Coalville Meadows
Encyclopedia
Coalville Meadows is a Site of Special Scientific Interest
situated in Coalville
, North West Leicestershire, England. It one of the best examples of neutral grassland that has developed on the somewhat leached clay soils of Leicestershire and is representative of such grassland in Central and Eastern England.
Coalville Meadows covers an area 15.3 acres (61,917 m²), bounded on the West by a former minerals railway line, to the South by social housing, the east by Holly Hayes Woodland, and to the North by an aggregate storage area, and have developed on soils derived from the clays of the Triassic Keuper
Marl
. The grassland is poorly-drained and is dominated by tufted hair-grass Deschampsia caespitosa, Yorkshire fog Holcus lanatus, red fescue Festuca rubra
and great burnet Sanguisorba officinalis
. Additionally, flora typical of relatively basepoor clay soils, such as pignut Conopodium majus
, betony Betonica officinalis, heath bedstraw Galium saxatile
, tormentil Potentilla erecta, devil's-bit scabious Succisa pratensis
, and mat grass Nardus stricta
, are present. The grassland also includes typical meadow species as saw-wort Serratula tinctoria
, meadow thistle Cirsium dissectum
, knapweed Centaurea nigra
and lady's smock Cardamine pratensis
.
The site is recorded by English Nature
as ‘at risk’, due to an absence of grassland management. In the past this was achieved by cattle, but the livestock were removed from the Meadow due to persistent attacks on the stock by local youths.
In 2008, the site was bought by the Friends of Holly Hayes Wood who wanted to see the meadow land restored to its former glory. The group is working with Natural England
to re-establish appropriate maintenance which it hoped will lead to a more appropriate 'favourable' status and to ensure that the meadow is meeting it's conservation objectives.
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
situated in Coalville
Coalville
Coalville is a town in North West Leicestershire, England, with a population estimated in 2003 to be almost 33,000. It is situated on the A511 trunk road between Leicester and Burton upon Trent, close to junction 22 of the M1 motorway where the A511 meets the A50 between Ashby-de-la-Zouch and...
, North West Leicestershire, England. It one of the best examples of neutral grassland that has developed on the somewhat leached clay soils of Leicestershire and is representative of such grassland in Central and Eastern England.
Coalville Meadows covers an area 15.3 acres (61,917 m²), bounded on the West by a former minerals railway line, to the South by social housing, the east by Holly Hayes Woodland, and to the North by an aggregate storage area, and have developed on soils derived from the clays of the Triassic Keuper
Keuper
The Keuper is a lithostratigraphic unit in the subsurface of large parts of west and central Europe. The Keuper consists of dolostone, shales or claystones and evaporites that were deposited during the Middle and Late Triassic epochs...
Marl
Marl
Marl or marlstone is a calcium carbonate or lime-rich mud or mudstone which contains variable amounts of clays and aragonite. Marl was originally an old term loosely applied to a variety of materials, most of which occur as loose, earthy deposits consisting chiefly of an intimate mixture of clay...
. The grassland is poorly-drained and is dominated by tufted hair-grass Deschampsia caespitosa, Yorkshire fog Holcus lanatus, red fescue Festuca rubra
Festuca rubra
Festuca rubra is a species of grass known by the common name red fescue. It is found worldwide and can tolerate many habitats and climates; it generally needs full sun to thrive...
and great burnet Sanguisorba officinalis
Sanguisorba officinalis
Sanguisorba officinalis is a plant in the family Rosaceae, subfamily Rosoideae. It is native throughout the cooler regions of the Northern Hemisphere in Europe, northern Asia, and northern North America....
. Additionally, flora typical of relatively basepoor clay soils, such as pignut Conopodium majus
Conopodium majus
Conopodium majus is a small perennial herb, whose underground part resembles a chestnut and is sometimes eaten as a wild or cultivated root vegetable....
, betony Betonica officinalis, heath bedstraw Galium saxatile
Galium saxatile
Galium saxatile or Heath Bedstraw is a plant species of the genus Galium. It is related to Cleavers ....
, tormentil Potentilla erecta, devil's-bit scabious Succisa pratensis
Succisa pratensis
Succisa pratensis Moench, also known as Devil's-bit Scabious, is a flowering plant of the genus Succisa in the family Dipsacaceae. It differs from other similar species in that it has 4 lobed flowers, whereas Small Scabious and Field scabious have 5 lobes and hence it has been placed in a separate...
, and mat grass Nardus stricta
Nardus stricta
Nardus stricta is a densely tufted, tough, wiry perennial plant species belonging to the family Poaceae , and found throughout much of the world. It exists on heath, moorland, hills, mountains; on sandy to peaty soils...
, are present. The grassland also includes typical meadow species as saw-wort Serratula tinctoria
Serratula tinctoria
Serratula tinctoria, commonly known as Saw-wort, is a species in the genus Serratula. It is a native of Europe. It grows in moist soil, full sun to part shade, and grows up to one meter tall....
, meadow thistle Cirsium dissectum
Cirsium dissectum
Cirsium dissectum, also known as Meadow Thistle, is an erect perennial herb. It is found in England, Wales, Ireland, from western France to the Netherlands, and Germany. It is found in fens and less acidic peat bogs i.e. it prefers damp boggy areas....
, knapweed Centaurea nigra
Centaurea nigra
Centaurea nigra is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common names Lesser Knapweed, Common Knapweed and Black Knapweed...
and lady's smock Cardamine pratensis
Cardamine pratensis
Cardamine pratensis , is a flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae, native throughout most of Europe and Western Asia.-Description:...
.
The site is recorded by English Nature
English Nature
English Nature was the United Kingdom government agency that promoted the conservation of wildlife, geology and wild places throughout England between 1990 and 2006...
as ‘at risk’, due to an absence of grassland management. In the past this was achieved by cattle, but the livestock were removed from the Meadow due to persistent attacks on the stock by local youths.
In 2008, the site was bought by the Friends of Holly Hayes Wood who wanted to see the meadow land restored to its former glory. The group is working with Natural England
Natural England
Natural England is the non-departmental public body of the UK government responsible for ensuring that England's natural environment, including its land, flora and fauna, freshwater and marine environments, geology and soils, are protected and improved...
to re-establish appropriate maintenance which it hoped will lead to a more appropriate 'favourable' status and to ensure that the meadow is meeting it's conservation objectives.