Eastoft Meadow
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SE786142 | — | Favourable | 0.81 | 2014-06-24 |
Geology & landscape
Landscape processes: Fluvial
Description
Description Eastoft Meadow is a small herb rich hay meadow on shallow alluvial soil over lying Keuper Marl. The grassland is characterised by a mixture of red fescue Festuca rubra, sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum and quaking grass Briza media with hairy oat grass Avenula pubescens, Yorkshire fog Holcus lanatus, meadow grass Poa pratensis and yellow oat grass Trisetum flavescens. The herb flora includes abundant great burnet Sanguisorba officinalis, oxeye daisy Leucanthemum vulgare, meadow sweet Filipendula ulmaria, betony Betonica officinalis and rough hawkbit Leontodon hispidus and, less commonly, pepper saxifrage Silaum silaus and saw wort Serratula tinctoria. Of particular note is the occurrence of green winged orchid Anacamptis morio, burnt tip orchid O. ustulata and adder's tongue fern Ophioglossum vulgatum, species which have declined markedly in eastern England with the ploughing out of old grasslands. The botanical interest of the site is dependent on the maintenance of traditional management by hay cropping without the addition of artificial fertilisers.
Species mentioned
Show the 16 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 |
| sweet vernal grass | Anthoxanthum odoratum | LC | grass | poaceae |
| downy oat grass | Avenula pubescens | LC | grass | poaceae |
| quaking grass | Briza media | VU | grass | poaceae |
| red fescue | Festuca rubra | LC | grass | poaceae |
| Yorkshire fog | Holcus lanatus | LC | grass | poaceae |
| smooth meadow grass | Poa pratensis | LC | grass | poaceae |
| yellow oat grass | Trisetum flavescens | LC | grass | poaceae |
| green-winged orchid | Anacamptis morio | NT | herb | orchidaceae |
| betony | Betonica officinalis | VU | herb | lamiaceae |
| meadow sweet | Filipendula ulmaria | LC | herb | rosaceae |
| rough hawkbit | Leontodon hispidus | LC | herb | asteraceae |
| oxeye daisy | Leucanthemum vulgare | LC | herb | asteraceae |
| great burnet | Sanguisorba officinalis | LC | herb | rosaceae |
| saw wort | Serratula tinctoria | VU | herb | asteraceae |
| pepper saxifrage | Silaum silaus | EN | herb | saxifragaceae |
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 |
| Scarce vapourer Orgyia recens |
Endangered | Filipendula ulmaria |
| Mouse moth Amphipyra tragopoginis |
Vulnerable | Serratula tinctoria |
| Satyr pug Eupithecia satyrata |
Vulnerable | Filipendula ulmaria |
| Grayling Hipparchia semele |
Vulnerable | Festuca rubra |
| Small heath Coenonympha pamphilus |
Near Threatened | Festuca spp., Poa spp. |
| Silver barred Deltote bankiana |
Near Threatened | Poa pratensis |
| Grey pug Eupithecia subfuscata |
Near Threatened | Betonica officinalis |
| Wall Lasiommata megera |
Near Threatened | Holcus lanatus |
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.