Pye Flatts Meadows
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SE273052 | — | Favourable | 2.26 | 2010-08-23 |
Geology & landscape
Geological Feature: Rock Outcrop · Rock Type: Ironstone, Sandstone
Description
Description These three meadows are established on loamy brown earths overlying the sandstone, coal seams and ironstone bands of the Lower Coal Measures, where they outcrop at this exposed, hilly location, 180 metres above sea level, eight kilometres to the west of Barnsley. They contain a uniform and mature stand of neutral hay meadow grassland, the best of a number of known scattered examples in the locality. The dominant grasses are sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum, common bent Agrostis capillaris, crested dog's tail Cynosurus cristatus, red fescue Festuca rubra and Yorkshire fog Holcus lanatus. Others occur less frequently and are indicative of its special interest quaking grass Briza media and yellow oat grass Trisetum flavescens. While plants such as oxeye daisy Leucanthemum vulgare, hardheads Centaurea nigra and yellow rattle Rhinanthus minor are abundant and provide an attractive feature in the landscape, others such as adder's tongue fern Ophioglossum vulgatum and common eyebright Euphrasia nemorosa, are less easily found, but help to confirm the nature conservation value of the site. The diverse list of plant species suggests the present plant cover is a product of a long period of consistent traditional agricultural management.
Species mentioned
Show the 12 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 |
| common bent | Agrostis capillaris | 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 |
| red fescue | Festuca rubra | LC | grass | poaceae |
| Yorkshire fog | Holcus lanatus | LC | grass | poaceae |
| yellow oat grass | Trisetum flavescens | LC | grass | poaceae |
| black knapweed | Centaurea nigra | LC | herb | asteraceae |
| common eyebright | Euphrasia nemorosa | LC | herb | orobanchaceae |
| oxeye daisy | Leucanthemum vulgare | LC | herb | asteraceae |
| yellow-rattle | Rhinanthus minor | DD | herb | orobanchaceae |
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 |
| Satyr pug Eupithecia satyrata |
Vulnerable | Centaurea spp., Rhinanthus minor |
| Grayling Hipparchia semele |
Vulnerable | Festuca rubra |
| Small heath Coenonympha pamphilus |
Near Threatened | Agrostis spp., Cynosurus cristatus, Festuca spp. |
| Grey pug Eupithecia subfuscata |
Near Threatened | Centaurea spp. |
| Scarce forester Jordanita globulariae |
Near Threatened | Centaurea nigra |
| Wall Lasiommata megera |
Near Threatened | Agrostis spp., Holcus lanatus |
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.