Meadow Croft, Skythorns
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SD979638 | — | Favourable | 0.4 | 2013-07-01 |
Description
Area, 0.4 hectares 0.98 ac Description Despite its small size, the meadow adjacent to Meadow Croft contains a remarkably rich mixture of grasses and flowering plants which is dependent on the continuation of the traditional hay cropping regime without the use of artificial fertilisers. The sward is generally calcareous in character and ranges from dry to damp according to proximity to Spiredale Beck which passes through the meadow. In the drier section the grassland is dominated by red fescue Festuca rubra with downy oat grass Avenula pubescens, crested hair grass Koeleria macrantha and quaking grass Briza media. Herb species include pignut Conopodium majus, selfheal Prunella vulgaris, salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba, common knapweed Centaurea nigra and, of particular note, adder's tongue fern Ophioglossum vulgatum. Where the grassland is damper, sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum becomes more prominent in the sward and the salad burnet is replaced by great burnet Sanguisorba officinalis. Other herb species here include wood anemone Anemone nemorosa, lesser celandine Ficaria verna, water avens Geum rivale and lady's mantle Alchemilla xanthochlora.
Species mentioned
Show the 15 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 |
| crested hair-grass | Koeleria macrantha | NT | grass | poaceae |
| lady's mantle | Alchemilla xanthochlora | VU | herb | rosaceae |
| wood anemone | Anemone nemorosa | LC | herb | ranunculaceae |
| black knapweed | Centaurea nigra | LC | herb | asteraceae |
| pignut | Conopodium majus | LC | herb | apiaceae |
| lesser celandine | Ficaria verna | LC | herb | ranunculaceae |
| water avens | Geum rivale | LC | herb | rosaceae |
| salad burnet | Poterium sanguisorba | VU | herb | rosaceae |
| selfheal | Prunella vulgaris | LC | herb | lamiaceae |
| 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.
| Species | Status | Via host-plant |
|---|---|---|
| Black-veined moth Siona lineata |
Critically Endangered | Centaurea nigra |
| Heath fritillary Melitaea athalia |
Endangered | Ficaria verna |
| Mouse moth Amphipyra tragopoginis |
Vulnerable | Poterium sanguisorba |
| Satyr pug Eupithecia satyrata |
Vulnerable | Centaurea spp. |
| Grayling Hipparchia semele |
Vulnerable | Festuca rubra |
| Grizzled skipper Pyrgus malvae |
Vulnerable | Poterium sanguisorba |
| Small heath Coenonympha pamphilus |
Near Threatened | Festuca spp. |
| Grey pug Eupithecia subfuscata |
Near Threatened | Centaurea spp. |
| Scarce forester Jordanita globulariae |
Near Threatened | Centaurea nigra |
| Red carpet Xanthorhoe decoloraria |
Near Threatened | Alchemilla 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.