Muston Meadows

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 52.9211, -0.7758

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Leicestershire County

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (3)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SK823367 — Favourable 3.96 2022-11-02
SK824365 — Favourable 2.42 2022-11-02
SK829371 — Favourable 2.37 2022-11-02

Habitats

Lowland meadow and pasture

Description

Area,8.77 ha Description The site contains some of the best remaining examples of neutral clay grasslands in the Midlands and has been accepted for inclusion within the 'Nature Conservation Review'. Biology Muston Meadows are fine examples of neutral ridge and furrow grasslands and are developed on soils derived from the Lower Lias Clay. The sward of the ridges and flatter areas is typically dominated by grasses such as creeping bent Agrostis stolonifera, red fescue Festuca rubra, sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum, crested dog's tail Cynosurus cristatus and quaking grass Briza media. Herbs include an abundance of pignut Conopodium majus, cowslip Primula veris, yellow rattle Rhinanthus minor, pepper saxifrage Silaum silaus, lady's bedstraw Galium verum and green winged orchid Anacamptis morio. Some areas are characterised by an abundance of the great burnet Sanguisorba officinalis. The sward of the furrows is characterised by the dominance of tufted hair grass Deschampsia cespitosa and rough meadow grass Poa trivialis and these damper soils support an abundance of lady's smock Cardamine pratensis. Additional interest is provided by the field ponds which contain a population of the great crested newt Triturus cristatus and by the field boundary hedgerows and verges.

Species mentioned

English name
search for this in other sites		 Latin name
search with Google		 IUCN / Red List Type Family
great crested newt Triturus cristatus LC amphibian salamandridae
creeping bent Agrostis stolonifera LC grass poaceae
sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum 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
rough meadow grass Poa trivialis LC grass poaceae
green-winged orchid Anacamptis morio NT herb orchidaceae
cuckoo-flower Cardamine pratensis LC herb brassicaceae
pignut Conopodium majus LC herb apiaceae
lady's bedstraw Galium verum LC herb rubiaceae
cowslip Primula veris LC herb primulaceae
yellow-rattle Rhinanthus minor DD herb orobanchaceae
great burnet Sanguisorba officinalis LC herb rosaceae
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.

SpeciesStatusVia host-plant
Duke of Burgundy
Hamearis lucina		 Endangered Primula veris
Satyr pug
Eupithecia satyrata		 Vulnerable Galium spp., Rhinanthus minor
White-line dart
Euxoa tritici		 Vulnerable Galium verum
Grayling
Hipparchia semele		 Vulnerable Deschampsia cespitosa, Festuca rubra
Bedstraw hawk-moth
Hyles gallii		 Vulnerable Galium spp.
The anomalous
Stilbia anomala		 Vulnerable Deschampsia cespitosa
Small heath
Coenonympha pamphilus		 Near Threatened Agrostis spp., Cynosurus cristatus, Festuca spp., Poa spp.
Autumnal rustic
Eugnorisma glareosa		 Near Threatened Galium spp.
Wall
Lasiommata megera		 Near Threatened Agrostis spp.
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

MG4 — Coastal floodplain grazing marsh, Lowland meadow and pasture

Alopecurus pratensis-Sanguisorba officinalis grassland

Matches 13 species from the description above: Agrostis stolonifera, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Briza media, Cardamine pratensis, Cynosurus cristatus, Deschampsia cespitosa, Festuca rubra, Galium verum, Poa trivialis, Primula veris, Rhinanthus minor, Sanguisorba officinalis, Silaum silaus

Carex acutiformis, Carex hirta, Carex panicea, Juncus articulatus, Juncus inflexus, Luzula campestris, Plagiomnium elatum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Calliergonell cuspidatum, Kindbergia praelonga, Heracleum sphondylium, Achillea millefolium, Bellis perennis, Caltha palustris, Centaurea nigra, Cirsium arvense, Cirsium palustre, Hypochaeris radicata, Leontodon hispidus, Leucanthemum vulgare, Scorzoneroides autumnalis, Serratula tinctoria, Taraxacum officianalis, Cardamine pratensis, Succisa pratensis, Cerastium fontanum, Equisetum arvense, Lathyrus pratensis, Lotus corniculatus, Trifolium dubium, Trifolium pratense, Trifolium repens, Vicia cracca, Vicia sepium, Fritillaria meleagris, Rhinanthus minor, Plantago lanceolata, Veronica serpyllifolia, Rumex acetosa, Primula veris, Primula vulgaris, Ranunculus acris, Ranunculus bulbosus, Ranunculus repens, Thalictrum flavum, Filipendula ulmaria, Potentilla anglica, Sanguisorba officinalis, Galium verum, Silaum silaus, Agrostis capillaris, Agrostis stolonifera, Alopecurus pratensis, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Arrhenatherum elatius, Briza media, Bromopsis erecta, Bromus hordeaceous, Cynosurus cristatus, Dactylis glomerata, Deschampsia cespitosa, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Lolium perenne, Phleum pratense, Poa pratensis, Poa trivialis, Schedonorus arundinaceus, Schedonorus pratensis, Trisetum flavescens, Chara curta

MG5 — Lowland meadow and pasture, Traditional orchard

Cynosurus cristatus-Centaurea nigra grassland

Matches 12 species from the description above: Agrostis stolonifera, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Briza media, Cardamine pratensis, Conopodium majus, Cynosurus cristatus, Festuca rubra, Galium verum, Poa trivialis, Primula veris, Rhinanthus minor, Silaum silaus

Carex caryophyllea, Carex flacca, Carex panicea, Juncus articulatus, Juncus effusus, Juncus inflexus, Luzula campestris, Brachythecium rutabulum, Calliergonell cuspidatum, Kindbergia praelonga, Pseudoscleropodium purum, Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus, Conopodium majus, Heracleum sphondylium, Pimpinella saxifraga, Achillea millefolium, Bellis perennis, Centaurea nigra, Cirsium arvense, Crepis capillaris, Hypochaeris radicata, Jacobaea vulgaris, Leontodon hispidus, Leucanthemum vulgare, Scorzoneroides autumnalis, Taraxacum officianalis, Cardamine pratensis, Knautia arvensis, Succisa pratensis, Cerastium fontanum, Colchicum autumnale, Lathyrus pratensis, Lotus corniculatus, Trifolium dubium, Trifolium pratense, Trifolium repens, Vicia cracca, Rhinanthus minor, Plantago lanceolata, Plantago media, Veronica chamaedrys, Rumex acetosa, Primula veris, Primula vulgaris, Ranunculus acris, Ranunculus bulbosus, Ranunculus repens, Agrimonia eupatoria, Alchemilla glabra, Alchemilla vestita, Alchemilla xanthochlora, Filipendula ulmaria, Potentilla erecta, Potentilla reptans, Poterium sanguisorba, Galium verum, Silaum silaus, Agrostis capillaris, Agrostis stolonifera, Alopecurus pratensis, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Arrhenatherum elatius, Avenula pubescens, Briza media, Bromus hordeaceous, Cynosurus cristatus, Dactylis glomerata, Danthonia decumbens, Festuca ovina, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Koeleria macrantha, Lolium perenne, Phleum pratense, Poa pratensis, Poa trivialis, Schedonorus arundinaceus, Schedonorus pratensis, Trisetum flavescens, Ophioglossum vulgatum, Chara curta

MG8 — Coastal floodplain grazing marsh, Lowland meadow and pasture

Cynosurus cristatus-Caltha palustris grassland

Matches 9 species from the description above: Agrostis stolonifera, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Briza media, Cardamine pratensis, Cynosurus cristatus, Festuca rubra, Poa trivialis, Rhinanthus minor, Sanguisorba officinalis

Carex demissa, Carex distans, Carex flacca, Carex nigra, Carex panicea, Eleocharis palustris, Juncus acutiflorus, Juncus articulatus, Juncus effusus, Luzula campestris, Plagiomnium rostratum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Calliergonell cuspidatum, Kindbergia praelonga, Angelica sylvestris, Achillea ptarmica, Bellis perennis, Caltha palustris, Centaurea nigra, Cirsium palustre, Crepis paludosa, Leontodon hispidus, Leucanthemum vulgare, Scorzoneroides autumnalis, Senecio aquaticus, Taraxacum officianalis, Myosotis scorpioides, Cardamine pratensis, Succisa pratensis, Valeriana dioica, Cerastium fontanum, Silene flos-cuculi, Equisetum arvense, Equisetum palustre, Lotus corniculatus, Lotus pedunculatus, Trifolium pratense, Trifolium repens, Mentha aquatica, Euphrasia nemorosa, Rhinanthus minor, Plantago lanceolata, Veronica chamaedrys, Rumex acetosa, Primula vulgaris, Ranunculus acris, Ranunculus repens, Trollius europaeus, Alchemilla glabra, Alchemilla xanthochlora, Filipendula ulmaria, Geum rivale, Sanguisorba officinalis, Galium palustre, Galium uliginosum, Agrostis capillaris, Agrostis stolonifera, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Avenula pubescens, Briza media, Bromus hordeaceous, Cynosurus cristatus, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca rubra, Glyceria declinata, Holcus lanatus, Lolium perenne, Poa trivialis, Schedonorus pratensis, Dryopteris expansa