Hawkesbury Meadow

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 51.5846, -2.3562

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
ST754873 Favourable 3.38 2011-07-21

Habitats

Hedgerow scrub

Geology & landscape

Geological Period: Jurassic

Description

Area, 3.3 ha. 8.2 ac. Description Hawkesbury Meadow is situated at about 90 metres OD N on Jurassic, Lias clays. It is species rich, unimproved, neutral, grassland on level to gently sloping ground and is bordered by trimmed and mature hedges. There is a small pond against the eastern hedge. The meadow supports a nationally rare type of vegetation common knapweed / crested dog's tail Centaurea nigra/ Cynosurus cristatus and is particularly important because many of the uncommon plants associated with this community type form a high proportion of the sward. Common knapweed, devil's bit scabious Succisa pratensis and the uncommon saw wort Serratula tinctoria are particularly abundant, while dyers greenweed Genista tinctoria and pepper saxifrage Silaum silaus, both uncommon species, are frequent. Less abundant species include meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria, cowslip Primula veris, betony Betonica officinalis, creeping jenny Lysimachia nummularia, tufted vetch Vicia cracca and meadow vetchling Lathyrus pratensis. Other uncommon plants present are green winged orchid Anacamptis morio and adder's tongue Ophioglossum vulgatum. The grass and sedge component is typical for the community type, predominant are common bent Agrostis capillaris, sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum, crested dog's tail, red fescue Festuca rubra and carnation sedge Carex panicea. The meadow drains naturally into a shallow depression across the middle, which has a dense stand of brown sedge Carex disticha at the top and wet rushy grassland below. The rushy community has frequent tussocks of soft rush Juncus effusus and hard rush Juncus inflexus, with false fox sedge Carex otrubae, ragged-robin Silene flos-cuculi and lesser spearwort Ranunculus flammula which are plants of periodically inundated marshy ground. Meadow thistle Cirsium dissectum a plant of restricted distribution in Britain occurs in the depression. Site Notified to Secretary of State on 28 October 1987

Species mentioned

English name
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Latin name
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IUCN / Red List Type Family
adders-tongue fern Ophioglossum vulgatum LC fern ophioglossaceae
common bent Agrostis capillaris LC grass poaceae
sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum LC grass poaceae
crested dog's tail Cynosurus cristatus LC grass poaceae
red fescue Festuca rubra 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 thistle Cirsium dissectum EN herb asteraceae
meadow sweet Filipendula ulmaria LC herb rosaceae
dyer's greenweed Genista tinctoria LC herb fabaceae
meadow vetchling Lathyrus pratensis LC herb fabaceae
creeping-Jenny Lysimachia nummularia LC herb primulaceae
cowslip Primula veris LC herb primulaceae
lesser spearwort Ranunculus flammula DD herb ranunculaceae
saw wort Serratula tinctoria VU herb asteraceae
pepper saxifrage Silaum silaus EN herb saxifragaceae
ragged-robin Silene flos-cuculi LC herb carophyllaceae
devils-bit scabious Succisa pratensis VU herb caprifoliaceae
tufted vetch Vicia cracca LC herb fabaceae
soft rush Juncus effusus LC rush juncaceae
hard rush Juncus inflexus LC rush juncaceae
brown sedge Carex disticha LC sedge cyperaceae
false fox sedge Carex otrubae LC sedge cyperaceae
carnation sedge Carex panicea NT sedge cyperaceae

Insects to look out for

These moths, butterflies and beetles 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.

SpeciesStatusVia host-plant
Reddish buff
Acosmetia caliginosa
Critically Endangered Serratula tinctoria
Black-veined moth
Siona lineata
Critically Endangered Centaurea nigra
New forest
Zygaena viciae
Critically Endangered Lathyrus pratensis
Duke of Burgundy
Hamearis lucina
Endangered Primula veris
Wood white
Leptidea sinapis
Endangered Lathyrus pratensis, Vicia cracca
Scarce blackneck
Lygephila craccae
Endangered Vicia cracca
Scarce vapourer
Orgyia recens
Endangered Filipendula ulmaria
Mouse moth
Amphipyra tragopoginis
Vulnerable Serratula tinctoria
Marsh fritillary
Euphydryas aurinia
Vulnerable Succisa pratensis
Satyr pug
Eupithecia satyrata
Vulnerable Centaurea spp., Filipendula ulmaria
Grayling
Hipparchia semele
Vulnerable Festuca rubra
Lead belle
Scotopteryx mucronata
Vulnerable Genista tinctoria
Beaded chestnut
Agrochola lychnidis
Near Threatened Ranunculus spp.
Latticed heath
Chiasmia clathrata
Near Threatened Lathyrus pratensis, Vicia cracca
Small heath
Coenonympha pamphilus
Near Threatened Agrostis spp., Cynosurus cristatus, Festuca spp.
Grey pug
Eupithecia subfuscata
Near Threatened Betonica officinalis, Centaurea spp.
Scarce forester
Jordanita globulariae
Near Threatened Centaurea nigra
Wall
Lasiommata megera
Near Threatened Agrostis spp.
The blackneck
Lygephila pastinum
Near Threatened Vicia cracca

Host-plant 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; and Padovani et al. (2020), Database of Insects and their Food Plants (DBIF), UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (both Open Government Licence). Contains data supplied by UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.

Plant communities

W22 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub

Prunus spinosa-Rubus fruticosus scrub

Matches 3 species from the description above: Agrostis capillaris, Festuca rubra, Filipendula ulmaria

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

Matches 3 species from the description above: Agrostis capillaris, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Festuca rubra

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

W21 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub

Crataegus monogyna-Hedera helix scrub

Matches 1 species from the description above: Juncus effusus

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