Hunsdon Mead

Also within

Essex CountyHertfordshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Fast flowing river and stream

Geology & landscape

Landscape processes: Fluvial

Birds & fish recorded

Birds

Description

Area,34.0 hectares 84.0 ac Description Hunsdon Mead lies just inside the Hertfordshire border between the Stort Navigation and the old River Stort, just to the west of Harlow. It is a registered common and is one of the last remaining sites in Essex or Hertfordshire to still be managed on the ancient Lammas system of hay making followed by winter grazing. Roydon Mead, which is in Essex, lies to the east of Hunsdon Mead and is separated from it by the Stort Navigation. Together they form a large area of unimproved grassland on alluvial soils subject to occasional winter flooding. As a result of this location and the continued traditional management the site supports an interesting flora including yellow rattle, green winged orchid, adder's tongue and several uncommon sedges. The grassland of Hunsdon Mead is mainly creeping bent Agrostis stolonifera, sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum, red fescue Festuca rubra and crested dog's tail Cynosurus cristatus. Roydon Mead contains the same grass species, but with meadow foxtail Alopecurus pratensis tending to be the dominant species. Wetter areas are dominated by brown sedge Carex disticha with greater pond sedge Carex riparia around the mouth of Canons Brook. Meadow buttercup Ranunculus acris and red clover Trifolium pratense are abundant in both Hunsdon and Roydon Meads, with meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria in the damper areas. The grassland supports a wide range of plant species, many of which have declined considerably in abundance elsewhere, due to drainage and changes in agricultural practices. Notable grass species include meadow brome Bromus commutatus and quaking grass Briza media. The sward is herbrich with oxeye daisy Leucanthemum vulgare, cowslip Primula veris, bird's foot trefoil Lotus corniculatus, common knapweed Centaurea nigra, purging flax Linum catharticum and meadow vetchling Lathyrus pratensis. cuckoo-flower Cardamine pratensis, Kingcup Caltha palustris, jointed rush Juncus articulatus and hairy sedge Carex hirta are found in the damper areas. The flora includes a number of plants uncommon in the area such as salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba, pepper saxifrage Silaum silaus, green winged orchid Anacamptis morio, adder's tongue Ophioglossum vulgatum and yellow rattle Rhinanthus minor. Common and carnation sedges Carex nigra and C. panicea, scarce in Essex and Hertfordshire, also occur, as does slender tufted Sedge Carex acuta which is a rarity in the two counties. The site also includes a small wet area dominated by willows Salix spp. The ground flora of this area is composed of a mosaic of kingcup, great pond sedge, comfrey Symphytum spp. and meadowsweet. Hunsdon Mead supports the only known local colony of the day flying moth, small yellow underwing Panemeria tenebrata. The Meads also support large feeding flocks of overwintering fieldfares Turdus pilaris and redwings T. iliacus.

Species mentioned

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.

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