Yockenthwaite Meadows

Also within

North Yorkshire County YORKSHIRE DALES National Park

Condition (Natural England)

Habitats

Fast flowing river and stream

Geology & landscape

Geological Period: Carboniferous · Rock Type: Carboniferous Limestone, Limestone

Landscape processes: Fluvial

Description

Area, 11.2 hectares 27.7 ac First Notified, 1986 Description Yockenthwaite Meadows comprises six enclosures of exceptional botanical interest situated on steep south facing slopes in Langstrothdale at an altitude of c. 300 metres. Two sections of each of these fields are cut for hay, the flat alluvial strip adjacent to the River Wharfe and the upper shallow slopes which lie on Carboniferous Limestone soils. The steep central slope is left uncut, but the whole site is subject to aftermath grazing and as a result contains elements of both pasture and hay meadow vegetation. The grassland of the alluvial strip is neutral in character, comprising sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum, common bent Agrostis capillaris and red fescue Festuca rubra, together with such herbs as common knapweed Centaurea nigra, pignut Conopodium majus, yellow rattle Rhinanthus minor and wood crane's bill Geranium sylvaticum. The pale sedge Carex pallescens also occurs commonly in the sward. While, in places, the steep slope and flat upper bench also bear neutral grassland of similar species composition, the shallow limestone soils support in addition a calcareous community containing meadow oat grass Avenula pratensis and downy oat grass Helicotrichon pubescens with herbs such as common bird's foot trefoil Lotus corniculatus, autumn hawkbit Scorzoneroides autumnalis, bugle Ajuga reptans, devil's bit scabious Succisa pratensis, salad burnet Poterium sanguisorba, hoary plantain Plantago media, fairy flax Linum catharticum and common milkwort Polygala vulgaris. Of particular note is the occurrence of three species of orchid, frog orchid Dactylorhiza viridis, fragrant orchid Gymnadenia conopsea and greater butterfly orchid Platanthera chlorantha and two species of fern, adder's tongue Ophioglossum vulgatum and moonwort Botrychium lunaria, all of which are uncommon species characteristic of old grassland.

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