Elmlea Meadows facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Site of Special Scientific Interest |
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Example - snake's head fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris)
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| Area of Search | Gloucestershire |
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| Coordinates | 51°39′09″N 1°53′11″W / 51.652387°N 1.886485°W |
| Interest | Biological |
| Area | 6.9 hectare |
| Notification | 1989 |
Elmlea Meadows is a special natural area in Gloucestershire, England. It covers about 6.9 hectares, which is like 17 football fields! This site was officially recognized in 1989 as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This means it's a very important place for wildlife and nature. It's also listed as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS) in the local plan for the Cotswold District.
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Discovering Elmlea Meadows' Location
This amazing natural spot is found north-west of a town called Cricklade. It's very close to the border of the county. Elmlea Meadows is made up of three large fields. For many years, these fields have been used to grow hay. After the hay is cut, animals are allowed to graze there. The ground under these meadows is made of alluvium and gravel. These are types of soil and small stones left behind by the River Thames as it flows through its floodplain.
Amazing Plants of Elmlea Meadows
The grasslands at Elmlea Meadows are home to many different kinds of plants. You can find plants like meadow foxtail and great burnet here. But what makes this meadow truly special is its rich variety of flowers and grasses.
The Rare Fritillary Flower
Elmlea Meadows is super important because it has a nationally rare flower called the fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris). This beautiful flower is quite unique! In Gloucestershire, Elmlea Meadows has the largest group of these fritillary flowers. Just north of Cricklade, in a different county called Wiltshire, there's another famous place called North Meadow, Cricklade. This place is also an SSSI and a national nature reserve. North Meadow is home to about 80% of all the fritillary flowers found in Britain!
Special Sedges and Wetland Plants
Besides the fritillary, you can also find a rare type of sedge here. It's called the downy-fruited sedge (Carex tomentosa). Sedges are grass-like plants often found in wet areas. There's also a small area of bushes and trees at Elmlea Meadows. This area has grey willow and crack willow trees. These trees are perfect for many plants that love wet places. In fact, Elmlea Meadows is the only known place in Gloucestershire where you can find a plant called tufted-sedge (Carex elata).
