Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
Location | Leicestershire |
---|---|
Grid reference | SK 825 368 [1] |
Interest | Biological |
Area | 8.8 hectares [1] |
Notification | 1983 [1] |
Location map | Magic Map |
Muston Meadows is an 8.8-hectare (22-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest south of Muston in Leicestershire. [1] [2] It is also a National Nature Reserve [3] [4] and a Nature Conservation Review site. [5]
These ridge and furrow meadows are on soils derived from clay. Herbs include green-winged orchid, lady's bedstraw, yellow rattle, pepper saxifrage and cowslip. [5]
The site is in two different areas, both of which are open to the public.
At Muston Meadows, hay is cut in late summer and over winter the meadow is grazed by cattle. [6] This prevents the meadow habitat from transitioning to forest through ecological succession. [7] [8] Some of the plants in the nature reserve only grow in meadows and this kind of habitat is very threatened in the UK; 97% of Britain's wildflower meadows have been destroyed since the 1930s. [9]
The Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust (LRWT) is one of 46 wildlife trusts across the United Kingdom. It manages nature reserves in Leicestershire and Rutland, and was founded in 1956 as the Leicestershire and Rutland Trust for Nature Conservation. As of January 2018, it has over 16,000 members, a staff of about 25 and more than 500 volunteers. It is based in Leicester, and is managed by a Council of Trustees which is elected by the members. It is a charity which covers all aspects of nature conservation, and works to protect wild places and wildlife.
Suffolk Wildlife Trust (SWT) describes itself as the county's "nature charity – the only organisation dedicated wholly to safeguarding Suffolk's wildlife and countryside." It is a registered charity, and its headquarters is at Brooke House in Ashbocking, near Ipswich. It was founded in 1961, and is one of 46 wildlife trusts covering the Great Britain and Northern Ireland. As of March 2017, it has 13,200 members, and it manages 3,120 hectares of land in 60 nature reserves, most of which are open to the public. It had an income of £3.9 million in the year to 31 March 2017.
Upwood Meadows is a 6 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest west of Upwood in Cambridgeshire. It is also a National Nature Reserve and a Grade I Nature Conservation Review site. It is managed by the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire.
Barnack Hills & Holes is a 23.3-hectare (58-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Barnack in Cambridgeshire. It is also a national nature reserve. It is a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I. In 2002 it was designated as a Special Area of Conservation, to protect the orchid-rich grassland as part of the Natura 2000 network of sites throughout the European Union.
Sheet Hedges Wood is in the parish of Newtown Linford, and lies some 1-mile (1.6 km) north of Groby, in Leicestershire, UK. The site is made up of two areas of woodland and a meadow field, all with public access, extending 29 acres (120,000 m2). The woodland block is adjacent to the road includes a car park and access trails.
Charnwood Lodge is a 134.2-hectare (332-acre) biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Charnwood Forest, east of Coalville in Leicestershire. It is a national nature reserve, and contains two Geological Conservation Review sites. It is managed by the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust.
Ketton Quarries is a 115.6-hectare (286-acre) biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest east of Ketton in Rutland. It is a Geological Conservation Review site, and an area of 27.5 hectares is managed by the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust.
Loughborough Meadows is a 60.5 hectares biological Site of Special Scientific Interest on the northern outskirts of Loughborough in Leicestershire, England. An area of 35.3 hectares is managed as a nature reserve by the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust.
Weeting Heath is a 141.8-hectare (350-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest west of Thetford in Norfolk, which is managed by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust. It is a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I, and a National Nature Reserve. It is also part of the Breckland Special Area of Conservation and Special Protection Area.
Maidscross Hill is a 44.8-hectare (111-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest on the eastern outskirts of Lakenheath in Suffolk. It is a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I, and larger area of 49.8 hectares is a Local Nature Reserve.
Thetford Heaths is a 270.6-hectare (669-acre) biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Suffolk. It is a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I, and parts of it are a national nature reserve, and a Geological Conservation Review, It is part of the Breckland Special Area of Conservation, and Special Protection Area A large part of this dry heathland site is calcareous grassland, and some areas are grazed by sheep or rabbits. There are several nationally rare plants and an uncommon heathland bird, and many lichens and mosses.
Weather and Horn Heaths, Eriswell is a 133.3-hectare (329-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest east of Eriswell in Suffolk. It is a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I, and part of the Breckland Special Area of Conservation, and Special Protection Area
Cribb's Meadow is a 4.2-hectare (10-acre) nature reserve east of Wymondham in Leicestershire. It is owned and managed by the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust, and is designated a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest under the name Cribb's Lodge Meadows. It is also a National Nature Reserve and a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade 2.
Merry's Meadows is a 12.4-hectare (31-acre) nature reserve west of Stretton in Rutland. It is managed by the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust, and is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest under the name Greetham Meadows.
Debdale Meadow, Muston is a 4.3-hectare (11-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest north of Muston in Leicestershire.
Ulverscroft Valley is a 110.8 hectares biological Site of Special Scientific Interest north-west of Markfield in Leicestershire. The site is in five separate blocks, and two areas are nature reserves managed by the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust (LRWT). Lea Meadows is owned by the LRWT and it is also a scheduled monument. Part of Ulverscroft Nature Reserve is owned by the LRWT and part is owned by the National Trust and leased to the LRWT.
Yare Broads and Marshes is a 744.5-hectare (1,840-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest east of Norwich in Norfolk, England. Part of the site, is a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I and most of it is in the Mid-Yare National Nature Reserve. It is part of the Broadland Ramsar site and Special Protection Area, and The Broads Special Area of Conservation. Two ares are Royal Society for the Protection of Birds nature reserves, Strumpshaw Fen and Surlingham Church Marsh.
Dereham Rush Meadow is a 22.2-hectare (55-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest north-west of Dereham in Norfolk.