Wansford Pasture & Standen's Pasture
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A remnant of limestone grassland with species-rich springs and flushes |
The richest areas for plants are the flushes dominated by blunt-flowered rush, with other species such as fen bedstraw, large bird’s-foot-trefoil and distant sedge. Rarer wetland species can also be found, with the small, delicate flowers of bog pimpernel in stark contrast to the large southern-marsh orchids and common spotted-orchids.
This peaceful site has glorious views over the valley with the large woodland of Old Sulehay Forest framing the ridge top beyond. As the field slopes down to the stream at the bottom, changes in the flora reflect the mixture of the drier limestone and neutral grassland with distinct wetter areas, marked out by the abundance of rushes and sedges.
On the drier limestone grassland, typical plants include cowslip, salad burnet and fairy flax. Musk thistle, with its brilliant purple flowers, plays host to Urophora solstitialis, a notably rare gall fly.
In 2007, this reserve was greatly enlarged thanks to a generous donation of land now known as Standen's Pasture.
Birds: Fieldfare, redwing |
Plants: Cowslip, salad burnet |
Plants: Southern-marsh orchid, common spotted-orchid, bog pimpernel, common centaury, fen bedstraw, musk thistle, flat-sedge Insects: Large skipper butterfly, dragonflies |
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