Cooksholme Meadows

Also within

Worcestershire County

Condition (Natural England)

Description

Description This site consists of an unusually large block of unimproved grassland a few miles southeast of Worcester city. Two of the meadows are traditionally managed for hay, the other consists of damp grazing pasture. The soils are neutral being derived from the underlying Keuper Marl. The type of grassland represented in these hay meadows, characterised by crested dog’s tail Cynosurus cristatus and common knapweed Centaurea nigra, is now nationally restricted. In addition to crested dog’s tail, the sward contains a number of grasses, the dominant ones being red fescue Festuca rubra, Yorkshire fog Holcus lanatus and sweet vernal grass Anthoxanthum odoratum. The rich herbaceous flora includes pepper saxifrage Silaum silauss, wild carrot Daucus carota, lady’s bedstraw Galium verum and yellow rattle Rhinanthus minor. In addition there are several locally uncommon species such as grass vetchling Lathyrus nissolia, saw wort Serratula tinctoria and an abundance of dyer’s greenweed Genista tinctoria. Wood small reed Calamagrostis epigejos occurs around the perimeter of the meadows. This species is scarce in the county and is more usually found in woodlands. The southernmost field from which over 115 plant species have been recorded, is damp and the sward is dominated by tufted hair grass Deschampsia cespitosa associated with hardrush Juncus inflexus, meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria, common fleabane Pulicaria dysenterica, sneezewort Achillea ptarmica and brown sedge Carex disticha. The latter species, most commonly found in eastern England, is scarce in Worcestershire. The diversity of the site is enhanced by the presence of a small pond fringed by white and crack willow Salix alba and S. fragilis. The muddy edges support water starwort Callitriche agg. and celery leaved buttercup Ranunculus sceleratus. The meadows are surrounded by tall, species rich hedges chiefly of hawthorn Crataegus monogyna and blackthorn Prunus spinosa together with privet Ligustrum vulgare, field maple Acer campestre, buckthorn Rhamnus cathartica and English elm Ulmus procera. The meadows support an abundance of Lepidoptera butterflies and moths including grizzled skipper Pyrgus malvae, marbled white Melanargia galatheaa, common blue Polyommatus icarus and both five and six spot burnet moths Zygaena trifolii and Zygaena filipendulae stephensi.

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.