Monewden Meadows
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM227571 | — | Favourable | 3.68 | 2023-03-29 |
Description
Area, 3.29 ha. 8.13 ac. Description This site which consists of three floristically rich old meadows is probably the best remaining example of unimproved calcareous clay and neutral grassland remaining in Suffolk. It supports a wide range of grasses and herbs including meadow saffron Colchicum autumnale and fritillary Fritillaria meleagris. The sward is dominated by meadow foxtail Alopecurus pratensis, red fescue Festuca rubra, crested dog's Tail Cynosurus cristatus and Yorkshire fog Holcus lanatus. The herb flora which is exceptionally diverse, includes such notable species as meadow saffron, fritillary, green winged orchid Anacamptis morio and early purple orchid Orchis mascula. Other Species characteristic of this type of grassland include cowslip Primula veris, oxeye daisy Leucanthemum vulgare, hay rattle Rhinanthus minor, twayblade Neottia ovata, adder's tongue fern Ophioglossum vulgatum, pyramidal orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis and pepper saxifrage Silaum silauss. The daffodil Narcissus 'Van Sion' is present as an introduction. One meadow includes a small area of very old fruit trees.
Species mentioned
Show the 14 species mentioned in the description, with red-list status| English name search for this in other sites |
Latin name search with Google |
IUCN / Red List | Type | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| adders-tongue fern | Ophioglossum vulgatum | LC | fern | ophioglossaceae |
| meadow foxtail | Alopecurus pratensis | LC | grass | poaceae |
| crested dog's tail | Cynosurus cristatus | LC | grass | poaceae |
| red fescue | Festuca rubra | LC | grass | poaceae |
| Yorkshire fog | Holcus lanatus | LC | grass | poaceae |
| green-winged orchid | Anacamptis morio | NT | herb | orchidaceae |
| pyramidal orchid | Anacamptis pyramidalis | LC | herb | orchidaceae |
| autumn crocus or meadow saffron | Colchicum autumnale | NT | herb | colchicaceae |
| fritillary | Fritillaria meleagris | Not listed in GB list | herb | liliaceae |
| oxeye daisy | Leucanthemum vulgare | LC | herb | asteraceae |
| common twayblade | Neottia ovata | NT | herb | orchidaceae |
| early purple orchid | Orchis mascula | LC | herb | orchidaceae |
| cowslip | Primula veris | LC | herb | primulaceae |
| yellow-rattle | Rhinanthus minor | DD | herb | orobanchaceae |
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.
| Species | Status | Via host-plant |
|---|---|---|
| Duke of Burgundy Hamearis lucina |
Endangered | Primula veris |
| Satyr pug Eupithecia satyrata |
Vulnerable | Rhinanthus minor |
| Grayling Hipparchia semele |
Vulnerable | Festuca rubra |
| Small heath Coenonympha pamphilus |
Near Threatened | Cynosurus cristatus, Festuca spp. |
| Wall Lasiommata megera |
Near Threatened | Holcus lanatus |
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.