Marden Meadows

Also within

Kent County

Condition (Natural England)

Description

Area, 3.5 ha. 8.8 ac. Description This site is one of the best examples of unimproved neutral grassland remaining in Kent. This habitat type is increasingly uncommon owing to habitat destruction. The ponds and old hedgerows are also of interest. The three meadows are cut annually for hay and then grazed. Several scarce species are present which indicate that the meadows have not been ploughed for many years. These plants include adder's tongue Ophioglossum vulgatum, green winged orchid Anacamptis morio and meadow saxifrage Saxifraga granulataa. Grasses such as fescues Festuca, bents Agrostis and foxtails Alopecurus are abundant and the less common meadow brome Bromus commutatus also occurs. Oxeye daisy Leucanthemum vulgare, yellow rattle Rhinanthus minor, meadow buttercup Ranunculus acris, bulbous buttercup Ranunculus bulbosus, bugle Ajuga reptans and common sorrel Rumex acetosa are among the typical meadow plants found on the site. The ponds and hedgerows are thought to be of ancient origin. The most abundant plants in the ponds are bulrush Typha latifolia, lesser bulrush Typha angustifolia and branched bur reed Sparganium erectum. Two scarce plants, water violet Hottonia palustris and bladder sedge Carex vesicaria are also found. The hedgerows are diverse with hawthorn Crataegus monogyna and hazel Corylus avellana being the most frequent species. The less common midland hawthorn Crataegus laevigata and wild service tree Sorbus torminalis are also present.

Species mentioned

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.

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.