Welford Field

Also within

Warwickshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Fast flowing river and stream

Geology & landscape

Rock Type: Limestone

Landscape processes: Fluvial

Description

Description Welford Field is an unimproved field which lies in the flood plain of the River Avon on its south bank in a large river bend near Welford on Avon. It is a herb rich neutral grassland overlying alluvial clays which exhibit a distinct calcareous influence from the close proximity of the Lias limestone to the north. The field has a characteristic flood meadow community of meadow foxtail Alopecurus pratensis and great burnet Sanguisorba officinalis, where traditional hay meadow management has been applied to seasonally flooded land with alluvial soils. There is evidence that in the nineteenth century this grassland type was widespread and common in some parts of Britain, particularly in the Midlands and also southern Englandin the case of flood meadows. In the twentieth century, however, they have declined severely as a result of agricultural improvement, the neglect of common meadow rights and from gravel extraction. Welford Field is now one of the seven last remaining flood meadow sites known in Warwickshire. The meadow has a sward that is species rich with a diversity of herbs and grasses. Amongst the many species of grass found in the meadow characteristically none of them appears dominant. The most abundant species are meadow foxtail, red fescue Festuca rubra and Yorkshire fog Holcus lanatus. The density and variety of herbs in the sward is exceptionally high with great burnet, common knapweed Centaurea nigra, meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria and meadow vetchling Lathyrus pratensis all generally abundant. Lady’s bedstraw Galium verum also grows in abundance in the meadow, this is unusual because in most flood meadows it is a rare component of the sward. Welford Field is exceptional amongst the Warwickshire flood meadows in having herb species characteristic of more calcareous sites such as the lady’s bedstraw but also salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba grows in equal abundance to the great burnet. Other grasses in this meadow include soft brome Bromus hordeaceus, cock’s foot Dactylis glomerata, rough meadow grass Poa trivialis and yellow oat grass Trisetum flavescens. Meadow barley Hordeum secalinum is also found occasionally, although unusual in flood meadows it is characteristic of many unimproved meadows in Warwickshire.

Species mentioned

Plant communities