Allington Meadows

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 52.9482, -0.7056

Also within

Lincolnshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SK870397 Favourable 3.86 2014-07-04

Habitats

Hedgerow scrub

Geology & landscape

Landscape processes: Fluvial

Birds & fish recorded

Birds

SpeciesSeason
cuckoo Unknown

Description

Description This site is an outstanding example of a traditionally managed grassland, supporting plant communities typical of alluvial, calcareous clay and loam soils. Such grassland communities are now rare in the East Midlands as they are particularly vulnerable to agricultural improvement. Allington Meadows comprises five fields of varying size, enclosed by mature hedges with hedgerow trees. To the east, where the site is bordered by the Foston Beck, the hedge contains several fine crack willows. The southern most and largest, field has ridge and furrow topography and has been managed as a traditional hay meadow. A wide range of grasses occurs within the site, including meadow foxtail Alopecurus pratensis, crested dog’s tail, Cynosurus cristatus, red fescue Festuca rubra, Yorkshire fog Holcus lanatus and sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum. Associated herbs include common knapweed Centaurea nigra, common bird’s foot trefoil Lotus corniculatus, field wood rush Luzula campestris, oxeye daisy Leucanthemum vulgare, great burnet Sanguisorba officinalis and cowslip Primula veris. Where the soils are wetter, particularly in the furrows of the southern most field, herbs such as cuckoo-flower Cardamine pratensis, meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria, ragged-robin Silene flos-cuculi and creeping jenny Lysimachia nummularia occur. Drier areas support plants characteristic of loamy soils, including lady’s bedstraw Galium verum, meadow saxifrage Saxifraga granulataa, common sorrel Rumex acetosa and bulbous buttercup Ranunculus bulbosus. A number of meadow and pasture plants which now have a restricted distribution occur within the site. These include pepper saxifrage Silaum silaus, adder’s tongue Ophioglossum vulgatum, betony Betonica officinalis and saw wort Serratula tinctoria.

Species mentioned

English name
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Latin name
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IUCN / Red List Type Family
adders-tongue fern Ophioglossum vulgatum LC fern ophioglossaceae
meadow foxtail Alopecurus pratensis LC grass poaceae
sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum 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
betony Betonica officinalis VU herb lamiaceae
cuckoo-flower Cardamine pratensis LC herb brassicaceae
black knapweed Centaurea nigra LC herb asteraceae
meadow sweet Filipendula ulmaria LC herb rosaceae
lady's bedstraw Galium verum LC herb rubiaceae
oxeye daisy Leucanthemum vulgare LC herb asteraceae
birdsfoot trefoil Lotus corniculatus LC herb fabaceae
creeping-Jenny Lysimachia nummularia LC herb primulaceae
cowslip Primula veris LC herb primulaceae
bulbous buttercup Ranunculus bulbosus LC herb ranunculaceae
common sorrel Rumex acetosa LC herb polygonaceae
great burnet Sanguisorba officinalis LC herb rosaceae
saw wort Serratula tinctoria VU herb asteraceae
pepper saxifrage Silaum silaus EN herb saxifragaceae
ragged-robin Silene flos-cuculi LC herb carophyllaceae
field wood rush Luzula campestris 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.

SpeciesStatusVia host-plant
Reddish buff
Acosmetia caliginosa
Critically Endangered Serratula tinctoria
Black-veined moth
Siona lineata
Critically Endangered Centaurea nigra, Lotus corniculatus
New forest
Zygaena viciae
Critically Endangered Lotus corniculatus
Straw belle
Aspitates gilvaria
Endangered Lotus corniculatus
Duke of Burgundy
Hamearis lucina
Endangered Primula veris
Wood white
Leptidea sinapis
Endangered Lotus corniculatus
Scarce vapourer
Orgyia recens
Endangered Filipendula ulmaria, Rumex acetosa
Fiery clearwing
Pyropteron chrysidiformis
Endangered Rumex acetosa
Slender scotch
Zygaena loti
Endangered Lotus corniculatus
Mouse moth
Amphipyra tragopoginis
Vulnerable Lotus corniculatus, Serratula tinctoria
Broom moth
Ceramica pisi
Vulnerable Rumex spp.
Dingy skipper
Erynnis tages
Vulnerable Lotus corniculatus
Satyr pug
Eupithecia satyrata
Vulnerable Centaurea spp., Filipendula ulmaria, Galium spp.
Garden dart
Euxoa nigricans
Vulnerable Rumex spp.
White-line dart
Euxoa tritici
Vulnerable Galium verum
Grayling
Hipparchia semele
Vulnerable Festuca rubra
Bedstraw hawk-moth
Hyles gallii
Vulnerable Galium spp.
Silver studded blue
Plebejus argus
Vulnerable Lotus corniculatus
Beaded chestnut
Agrochola lychnidis
Near Threatened Ranunculus spp., Rumex spp.
Grey chi
Antitype chi
Near Threatened Rumex spp.
Garden tiger
Arctia caja
Near Threatened Rumex spp.
The sallow
Cirrhia icteritia
Near Threatened Rumex spp.
Small heath
Coenonympha pamphilus
Near Threatened Cynosurus cristatus, Festuca spp.
Autumnal rustic
Eugnorisma glareosa
Near Threatened Galium spp., Rumex spp.
Grey pug
Eupithecia subfuscata
Near Threatened Betonica officinalis, Centaurea spp.
Scarce forester
Jordanita globulariae
Near Threatened Centaurea nigra
Wall
Lasiommata megera
Near Threatened Holcus lanatus
Dark-barred twin-spot carpet
Xanthorhoe ferrugata
Near Threatened Galium spp., Rumex 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.

Plant communities

W22 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub

Prunus spinosa-Rubus fruticosus scrub

Matches 4 species from the description above: Festuca rubra, Filipendula ulmaria, Holcus lanatus, Rumex acetosa

Hedera helix, Acer campestre, Corylus avellana, Ulex europaeus, Prunus spinosa, Plagiomnium undulatum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Eurhynchium striatum, Kindbergia praelonga, Thuidium tamariscinum, Atrichum undulatum, Lophocolea bidentata, Achillea millefolium, Cardamine flexuosa, Lonicera periclymenum, Moehringia trinervia, Silene dioica, Silene uniflora, Stellaria media agg., Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Stachys sylvatica, Teucrium scorodonia, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Oxalis acetosella, Digitalis purpurea, Plantago lanceolata, Veronica chamaedrys, Armeria maritima, Rumex acetosa, Filipendula ulmaria, Geum urbanum, Rosa canina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Rubus idaeus, Galium aparine, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Agrostis capillaris, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Asplenium scolopendrium, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris borreri, Dryopteris filix-mas

W23 — Brownfield, Hedgerow scrub

Ulex europaeus-Rubus fruticosus scrub

Matches 4 species from the description above: Anthoxanthum odoratum, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Rumex acetosa

Hedera helix, Calluna vulgaris, Cytisus scoparius, Ulex europaeus, Kindbergia praelonga, Pseudoscleropodium purum, Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus, Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus, Achillea millefolium, Crepis capillaris, Hypochaeris radicata, Jacobaea vulgaris, Campanula rotundifolia, Jasione montana, Cerastium fontanum, Silene dioica, Teucrium scorodonia, Digitalis purpurea, Plantago lanceolata, Veronica chamaedrys, Veronica officinalis, Rumex acetosa, Rumex acetosella, Potentilla erecta, Rubus fruticosus agg., Rubus idaeus, Galium saxatile, Viola riviniana, Agrostis capillaris, Aira praecox, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Arrhenatherum elatius, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Dactylis glomerata, Deschampsia flexuosa, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa pratensis, Pteridium aquilinum

W21 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub

Crataegus monogyna-Hedera helix scrub

Matches 1 species from the description above: Holcus lanatus

Hedera helix, Salix cinerea, Acer pseudoplatanus, Ilex aquifolium, Betula pendula, Corylus avellana, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Fraxinus excelsior, Malus sylvestris, Sorbus aria, Taxus baccata, Ulmus glabra, Ulmus procera, Sambucus nigra, Viburnum lantana, Euonymus europaeus, Cornus sanguinea, Juniperus communis, Ligustrum vulgare, Clematis vitalba, Rhamnus cathartica, Crataegus laevigata, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Juncus effusus, Plagiomnium undulatum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Kindbergia praelonga, Rhynchostegium confertum, Tamus communis, Heracleum sphondylium, Torilis japonica, Arum maculatum, Arctium minus, Cirsium arvense, Lonicera periclymenum, Moehringia trinervia, Silene dioica, Stellaria graminea, Stellaria holostea, Stellaria media agg., Calystegia sepium, Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Iris foetidissima, Glechoma hederacea, Lamium purpureum, Origanum vulgare, Stachys sylvatica, Teucrium scorodonia, Allium ursinum, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Circaea lutetiana, Rumex sanguineus, Anemone nemorosa, Ranunculus repens, Fragaria vesca, Geum urbanum, Potentilla sterilis, Poterium sanguisorba, Rosa arvensis, Rosa canina, Rubia peregrina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Galium aparine, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Anisantha sterilis, Arrhenatherum elatius, Brachypodium pinnatum, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Bromopsis erecta, Dactylis glomerata, Elytrigia repens, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Asplenium scolopendrium, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris filix-mas