| West Park Meadows | |
|---|---|
  Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
| Location | MAGiC MaP |
| Nearest town | Middleton-in-Teesdale |
| Coordinates | 54°36′6″N2°5′37″W / 54.60167°N 2.09361°W |
| Area | 6.7 ha (17 acres) |
| Established | 1989 |
| Governing body | Natural England |
| Website | West Park Meadows SSSI |
West Park Meadows is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in the Teesdale district of County Durham, England. It is situated in Lunedale, just north of Grassholme Reservoir, about 1+1⁄2 miles (2.4 km) upstream from the village of Mickleton. [1]
The site consists of two large hay meadows, which are managed in a traditional manner, without re-seeding or the use of artificial fertilisers, and which, as a consequence, support a rich variety of species characteristic of northern hay meadows, a habitat that is diminishing under the threat from intensive agriculture.
Species that are present in abundance include great burnet, Sanguisorba officinalis , wood crane's-bill, Geranium sylvaticum , and meadowsweet, Filipendula ulmaria , while common spotted orchid, Dactylorhiza fuchsii , and early purple orchid, Orchis mascula , are among the species found on the steeper, uncut banks within the meadows. [2]
