The site is a steep grassy bank along the north side of Soulbury Road, in front of the houses that form part of the St Mary’s Way estate. The site is centred at Grid Reference SP908254.
We started to manage it for wildlife and to introduce more plants in 2017, with some success. Phil Irving’s survey report from 2017 said: “The grassland is quite coarse and grass dominated, and would benefit from regular hay cutting management during the summer, ideally with sections cut in rotation in late spring/early summer to reduce the vigour of the grasses.”
Species at the site
The following is a list of species recorded from the site (those with ‘P’ next to them have been planted):
- False oat grass Arrhenatherum elatius
- Yorkshire fog Holcus lanatus
- Cocksfoot Dactylis glomerata
- Perennial rye grass Lolium perenne
- Red fescue Festuca rubra
- Timothy Phleum pratense
- Smaller catstail Phleum bertolonii
- Creeping bent Agrostis stolonifera
- Common couch Elytrigia repens
- Wall barley Hordeum murinum
- Bur medick Medicago minima (locally abundant in shorter grassland and on bare areas)
- Black medick Medicago lupulina
- Common ragwort Senecio jacobaea
- Common mallow Malva sylvestris
- White clover Trifolium repens
- Red clover Trifolium pratense
- Cranesbill sp. Geranium sp.
- Yarrow Achillea millefolium
- Evening primrose Oenothera sp. P
- Smooth hawksbeard Crepis capillaris
- Ribwort plantain Plantago lanceolata
- Common catsear Hypochaeris radicata
- Broad-leaved dock Rumex obtusifolius
- Common vetch Vicia sativa
- Field madder Sheradia arvensis
- Corncockle Agrostemma githago P
- Common mouse-ear Cerastium fontanum
- Cut leaved cranesbill Geranium dissectum
- Creeping cinquefoil Potentilla reptans
- Common field speedwell Veronica persica
- Garlic mustard Alliaria petiolata
- Spear thistle Cirsium vulgare
- Cherry regeneration Prunus sp.