Mappp.co - Newhall Reservoir Meadow

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Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (1)

Unit	Feature	Condition	Area (ha)	Assessed
SK661546	—	Favourable	0.7	2023-03-30

Description

Area,0.74 hectares Description The site comprises one of the best remaining examples of calcareous clay grasslands in Nottinghamshire and is representative of grassland developed on calcareous clay soils in Central and Southern England. Biology The basal border, slopes and top of this raised, covered reservoir have developed grassland communities of unusual botanical interest. The grass sward on the well drained slopes and reservoir top is dominated by sheep's fescue Festuca ovina, red fescue Festuca rubra, yellow oat grass Trisetum flavescens, false oat grass Arrhenatherum elatius and glaucous sedge Carex flacca. This community is characterised by the abundance of plants such as cowslip Primula veris, hay rattle Rhinanthus minor, rest-harrow Ononis repens, hoary plantain Plantago media and locally, hairy violet Viola hirta. The basal borders of the reservoir are generally less well drained and here the sward is characterised by the abundance of adder's tongue fern Ophioglossum vulgatum, twayblade Neottia ovata and spotted orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii. The site is especially notable for the abundance of the herb species present in the sward and for the variety of its orchid populations, several species of which are uncommon in the East Midlands.

Species mentioned

Show the 13 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
false oat grass	Arrhenatherum elatius	LC	grass	poaceae
sheep's fescue	Festuca ovina	LC	grass	poaceae
red fescue	Festuca rubra	LC	grass	poaceae
yellow oat grass	Trisetum flavescens	LC	grass	poaceae
spotted orchids	Dactylorhiza fuchsii	LC	herb	orchidaceae
common twayblade	Neottia ovata	NT	herb	orchidaceae
common rest-harrow	Ononis repens	VU	herb	fabaceae
hoary plantain	Plantago media	LC	herb	plantaginaceae
cowslip	Primula veris	LC	herb	primulaceae
yellow-rattle	Rhinanthus minor	DD	herb	orobanchaceae
hairy violet	Viola hirta	LC	herb	violaceae
glaucus sedge	Carex flacca	LC	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.

Species	Status	Via host-plant
High brown fritillary Fabriciana adippe	Critically Endangered	Viola hirta
Duke of Burgundy Hamearis lucina	Endangered	Primula veris
Least minor Photedes captiuncula	Endangered	Carex flacca
Marsh fritillary Euphydryas aurinia	Vulnerable	Plantago spp.
Satyr pug Eupithecia satyrata	Vulnerable	Rhinanthus minor
Garden dart Euxoa nigricans	Vulnerable	Plantago spp.
Grayling Hipparchia semele	Vulnerable	Festuca ovina, Festuca rubra
Silver studded blue Plebejus argus	Vulnerable	Ononis spp.
Rest harrow Aplasta ononaria	Near Threatened	Ononis repens
Garden tiger Arctia caja	Near Threatened	Plantago spp.
Small heath Coenonympha pamphilus	Near Threatened	Festuca spp.
Autumnal rustic Eugnorisma glareosa	Near Threatened	Festuca ovina, Plantago spp.
Silver-spotted skipper Hesperia comma	Near Threatened	Festuca ovina
Rosy minor Litoligia literosa	Near Threatened	Arrhenatherum elatius, Carex flacca, Festuca ovina

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.