Soham Wet Horse Fen
Also within
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TL605722 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 1.18 | 2011-07-04 |
| TL609722 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 5.42 | 2012-01-27 |
| TL610727 | — | Favourable | 3.89 | 2011-08-04 |
| TL612725 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 8.49 | 2007-07-12 |
| TL612728 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 6.26 | 2008-07-15 |
| TL614729 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 8.56 | 2010-10-13 |
Geology & landscape
Landscape processes: Fluvial
Birds & fish recorded
Birds
| Species | Season |
|---|---|
| snipe | Breeding |
Description
Description This collection of meadows holds neutral grassland communities of the calcareous loam pasture type together with elements of alluvial meadow and calcareous clay types. Nationally such community types are restricted to the south of the country. Such species rich grassland occurs infrequently in Cambridgeshire and represents habitats which are now rare in the country as a whole. Traditionally these grasslands are managed for hay and for grazing. The calcareous loam grassland communities are characterised by a sward of such species as creeping bent Agrostis stolonifera, sweet vernal grass Anthoxantum odoratum, red fescue Festuca rubra and cock’s foot Dactylis glomerata, together with meadow saxifrage Saxifraga granulataa and wild carrot Daucus carota. The wetter areas are dominated by a mixture of grasses, sedges and rushes. hard rush Juncus inflexus, blunt flowered rush Juncus subnodulosus and common spike rush Eleocharis palustris are particularly abundant. A variety of herbs are present including the local green winged orchid Anacamptis morio and the adder’s tongue fern Ophioglossum vulgatum. Drier areas have a range of herbs including cowslip Primula veris, milkwort Polygala vulgaris and stemless thistle Cirsium acaule. A number of uncommon plants are to be found on the site and the wet pastures are favoured as breeding areas for snipe Gallinago gallinago. Hedgerows are an additional feature of value and a number of old boundary features and are rich in tree and shrub species.
Species mentioned
Show the 13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| snipe | Gallinago gallinago | DD (NonBreeding) | bird-snipe | scolopacidae |
| adders-tongue fern | Ophioglossum vulgatum | LC | fern | ophioglossaceae |
| creeping bent | Agrostis stolonifera | LC | grass | poaceae |
| cock's foot | Dactylis glomerata | LC | grass | poaceae |
| red fescue | Festuca rubra | LC | grass | poaceae |
| green-winged orchid | Anacamptis morio | NT | herb | orchidaceae |
| dwarf thistle | Cirsium acaule | VU | herb | asteraceae |
| wild carrot | Daucus carota | LC | herb | apiaceae |
| common milkwort | Polygala vulgaris | VU | herb | polygalaceae |
| cowslip | Primula veris | LC | herb | primulaceae |
| common spike rush | Eleocharis palustris | LC | rush | juncaceae |
| hard rush | Juncus inflexus | LC | rush | juncaceae |
| blunt-flowered rush | Juncus subnodulosus | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Duke of Burgundy Hamearis lucina |
Endangered | Primula veris |
| Sussex emerald Thalera fimbrialis |
Endangered | Daucus carota |
| Grayling Hipparchia semele |
Vulnerable | Festuca rubra |
| Large nutmeg Apamea anceps |
Near Threatened | Dactylis glomerata |
| Small heath Coenonympha pamphilus |
Near Threatened | Agrostis spp., Festuca spp. |
| White-spotted pug Eupithecia tripunctaria |
Near Threatened | Daucus carota |
| Wall Lasiommata megera |
Near Threatened | Agrostis spp., Dactylis glomerata |
| Rosy minor Litoligia literosa |
Near Threatened | Dactylis glomerata |
| Swallowtail papilio Papilio machaon |
Near Threatened | Daucus carota |
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.