Brampton Racecourse
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TL202723 | — | Favourable | 11.36 | 2011-07-22 |
| TL204721 | — | Favourable | 9.74 | 2016-06-23 |
Geology & landscape
Landscape processes: Fluvial
Description
Area, 20.6 hectares 50.9 ac Description Brampton Racecourse supports an extensive area of unimproved neutral grassland located within the flood plain of Alconbury Brook. The grassland displays a strong calcareous influence and the presence of localised ridge and furrow ground patterning increases the diversity of the grassland sward. The community is broadly representative of the hardhead crested dog’s tail Centaurea nigra Cynosurus cristatus neutral grassland lady’s bedstraw Galium verum sub community type. There is some transition in places towards the meadow foxtail great burnet Alopecurus pratensis Sanguisorba officinalis flood meadow community particularly associated with the lower lying furrows. Unimproved grasslands of this type are restricted to the lowlands of southern England and are now nationally scarce. In Cambridgeshire such examples are especially rare. The grassland community is species rich and characterised by sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum, meadow oat grass Avenula pratensis and quaking grass Briza media with dropwort Filipendula vulgaris, salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba, pepper saxifrage Silaum silaus, hardhead and great burnet particularly prominent. Of additional interest is the presence of saw wort Serratula tinctoria and the largest population of green winged orchid Anacamptis morio in the county. Part of the site is cut for hay, the remainder being managed on a more intensive mowing regime.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| meadow foxtail | Alopecurus pratensis | LC | grass | poaceae |
| sweet vernal grass | Anthoxanthum odoratum | LC | grass | poaceae |
| meadow oat grass | Avenula pratensis | Not listed in GB list | grass | poaceae |
| quaking grass | Briza media | VU | grass | poaceae |
| crested dog's tail | Cynosurus cristatus | LC | grass | poaceae |
| green-winged orchid | Anacamptis morio | NT | herb | orchidaceae |
| black knapweed | Centaurea nigra | LC | herb | asteraceae |
| dropwort | Filipendula vulgaris | LC | herb | rosaceae |
| lady's bedstraw | Galium verum | LC | herb | rubiaceae |
| salad burnet | Poterium sanguisorba | VU | herb | rosaceae |
| great burnet | Sanguisorba officinalis | LC | herb | rosaceae |
| saw wort | Serratula tinctoria | VU | herb | asteraceae |
| pepper saxifrage | Silaum silaus | EN | herb | saxifragaceae |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Reddish buff Acosmetia caliginosa |
Critically Endangered | Serratula tinctoria |
| Black-veined moth Siona lineata |
Critically Endangered | Centaurea nigra |
| Mouse moth Amphipyra tragopoginis |
Vulnerable | Poterium sanguisorba, Serratula tinctoria |
| Satyr pug Eupithecia satyrata |
Vulnerable | Centaurea spp., Galium spp. |
| White-line dart Euxoa tritici |
Vulnerable | Galium verum |
| Bedstraw hawk-moth Hyles gallii |
Vulnerable | Galium spp. |
| Grizzled skipper Pyrgus malvae |
Vulnerable | Poterium sanguisorba |
| Small heath Coenonympha pamphilus |
Near Threatened | Cynosurus cristatus |
| Autumnal rustic Eugnorisma glareosa |
Near Threatened | Galium spp. |
| Grey pug Eupithecia subfuscata |
Near Threatened | Centaurea spp. |
| Scarce forester Jordanita globulariae |
Near Threatened | Centaurea nigra |
| Dark-barred twin-spot carpet Xanthorhoe ferrugata |
Near Threatened | Galium spp. |
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.