Southorpe Meadow and Paddock
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These small sites are among the very few remaining fragments of unimproved limestone grassland in eastern England |
Southorpe Meadow is a small, wildflower-rich hay meadow with the ridge and furrow structure created by a medieval oxen-plough still visible. The show of wild flowers begins in spring with cowslips. Look closely in the damper furrows in early summer and you’ll see adder’s-tongue ferns nestling beneath the taller grasses.
At Southorpe Paddock a raised area runs through the middle of the reserve and supports a diverse range of wild flowers. This is actually the remains of an old Roman road that was surfaced with limestone. During July the banks are covered with the purple and pink flowers of clustered bellflower, harebell, the ground hugging, stemless thistle and purple milk-vetch which is scarce in Cambridgeshire. Pyramidal orchid, wild liquorice and toadflax also occur in small patches. In the wetter parts of the fields in late summer you can enjoy the striking cream-coloured heads of meadowsweet, with their unique ‘marzipan smell’ and water mint providing a dramatically contrasting scent.
Birds: Finches, thrushes |
Plants: Cowslips, adder’s-tongue fern Birds: Chiff chaff, whitethroat |
Plants: Rockrose, water mint, harebell, clustered bellflower, knapweed, broomrape Insects: Marbled white butterfly, dragonflies Birds: Spotted flycatcher |
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