Poolhay Meadows
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SO829307 | — | Favourable | 2.86 | 2012-07-19 |
Birds & fish recorded
Birds
| Species | Season |
|---|---|
| cuckoo | Unknown |
Description
Description Two ancient hay meadows with a rich flora which includes several plant species that are scarce in the County. The northernmost field is the wetter of the two. This is reflected in the species present, such as soft and hard rush Juncus effusus and J. inflexus, cuckoo-flower Cardamine pratensis and ragged-robin Silene flos-cuculi. A particular feature of this meadow is the abundance of green winged orchid Anacamptis morio. The southern meadow has fewer green winged orchids but contains other species of great interest. It is one of the few meadows in Worcestershire where the great burnet Sanguisorba officinalis is an abundant species and the only known site in Worcestershire for the meadow thistle Cirsium dissectum. Other species in some abundance are saw wort Serratula tinctoria, adder’s tongue Ophioglossum vulgatum and spotted orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii. A wet ditch with associated plant communities and species rich hedgerows add considerably to the overall nature conservation value of this site.
Species mentioned
Show the 9 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 |
| green-winged orchid | Anacamptis morio | NT | herb | orchidaceae |
| cuckoo-flower | Cardamine pratensis | LC | herb | brassicaceae |
| meadow thistle | Cirsium dissectum | EN | herb | asteraceae |
| spotted orchids | Dactylorhiza fuchsii | LC | herb | orchidaceae |
| great burnet | Sanguisorba officinalis | LC | herb | rosaceae |
| saw wort | Serratula tinctoria | VU | herb | asteraceae |
| ragged-robin | Silene flos-cuculi | LC | herb | carophyllaceae |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Reddish buff Acosmetia caliginosa |
Critically Endangered | Serratula tinctoria |
| Mouse moth Amphipyra tragopoginis |
Vulnerable | Serratula tinctoria |
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.