Wollaston Meadows

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 52.2749, -0.6864

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SP897648 Favourable 14.25 2022-06-13

Geology & landscape

Landscape processes: Fluvial

Description

Area, 14.6 hectares 36.0 ac Description Wollaston Meadows consists of two adjacent hay fields situated on a flat low lying site in the alluvial flood plain of the River Nene. The grassland is diverse and species rich and forms the largest known example in the county of the Alopecurus pratensis Sanguisorba officinalis flood meadow community. Although once widespread in southern river valleys, this neutral grassland type is declining rapidly as a result of agricultural changes and is now very rare in Northamptonshire and generally rare in great Britain. The sward in both fields is composed of numerous species of grasses and herbs and is particularly rich in the larger western field which has been less intensively managed than the eastern meadow. The most common species include meadow foxtail Alopecurus pratensis, crested dog’s tail Cynosurus cristatus, red fescue Festuca rubra, Yorkshire fog Holcus lanatus, tufted hair grass Deschampsia cespitosa, great burnet Sanguisorba officinalis, meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria, meadow vetchling Lathyrus pratensis and common knapweed Centaurea nigra. Other notable species occurring are yellow oat grass Trisetum flavescens, quaking grass Briza media, salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba, lady’s bedstraw Galium verum and cowslip Primula veris. The county rarity dropwort Filipendula vulgaris is also found throughout the site. Overgrown hedges, scrub and the surrounding ditches and dykes with their associated aquatic vegetation add interest to the area providing habitat for invertebrates, birds and small mammals.

Species mentioned

English name
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Latin name
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IUCN / Red List Type Family
meadow foxtail Alopecurus pratensis LC grass poaceae
quaking grass Briza media VU grass poaceae
crested dog's tail Cynosurus cristatus LC grass poaceae
tufted hair grass Deschampsia cespitosa LC grass poaceae
red fescue Festuca rubra LC grass poaceae
Yorkshire fog Holcus lanatus LC grass poaceae
yellow oat grass Trisetum flavescens LC grass poaceae
black knapweed Centaurea nigra LC herb asteraceae
meadow sweet Filipendula ulmaria LC herb rosaceae
dropwort Filipendula vulgaris LC herb rosaceae
lady's bedstraw Galium verum LC herb rubiaceae
meadow vetchling Lathyrus pratensis LC herb fabaceae
salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba VU herb rosaceae
cowslip Primula veris LC herb primulaceae
great burnet Sanguisorba officinalis LC herb rosaceae

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
Black-veined moth
Siona lineata
Critically Endangered Centaurea nigra
New forest
Zygaena viciae
Critically Endangered Lathyrus pratensis
Duke of Burgundy
Hamearis lucina
Endangered Primula veris
Wood white
Leptidea sinapis
Endangered Lathyrus pratensis
Scarce vapourer
Orgyia recens
Endangered Filipendula ulmaria
Mouse moth
Amphipyra tragopoginis
Vulnerable Poterium sanguisorba
Satyr pug
Eupithecia satyrata
Vulnerable Centaurea spp., Filipendula ulmaria, Galium spp.
White-line dart
Euxoa tritici
Vulnerable Galium verum
Grayling
Hipparchia semele
Vulnerable Deschampsia cespitosa, Festuca rubra
Bedstraw hawk-moth
Hyles gallii
Vulnerable Galium spp.
Grizzled skipper
Pyrgus malvae
Vulnerable Poterium sanguisorba
The anomalous
Stilbia anomala
Vulnerable Deschampsia cespitosa
Latticed heath
Chiasmia clathrata
Near Threatened Lathyrus pratensis
Small heath
Coenonympha pamphilus
Near Threatened Cynosurus cristatus, Festuca spp.
Autumnal rustic
Eugnorisma glareosa
Near Threatened Galium spp.
Grey pug
Eupithecia subfuscata
Near Threatened 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.

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

W20 — Montane scrub

Salix lapponum-Luzula sylvatica scrub

Matches 3 species from the description above: Deschampsia cespitosa, Festuca rubra, Filipendula ulmaria

Salix arbuscula, Salix cinerea, Salix lapponum, Salix myrsinites, Salix phylicifolia, Salix reticulata, Empetrum nigrum, Calluna vulgaris, Salix lanata, Vaccinium myrtillus, Vaccinium uliginosum, Carex atrata, Carex bigelowii, Carex binervis, Carex flacca, Luzula multiflora, Luzula sylvatica, Huperzia selago, Selaginella selaginoides, Aulacomnium palustre, Mnium hornum, Philonotis fontana, Plagiomnium undulatum, Rhizomnium punctatum, Dicranum bonjeanii, Dicranum majus, Dicranum scoparium, Fissidens adianthoides, Racomitrium lanuginosum, Calliergonell cuspidatum, Ctenidium molluscum, Hylocomium splendens, Hypnum callichroum, Hypnum cupressiforme, Palustriella commutatum, Plagiothecium denticulatum, Plagiothecium undulatum, Pleurozium schreberi, Ptilium crista-castrensis, Rhytidiadelphus loreus, Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus, Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus, Sanionia uncinata, Scorpidium revolvens, Thuidium tamariscinum, Atrichum undulatum, Polytrichastrum alpinum, Sphagnum capillifolium, Sphagnum fallax, Sphagnum girgensohnii, Sphagnum palustre, Sphagnum russowii, Sphagnum squarrosum, Sphagnum subnitens, Sphagnum teres, Barbilophozia barbata, Chiloscyphus polyanthos, Diplophyllum albicans, Lophocolea bidentata, Plagiochila porelloides, Ptilidium ciliare, Scapania undulata, Cladonia squamosa, Peltigera canina, Angelica sylvestris, Caltha palustris, Hieraclium spp., Saussurea alpina, Solidago virgaurea, Campanula rotundifolia, Succisa pratensis, Valeriana officinalis, Rhodiola rosea, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Thymus praecox, Epilobium anagallidifolium, Dactylorhiza viridis, Euphrasia officinalis, Rhinanthus minor, Oxalis acetosella, Oxyria digyna, Polygonum viviparum, Rumex acetosa, Anemone nemorosa, Ranunculus acris, Thalictrum alpinum, Alchemilla alpina, Alchemilla glabra, Filipendula ulmaria, Geum rivale, Galium boreale, Galium saxatile, Saxifraga aizoides, Saxifraga hypnoides, Saxifraga oppositifolia, Saxifraga stellaris, Viola riviniana, Agrostis canina, Agrostis capillaris, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Deschampsia cespitosa, Deschampsia flexuosa, Festuca ovina, Festuca rubra, Nardus stricta, Dryopteris dilatata, Phegopteris connectilis

W22 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub

Prunus spinosa-Rubus fruticosus scrub

Matches 3 species from the description above: Festuca rubra, Filipendula ulmaria, Holcus lanatus

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

W21 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub

Crataegus monogyna-Hedera helix scrub

Matches 2 species from the description above: Holcus lanatus, Poterium sanguisorba

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

A14 — Fast flowing river and stream

Myriophyllum alterniflorum community

Isolepis fluitans, Juncus bulbosus, Fontinalis antipyretica, Lobelia dortmanna, Equisetum fluviatile, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Lemna minor, Callitriche stagnalis, Littorella uniflora, Potamogeton filiformis, Potamogeton gramineus, Potamogeton natans, Ranunculus peltatus, Chara spp., Nitella hyalina

A17 — Chalk river and stream, Fast flowing river and stream

Ranunculus penicillatus ssp. pseudofluitans community

Berula erecta, Nasturtium officinale, Elodea canadensis, Lemna minor, Callitriche stagnalis, Veronica beccabunga, Polygonum amphibium, Polygonum hydropiper, Potamogeton crispus, Potamogeton pectinatus, Ranunculus penicillatus ssp. pseudofluitans

A18 — Fast flowing river and stream

Ranunculus fluitans community

Fontinalis antipyretica, Fontinalis squamosa var. curnowii, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Myriophyllum spicatum, Elodea canadensis, Mentha aquatica, Lemna gibba, Lemna minor, Potamogeton perfoliatus, Ranunculus fluitans, Glyceria fluitans, Phalaris arundinacea

A9 — Fast flowing river and stream, Marginal and inundation, Pond ditch and canal, Sluggish river and stream

Potamogeton natans community

Schoenoplectus lacustris, Juncus bulbosus, Sparganium angustifolium, Sparganium erectum, Sparganium minimum, Alisma plantago-aquatica, Lobelia dortmanna, Equisetum fluviatile, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Elodea canadensis, Lemna minor, Lemna trisulca, Nymphaea alba, Callitriche platycarpa, Callitriche stagnalis, Littorella uniflora, Potamogeton natans, Ranunculus trichophyllus, Glyceria fluitans, Chara subspinosa