| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
 | |
| Location | Surrey |
|---|---|
| Grid reference | TQ 029 700 [1] |
| Interest | Biological |
| Area | 6.4 hectares (16 acres) [1] |
| Notification | 1985 [1] |
| Location map | Magic Map |
Thorpe Hay Meadow is a 6.4-hectare (16-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest west of Staines-upon-Thames in Surrey. [1] [2] It is owned and managed by the Surrey Wildlife Trust. [3]
Its habitat is (acid-alkali) neutral grassland and it contains Cynosurus cristatus - Centaurea nigra grassland as a notified feature. [4]
The site is thought to be the last remaining example of a Thames valley hay meadow in Surrey. It contains a range of lime-loving (calcicole) plants which are characteristic of this type of meadow. The grassland is dominated by rough-stalked meadow grass Poa trivialis , crested dog’s-tail grass Cynosurus cristatus, and lesser knapweed Centaurea nigra. Yellow rattle Rhinanthus minor , meadow-fescue grass Festuca pratensis , meadow barley Hordeum secalinum , smooth hawk’s-beard Crepis capillaris and common reed Phragmites australis are locally abundant, the last species being unusual in such dry situations. Other frequent species include meadow brome Bromus commutatus , a grass only recorded from one other Surrey location in recent years, meadow foxtail grass Alopecurus pratensis , Yorkshire-fog grass Holcus lanatus , pepper saxifrage Silaum silaus and meadow-sweet Filipendula ulmaria . Associated calcicole species include meadow cranesbill Geranium pratense , clustered bell-flower Campanula glomerata , cowslip Primula veris , hoary plantain Plantago media , salad burnet Sanguisorba minor and lady’s bedstraw Galium verum .
The meadow is surrounded by old hedgerows with a variety of species such as ash Fraxinus excelsior , hawthorn Crataegus monogyna , field maple Acer campestre , spindle Euonymus europaeus , dogwood Cornus sanguinea , and buckthorn Rhamnus catharticus . A drainage ditch along two sides of the site supports five species of willow including purple willow Salix purpurea and almond willow Salix triandra . Common comfrey Symphytum officinale , ragged robin Lychnis flos-cuculi , cyperus sedge Carex pseudocyperus and the uncommon aquatic liverwort Riccia fluitans ...along this ditch.
— Species listed in Citation, 1985, Natural England [4]
A footpath from Staines passes through the site.
