Port Meadow with Wolvercote Common and Green facts for kids
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
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| Area of Search | Oxfordshire |
|---|---|
| Interest | Biological |
| Area | 167.1 hectares (413 acres) |
| Notification | 1986 |
| Location map | Magic Map |
Port Meadow with Wolvercote Common and Green is a large area of special natural beauty and importance in Oxford, Oxfordshire. It covers about 167 hectares, which is like 413 football fields! This area is officially known as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) because of its amazing wildlife and plants. It's also part of the Oxford Meadows Special Area of Conservation, which means it's super important for protecting nature across Europe.
You can find the old ruins of Godstow Abbey in the northern part of this site. This abbey is a Scheduled Monument, meaning it's an important historical place protected by law.
Contents
What is Port Meadow?
Port Meadow is mostly made up of meadows, which are grassy fields, located right next to the River Thames. These meadows are in the river's floodplain, meaning they sometimes get covered by water when the river overflows. This natural flooding helps keep the soil rich and healthy for plants.
A Special Place for Nature
This area is not just any field; it's a very special place for nature. Being a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) means it has rare plants, animals, or geological features that need to be protected. It's also listed as a Grade I site in the Nature Conservation Review. This review identifies the very best wildlife sites in Britain. Protecting these areas helps make sure that unique habitats and species can survive for a long time.
History and Grazing
People believe that animals have been grazing on Port Meadow for over a thousand years! Grazing means that animals like horses and cows eat the grass and other plants. This long history of grazing has actually shaped the types of plants that grow here. It's a fantastic place for scientists to study how animals eating plants affects the environment over many, many years.
Even though it has been grazed for so long, Port Meadow has fewer different types of plants compared to nearby fields that are cut for hay. Hay is grass that is cut and dried to feed animals. However, even with lower diversity, an amazing 178 different kinds of flowering plants have been found here!
Amazing Plants and Wildlife
One of the most exciting plant discoveries at Port Meadow is the creeping marshwort. This tiny plant is incredibly rare. It's listed in the Red Data Book, which is a list of species that are at risk of disappearing forever. What makes the creeping marshwort at Port Meadow so special is that it's not found anywhere else in Britain! This makes the meadow a truly unique and important home for this endangered plant.
