herb fabaceae
the forester Adscita statices Not listed in GB list moth zygaenidae
grey club rush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani LC sedge cyperaceae

Plant communities

W21 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub

Crataegus monogyna-Hedera helix scrub

Hedera helix, Salix cinerea, Acer pseudoplatanus, Ilex aquifolium, Betula pendula, Corylus avellana, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Fraxinus excelsior, Malus sylvestris, Sorbus aria, Taxus baccata, Ulmus glabra, Ulmus procera, Sambucus nigra, Viburnum lantana, Euonymus europaeus, Cornus sanguinea, Juniperus communis, Ligustrum vulgare, Clematis vitalba, Rhamnus cathartica, Crataegus laevigata, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Juncus effusus, Plagiomnium undulatum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Kindbergia praelonga, Rhynchostegium confertum, Tamus communis, Heracleum sphondylium, Torilis japonica, Arum maculatum, Arctium minus, Cirsium arvense, Lonicera periclymenum, Moehringia trinervia, Silene dioica, Stellaria graminea, Stellaria holostea, Stellaria media agg., Calystegia sepium, Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Iris foetidissima, Glechoma hederacea, Lamium purpureum, Origanum vulgare, Stachys sylvatica, Teucrium scorodonia, Allium ursinum, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Circaea lutetiana, Rumex sanguineus, Anemone nemorosa, Ranunculus repens, Fragaria vesca, Geum urbanum, Potentilla sterilis, Poterium sanguisorba, Rosa arvensis, Rosa canina, Rubia peregrina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Galium aparine, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Anisantha sterilis, Arrhenatherum elatius, Brachypodium pinnatum, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Bromopsis erecta, Dactylis glomerata, Elytrigia repens, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Asplenium scolopendrium, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris filix-mas

W22 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub

Prunus spinosa-Rubus fruticosus scrub

Hedera helix, Acer campestre, Corylus avellana, Ulex europaeus, Prunus spinosa, Plagiomnium undulatum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Eurhynchium striatum, Kindbergia praelonga, Thuidium tamariscinum, Atrichum undulatum, Lophocolea bidentata, Achillea millefolium, Cardamine flexuosa, Lonicera periclymenum, Moehringia trinervia, Silene dioica, Silene uniflora, Stellaria media agg., Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Stachys sylvatica, Teucrium scorodonia, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Oxalis acetosella, Digitalis purpurea, Plantago lanceolata, Veronica chamaedrys, Armeria maritima, Rumex acetosa, Filipendula ulmaria, Geum urbanum, Rosa canina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Rubus idaeus, Galium aparine, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Agrostis capillaris, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Asplenium scolopendrium, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris borreri, Dryopteris filix-mas

W23 — Brownfield, Hedgerow scrub

Ulex europaeus-Rubus fruticosus scrub

Hedera helix, Calluna vulgaris, Cytisus scoparius, Ulex europaeus, Kindbergia praelonga, Pseudoscleropodium purum, Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus, Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus, Achillea millefolium, Crepis capillaris, Hypochaeris radicata, Jacobaea vulgaris, Campanula rotundifolia, Jasione montana, Cerastium fontanum, Silene dioica, Teucrium scorodonia, Digitalis purpurea, Plantago lanceolata, Veronica chamaedrys, Veronica officinalis, Rumex acetosa, Rumex acetosella, Potentilla erecta, Rubus fruticosus agg., Rubus idaeus, Galium saxatile, Viola riviniana, Agrostis capillaris, Aira praecox, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Arrhenatherum elatius, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Dactylis glomerata, Deschampsia flexuosa, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa pratensis, Pteridium aquilinum