Low Redford Meadows

Also within

Durham County

Condition (Natural England)

Geology & landscape

Landscape processes: Fluvial

Description

Description Low Redford Meadows are situated within Hamsterley Forest in the valley of the Bedburn Beck. These flood plain and valley side meadows are important for their species rich grasslands and provide examples of some of the variation found in traditionally managed northern hay meadows. Such meadows were once widespread in the Durham dales but are now restricted in number and distribution due to the intensification of agricultural practices, particularly reseeding and the use of artificial fertiliser. The floristic variation in these meadows is most readily displayed in the relative abundance of several of the more colourful flowering plants with wood crane’s bill Geranium sylvaticum, great burnet Sanguisorba officinalis and cat’s ear Hypochaeris radicata each being dominant in different fields. Other, characteristic plants found widely throughout this group of fields are common knapweed Centaurea nigra, oxeye daisy Leucanthemum vulgare, eyebright Euphrasia sp., two species of lady’s mantle; Alchemilla glabra and Alchemilla xanthochlora, yellow rattle Rhinanthus minor, selfheal Prunella vulgaris, pignut Conopodium majus, betony Betonica officinalis, fairy flax Linum catharticum, mouse ear hawkweed Pilosella officinarum, bitter vetch Lathyrus montanus and meadow vetchling Lathyrus pratensis. Crested dog’s tail Cynosurus cristatus, Yorkshire fog Holcus lanatus, red fescue Festuca rubra and common bent Agrostis capillaris are among the most abundant grasses with quaking grass Briza media, sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum and yellow oat grass Trisetum flavescens being widespread. Also of interest is the abundance of adder’s tongue Ophioglossum vulgatum, a small fern, in the turf.

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.