Major Farm, Braiseworth
Also within
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TM120724 | — | Favourable | 1.18 | 2012-07-10 |
Habitats
Geology & landscape
Rock Type: Glacial Till
Landscape processes: Glacial
Birds & fish recorded
Birds
| Species | Season |
|---|---|
| cuckoo | Unknown |
Description
Area, 1.2 hectares 2.9 ac Description Major Farm Meadow is damp and species rich, one of the few remaining unimproved hay meadows in Suffolk. The meadow is shallow sloping, on boulder clay of low soil fertility and characterised by an abundance of mole hills. The sward supports a wide variety of grasses and herbs of which sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum, common sorrel Rumex acetosa, meadow buttercup Ranunculus acris and ribwort Plantago lanceolata are dominant. Other species include crested dog's tail Cynosurus cristatus, red fescue Festuca rubra, rough stalked meadow grass Poa trivialis, perennial rye grass Lolium perenne, cock's foot Dactylis glomerata and Yorkshire fog Holcus lanatus. Herbaceous species include cuckoo-flower Cardamine pratensis, pepper saxifrage Silaum silaus, oxeye daisy Leucanthemum vulgare, adder's tongue Ophioglossum vulgatum and the white flowered form of the bugle Ajuga reptans, with colonies of cowslip Primula veris, twayblade Neottia ovatal, green winged orchid Anacamptis morio and common spotted orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii. The meadow is bounded by a mature hedgerow containing oak and ash standards and rich in woody species. Within the meadow there is a fine specimen of the rare native black poplar Populus nigra.
Species mentioned
Show the 19 species mentioned in the description, with red-list statusInsects 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Marsh moth Athetis pallustris |
Endangered | Plantago lanceolata |
| Duke of Burgundy Hamearis lucina |
Endangered | Primula veris |
| Heath fritillary Melitaea athalia |
Endangered | Plantago lanceolata |
| Glanville fritillary Melitaea cinxia |
Endangered | Plantago lanceolata |
| Scarce vapourer Orgyia recens |
Endangered | Rumex acetosa |
| Fiery clearwing Pyropteron chrysidiformis |
Endangered | Rumex acetosa |
| The sprawler Asteroscopus sphinx |
Vulnerable | Populus spp. |
| Broom moth Ceramica pisi |
Vulnerable | Rumex spp. |
| Scarce chocolate-tip Clostera anachoreta |
Vulnerable | Populus spp. |
| Marsh fritillary Euphydryas aurinia |
Vulnerable | Plantago spp. |
| Garden dart Euxoa nigricans |
Vulnerable | Plantago spp., Rumex spp. |
| Grayling Hipparchia semele |
Vulnerable | Festuca rubra |
| Pale brindled Phigalia pilosaria |
Vulnerable | Populus spp. |
| Pale eggar Trichiura crataegi |
Vulnerable | Populus spp. |
| Beaded chestnut Agrochola lychnidis |
Near Threatened | Ranunculus spp., Rumex spp. |
| Grey chi Antitype chi |
Near Threatened | Plantago lanceolata, Rumex spp. |
| Large nutmeg Apamea anceps |
Near Threatened | Dactylis glomerata |
| Garden tiger Arctia caja |
Near Threatened | Plantago spp., Rumex spp. |
| The sallow Cirrhia icteritia |
Near Threatened | Populus spp., Rumex spp. |
| Small heath Coenonympha pamphilus |
Near Threatened | Cynosurus cristatus, Festuca spp., Poa spp. |
| Large thorn Ennomos autumnaria |
Near Threatened | Populus spp. |
| Autumnal rustic Eugnorisma glareosa |
Near Threatened | Plantago spp., Rumex spp. |
| Wall Lasiommata megera |
Near Threatened | Dactylis glomerata, Holcus lanatus |
| Rosy minor Litoligia literosa |
Near Threatened | Dactylis glomerata |
| Dark-barred twin-spot carpet Xanthorhoe ferrugata |
Near Threatened | 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 6 species from the description above: Dactylis glomerata, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Plantago lanceolata, Poa trivialis, Rumex acetosa
Show 49 indicator speciesHedera 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 6 species from the description above: Anthoxanthum odoratum, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Plantago lanceolata, Rumex acetosa
Show 40 indicator speciesHedera 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 3 species from the description above: Dactylis glomerata, Holcus lanatus, Poa trivialis
Show 81 indicator speciesHedera 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