Napleton Meadow
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SO860486 | — | Favourable | 1.11 | 2012-07-09 |
Geology & landscape
Geological Period: Triassic
Description
Description Napleton Meadow is located in central Worcestershire immediately south east of the village of Kempsey. It is a former horse paddock which is now managed as a hay meadow. The meadow is in the central undulating plain of the Severn Valley and overlies Mercia Mudstones of the Triassic Period, which give rise to neutral soils. The special interest of the site lies in the diversity of the semi natural mesotrophic neutral grassland characterised by crested dog’s tail Cynosurus cristatus and common knapweed Centaurea nigra. The vegetation is typical of the meadow vetchling Lathyrus pratensis subcommunity, with frequent common bird’s foot trefoil Lotus corniculatus, red clover Trifolium pratense, devil’s bit scabious Succisa pratensis and betony Betonica officinalis. Other characteristic species of neutral grassland include lady’s bedstraw Galium verum, oxeye daisy Leucanthemum vulgare and ragged-robin Silene flos-cuculi. Locally uncommon species present include an abundance of dropwort Filipendula vulgaris, green winged orchid Anacamptis morio, pepper saxifrage Silaum silaus and adder’s tongue fern Ophioglossum vulgatum. This site supports a colony of common blue butterflies Polyommatus icarus.
Species mentioned
Show the 15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| common blue | Polyommatus icarus | LC | butterfly | lycaenidae |
| adders-tongue fern | Ophioglossum vulgatum | LC | fern | ophioglossaceae |
| crested dog's tail | Cynosurus cristatus | LC | grass | poaceae |
| green-winged orchid | Anacamptis morio | NT | herb | orchidaceae |
| betony | Betonica officinalis | VU | herb | lamiaceae |
| black knapweed | Centaurea nigra | LC | herb | asteraceae |
| dropwort | Filipendula vulgaris | LC | herb | rosaceae |
| lady's bedstraw | Galium verum | LC | herb | rubiaceae |
| meadow vetchling | Lathyrus pratensis | LC | herb | fabaceae |
| oxeye daisy | Leucanthemum vulgare | LC | herb | asteraceae |
| birdsfoot trefoil | Lotus corniculatus | LC | herb | fabaceae |
| pepper saxifrage | Silaum silaus | EN | herb | saxifragaceae |
| ragged-robin | Silene flos-cuculi | LC | herb | carophyllaceae |
| devils-bit scabious | Succisa pratensis | VU | herb | caprifoliaceae |
| red clover | Trifolium pratense | LC | herb | fabaceae |
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, Lotus corniculatus |
| New forest Zygaena viciae |
Critically Endangered | Lathyrus pratensis, Lotus corniculatus |
| Straw belle Aspitates gilvaria |
Endangered | Lotus corniculatus |
| Wood white Leptidea sinapis |
Endangered | Lathyrus pratensis, Lotus corniculatus |
| Slender scotch Zygaena loti |
Endangered | Lotus corniculatus |
| Mouse moth Amphipyra tragopoginis |
Vulnerable | Lotus corniculatus |
| Dingy skipper Erynnis tages |
Vulnerable | Lotus corniculatus |
| Marsh fritillary Euphydryas aurinia |
Vulnerable | Succisa pratensis |
| Satyr pug Eupithecia satyrata |
Vulnerable | Centaurea spp., Galium spp. |
| Garden dart Euxoa nigricans |
Vulnerable | Trifolium spp. |
| White-line dart Euxoa tritici |
Vulnerable | Galium verum |
| Bedstraw hawk-moth Hyles gallii |
Vulnerable | Galium spp. |
| Silver studded blue Plebejus argus |
Vulnerable | Lotus corniculatus |
| Beaded chestnut Agrochola lychnidis |
Near Threatened | Trifolium spp. |
| Latticed heath Chiasmia clathrata |
Near Threatened | Lathyrus pratensis, Trifolium spp. |
| Small heath Coenonympha pamphilus |
Near Threatened | Cynosurus cristatus |
| Autumnal rustic Eugnorisma glareosa |
Near Threatened | Galium spp. |
| Grey pug Eupithecia subfuscata |
Near Threatened | Betonica officinalis, Centaurea spp. |
| Scarce forester Jordanita globulariae |
Near Threatened | Centaurea nigra |
| Dark-barred twin-spot carpet Xanthorhoe ferrugata |
Near Threatened | Galium 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.