New Inn Meadow
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SO758493 | — | Unfavourable No Change | 2.61 | 2010-11-23 |
Description
Description New Inn Meadow is a very good example of a rich hay meadow arising from a long continuity of management for hay with aftermath grazing. Hay meadows such as this were once common in Worcestershire but have now become extremely scarce there owing to changes in agricultural practice. The dominant grasses are meadow foxtail Alopecurus pratensis, sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum and red fescue Festuca rubra. The rich flora includes cowslip Primula veris, yellow rattle Rhinanthus minor, meadow pea Lathyrus pratensis, pepper saxifrage Silaum silaus and black medick Medicago lupulina all of which are abundant. Both green winged orchid Anacamptis morio and fragrant orchid Gymnadenia conopsea are found in the meadow, the latter being scarce in this part of the county. There are one or two wetter areas in the lower part of the meadow, where meadow sweet Filipendula ulmaria and soft rush Juncus effusus occur, adding to the floristic interest.
Species mentioned
Show the 12 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 |
| red fescue | Festuca rubra | LC | grass | poaceae |
| green-winged orchid | Anacamptis morio | NT | herb | orchidaceae |
| meadow sweet | Filipendula ulmaria | LC | herb | rosaceae |
| fragrant orchid | Gymnadenia conopsea | NT | herb | orchidaceae |
| meadow vetchling | Lathyrus pratensis | LC | herb | fabaceae |
| black medick | Medicago lupulina | LC | herb | fabaceae |
| cowslip | Primula veris | LC | herb | primulaceae |
| yellow-rattle | Rhinanthus minor | DD | herb | orobanchaceae |
| pepper saxifrage | Silaum silaus | EN | herb | saxifragaceae |
| soft rush | Juncus effusus | LC | rush | juncaceae |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| New forest Zygaena viciae |
Critically Endangered | Lathyrus pratensis |
| Straw belle Aspitates gilvaria |
Endangered | Medicago lupulina |
| Duke of Burgundy Hamearis lucina |
Endangered | Primula veris |
| Wood white Leptidea sinapis |
Endangered | Lathyrus pratensis |
| Scarce vapourer Orgyia recens |
Endangered | Filipendula ulmaria |
| Satyr pug Eupithecia satyrata |
Vulnerable | Filipendula ulmaria, Rhinanthus minor |
| Grayling Hipparchia semele |
Vulnerable | Festuca rubra |
| Latticed heath Chiasmia clathrata |
Near Threatened | Lathyrus pratensis |
| Small heath Coenonympha pamphilus |
Near Threatened | Festuca 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.