Thornton Meadows

Selected Wild Place / Other Wild Places / Public Rights of Way / VC55 boundary

Wild places

Total species seen at this site:

Description

These meadows are long-establish and unimproved meadows which are being restored through an appropriate mowing regime. The Leicestershire Round footpath cuts across the site. A playground and multi-use games area have been built in part of the site and the north-east corner has been flattened as a football area. However the surrounding meadows are wonderfully rich.

Wildlife Highlights

The south-east meadow is the richest in terms of species, and is very special indeed; being one of the best areas of this type of wildflower grassland in Leicestershire. Meadow Saxifrage is a notable species; this is now scarce and declining in Leicestershire and confined to a handful of sites.  Other plants include Betony, Tormentil, Devil’s-bit Scabious, Pignut, Knapweed, Sorrel, Meadow Vetchling, Lady’s Bedstraw, Bird’s-foot Trefoil, Meadow and Bulbous Buttercups, Red Clover, Yellow Rattle, Great Burnet and Field Woodrush. These are all Local Wildlife Site indicator species and present in good amounts. The north-east meadow is not as rich but still includes a number of notable grassland species.

The site is also excellent habitat for invertebrates, including the Chimney Sweeper and Burnet Companion moths.

 

The records and images below may include those from adjacent sites if the grid reference submitted with these records overlaps the boundary of this Wild Place.

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