Babcary Meadows

Babcary Meadows
Site of Special Scientific Interest
Shown within Somerset
Area of Search	Somerset
Grid reference	ST567293
Coordinates	51°03′41″N 2°37′09″W / 51.06139°N 2.61925°W / 51.06139; -2.61925Coordinates: 51°03′41″N 2°37′09″W / 51.06139°N 2.61925°W / 51.06139; -2.61925
Interest	Biological
Area	13.6 hectares (0.136 km²; 0.053 sq mi)
Notification	1988 (1988)
Natural England website

Babcary Meadows (grid reference ST567293) is a 13.6 hectares (34 acres) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest north of Babcary in Somerset, notified in 1988.

Cuckoo Flower

Babcary Meadows is one of the last remaining areas of traditionally managed unimproved neutral grassland in south Somerset and contains a rich variety of herbs.

The site is positioned to the north of the River Cary at an altitude of 30 metres (98 ft) on flat and gently sloping ground. The plant community contains a very high proportion of herbaceous species. Areas immediately adjacent to the river bank are frequently waterlogged and contain numerous tussocks of Soft rush (Juncus effusus). Associated plants include Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria), Cuckoo flower (Cardamine pratensis) and Common fleabane (Pulicaria dysenterica).^[1]

Over two hundred species of flora have been recorded on the 12 hectares (30 acres) Somerset Wildlife Trust reserve, fourteen of which are classified 'notable species' in Somerset, and six of which are orchids. Badgers (Meles meles) and Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) frequent the reserve and it is probable that Otters (Lutra lutra) use the river corridor.^[2] The site was purchased by the trust following grant assistance from South Somerset Council.^[3]

References

↑ "Babcary Meadows" (PDF). English Nature. Retrieved 2006-08-12.
↑ "Babcary Meadows". Wildlife Trusts. Retrieved 2009-12-22.
↑ "Application for Grant Aid Assistance towards the Purchase of Babcary Meadows". South Somerset Council. 1999. Retrieved 2010-11-14.

External links

Biological Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Somerset

Summarised data for all sites (biological and geological)

Aller and Beer Woods Aller Hill Asham Wood Axbridge Hill and Fry's Hill Babcary Meadows Barle Valley Barrington Hill Meadows Berrow Dunes Black Down and Sampford Commons Brean Down Bridgwater Bay Briggins Moor Catcott, Edington and Chilton Moors Chancellor's Farm Cheddar Complex Cheddar Reservoir Cheddar Wood Cleeve Hill Cogley Wood Crook Peak to Shute Shelve Hill Curry and Hay Moors Deadman Draycott Sleights Dunster Park and Heathlands East Polden Grasslands Ebbor Gorge Edford Woods and Meadows Exmoor Coastal Heaths Fivehead Woods and Meadow Freshmoor Friar's Oven Ge-mare Farm Fields Great Breach and Copley Woods Grove Farm Hardington Moor Hestercombe House Holme Moor & Clean Moor King's Sedgemoor Kingdown and Middledown Kingweston Meadows Lang's Farm Langford Heathfield Langmead and Weston Level Long Lye Long Lye Meadow Longleat Woods Millwater Moorlinch Nettlecombe Park North Brewham Meadows North Curry Meadow North Exmoor North Moor Old Ironstone Works, Mells Perch Porlock Ridge and Saltmarsh Postlebury Wood Priddy Pools Prior's Park & Adcombe Wood Quantock Hills Quants Ringdown River Barle Rodney Stoke Roebuck Meadows Ruttersleigh Severn Estuary Shapwick Heath Sharpham Moor Plot South Exmoor Southey and Gotleigh Moors Southlake Moor Sparkford Wood St. Dunstan's Well Catchment Stowell Meadow Street Heath Tealham and Tadham Moors Thurlbear Wood and Quarrylands Twinhills Woods and Meadows Vallis Vale Walton and Ivythorn Hills West Moor West Sedgemoor Westhay Heath Westhay Moor Wet Moor Whitevine Meadows Windsor Hill Marsh Wookey Hole Woolhayes Farm

Neighbouring areas Avon Devon Dorset Wiltshire

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