Rigg Farm and Stake Hill Meadows
Encyclopedia
Rigg Farm and Stake Hill Meadows is a Site of Special Scientific Interest
in the Teesdale
district of County Durham
, England
. It is situated in Lunedale
, on the north side of Grassholme Reservoir
, close to the hamlet of Thringarth
.
The main interest in the site lies in its traditionally-managed hay
meadows, which support a wide variety of grasses, such as common bent, Agrostis capillaris
, sweet vernal-grass, Anthoxanthum odoratum
, and red fescue, Festuca rubra
, and forbs, such as meadowsweet, Filipendula ulmaria, marsh marigold, Caltha palustris
, and great burnet, Sanguisorba officinalis
.
On wetter ground, the locally rare melancholy thistle, Cirsium helenioides, and globe flower, Trollius europaeus, are found alongside water avens, Geum rivale, marsh hawk's-beard, Crepis paludosa
, and tufted forget-me-not, Myosotis laxa
.
On steeper banks, which are not cut, a particularly rich flora includes alpine bistort, Polygonum viviparum, common spotted orchid, Dactylorhiza fuchsii, and intermediate lady's-mantle, Alchemilla xanthochlora, among many others.
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...
in the Teesdale
Teesdale (district)
Teesdale was, from 1974 to 2009, a local government district in County Durham, England. Its council was based in Barnard Castle and it was named after the valley of the River Tees....
district of County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is situated in Lunedale
Lunedale
Lunedale is a dale, or valley, of the east side of the Pennines in England, east of Middleton-in-Teesdale. Its principal villages are Grassholme, Thringarth and West Pasture. Lunedale is part of County Durham....
, on the north side of Grassholme Reservoir
Grassholme Reservoir
Grassholme Reservoir is a large reservoir in County Durham, England. It is situated in the Lune Valley which is a side valley of the River Tees, about 2 miles south of Middleton-in-Teesdale. It supplies water for Teesdale and Teeside and is owned by Northumbrian Water. Its main recreational use is...
, close to the hamlet of Thringarth
Thringarth
Thringarth is a hamlet in Lunedale, in the Pennines of England. It is traditionally located in the North Riding of Yorkshire but along with the rest of the former Startforth Rural District it was transferred to County Durham for administrative and ceremonial purposes on 1 April 1974, under the...
.
The main interest in the site lies in its traditionally-managed hay
Hay
Hay is grass, legumes or other herbaceous plants that have been cut, dried, and stored for use as animal fodder, particularly for grazing livestock such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep. Hay is also fed to pets such as rabbits and guinea pigs...
meadows, which support a wide variety of grasses, such as common bent, Agrostis capillaris
Agrostis capillaris
Agrostis capillaris is a rhizomatous and stoloniferous perennial in the grass family . It is native to Eurasia and has been widely introduced in many parts of the world...
, sweet vernal-grass, Anthoxanthum odoratum
Anthoxanthum odoratum
-Introduction:Anthoxanthum odoratum, known as sweet vernal grass, holy grass, vanilla grass or buffalo grass, is a short-lived grass found wild in acidic grassland in Eurasia. It is also grown as a lawn grass and a house plant, due to its sweet scent, and can also be found on unimproved pastures...
, and 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 forbs, such as meadowsweet, Filipendula ulmaria, marsh marigold, Caltha palustris
Caltha palustris
Caltha palustris is a herbaceous perennial plant of the buttercup family, native to marshes, fens, ditches and wet woodland in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere....
, 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....
.
On wetter ground, the locally rare melancholy thistle, Cirsium helenioides, and globe flower, Trollius europaeus, are found alongside water avens, Geum rivale, marsh hawk's-beard, Crepis paludosa
Crepis paludosa
Crepis paludosa, the Marsh Hawksbeard, is found beside shady burns, and in other damp shady places.Flower diameter c 1.5-2.5 cm...
, and tufted forget-me-not, Myosotis laxa
Myosotis laxa
Myosotis laxa is a species of forget-me-not known by several common names, including tufted forget-me-not, bay forget-me-not, and small-flowered forget-me-not. It has a circumboreal distribution, occurring throughout northern parts of the Northern Hemisphere...
.
On steeper banks, which are not cut, a particularly rich flora includes alpine bistort, Polygonum viviparum, common spotted orchid, Dactylorhiza fuchsii, and intermediate lady's-mantle, Alchemilla xanthochlora, among many others.