Church Ings
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SE594456 | — | Favourable | 7.06 | 2011-07-19 |
Habitats
Geology & landscape
Landscape processes: Fluvial
Birds & fish recorded
Birds
| Species | Season |
|---|---|
| cuckoo | Unknown |
Description
Description Church Ings comprises two unimproved alluvial flood meadows, adjacent to the River Ouse at Acaster Malbis in the Vale of York. These meadows are of particular importance for their neutral grassland plant community which is an increasingly rare habitat type, threatened nationally as a result of drainage and agricultural improvement. The sward includes a variety of characteristic plant species, with great burnet Sanguisorba officinalis, meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria, meadow buttercup Ranunculus acris, pepper saxifrage Silaum silaus, ribwort plantain Plantago lanceolata, common bistort Polygonum bistorta, ragged-robin Silene flos-cuculi, cuckoo-flower Cardamine pratensis, meadow foxtail Alopecurus pratensis, creeping bent Agrostis stolonifera, red fescue Festuca rubra, crested dog's tail Cynosurus cristatus and common sedge Carex nigra. Where ground conditions are wettest there are stands of brown sedge Carex disticha. The nature conservation interest is dependent upon the maintenance of a high water table and on management by mowing for hay followed by aftermath grazing.
Species mentioned
Show the 14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| creeping bent | Agrostis stolonifera | LC | grass | poaceae |
| meadow foxtail | Alopecurus pratensis | LC | grass | poaceae |
| crested dog's tail | Cynosurus cristatus | LC | grass | poaceae |
| red fescue | Festuca rubra | LC | grass | poaceae |
| cuckoo-flower | Cardamine pratensis | LC | herb | brassicaceae |
| meadow sweet | Filipendula ulmaria | LC | herb | rosaceae |
| ribwort plantain | Plantago lanceolata | LC | herb | plantaginaceae |
| bistort | Polygonum bistorta | Not listed in GB list | herb | polygonaceae |
| meadow buttercup | Ranunculus acris | DD | herb | ranunculaceae |
| great burnet | Sanguisorba officinalis | LC | herb | rosaceae |
| pepper saxifrage | Silaum silaus | EN | herb | saxifragaceae |
| ragged-robin | Silene flos-cuculi | LC | herb | carophyllaceae |
| brown sedge | Carex disticha | LC | sedge | cyperaceae |
| common sedge | Carex nigra | LC | sedge | cyperaceae |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Marsh moth Athetis pallustris |
Endangered | Plantago lanceolata |
| Heath fritillary Melitaea athalia |
Endangered | Plantago lanceolata |
| Glanville fritillary Melitaea cinxia |
Endangered | Plantago lanceolata |
| Scarce vapourer Orgyia recens |
Endangered | Filipendula ulmaria |
| Marsh fritillary Euphydryas aurinia |
Vulnerable | Plantago spp. |
| Satyr pug Eupithecia satyrata |
Vulnerable | Filipendula ulmaria |
| Garden dart Euxoa nigricans |
Vulnerable | Plantago spp. |
| Grayling Hipparchia semele |
Vulnerable | Festuca rubra |
| Beaded chestnut Agrochola lychnidis |
Near Threatened | Ranunculus spp. |
| Grey chi Antitype chi |
Near Threatened | Plantago lanceolata |
| Garden tiger Arctia caja |
Near Threatened | Plantago spp. |
| Small heath Coenonympha pamphilus |
Near Threatened | Agrostis spp., Cynosurus cristatus, Festuca spp. |
| Autumnal rustic Eugnorisma glareosa |
Near Threatened | Plantago spp. |
| Wall Lasiommata megera |
Near Threatened | Agrostis 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.
Plant communities
A14 — Fast flowing river and stream
Myriophyllum alterniflorum community
Show 15 indicator speciesIsolepis fluitans, Juncus bulbosus, Fontinalis antipyretica, Lobelia dortmanna, Equisetum fluviatile, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Lemna minor, Callitriche stagnalis, Littorella uniflora, Potamogeton filiformis, Potamogeton gramineus, Potamogeton natans, Ranunculus peltatus, Chara spp., Nitella hyalina
A17 — Chalk river and stream, Fast flowing river and stream
Ranunculus penicillatus ssp. pseudofluitans community
Show 11 indicator speciesBerula erecta, Nasturtium officinale, Elodea canadensis, Lemna minor, Callitriche stagnalis, Veronica beccabunga, Polygonum amphibium, Polygonum hydropiper, Potamogeton crispus, Potamogeton pectinatus, Ranunculus penicillatus ssp. pseudofluitans
A18 — Fast flowing river and stream
Ranunculus fluitans community
Show 12 indicator speciesFontinalis antipyretica, Fontinalis squamosa var. curnowii, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Myriophyllum spicatum, Elodea canadensis, Mentha aquatica, Lemna gibba, Lemna minor, Potamogeton perfoliatus, Ranunculus fluitans, Glyceria fluitans, Phalaris arundinacea
A9 — Fast flowing river and stream, Marginal and inundation, Pond ditch and canal, Sluggish river and stream
Potamogeton natans community
Show 20 indicator speciesSchoenoplectus lacustris, Juncus bulbosus, Sparganium angustifolium, Sparganium erectum, Sparganium minimum, Alisma plantago-aquatica, Lobelia dortmanna, Equisetum fluviatile, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Elodea canadensis, Lemna minor, Lemna trisulca, Nymphaea alba, Callitriche platycarpa, Callitriche stagnalis, Littorella uniflora, Potamogeton natans, Ranunculus trichophyllus, Glyceria fluitans, Chara subspinosa