Districts:
West Oxfordshire Parishes
Curbridge
The following wildlife habitats fall within this parish. They are listed according to their associated landscape type or local character area.
If you want more information about any of the sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) listed below, take a look at English Nature's Nature on the Map website. It may also be possible to find out a bit more about the unnamed wildlife habitats in the parish by contacting the Thames Valley Environmental Records Centre (owls@oxfordshire.gov.uk) and quoting the site code next to the habitat description.
The majority of these wildlife habitats are on private land and access to them is not possible without permission of the landowner, unless there is a statutory right of way. However, many wildlife habitats in the county are open to the public. More information on these can be obtained from the Oxfordshire Nature Conservation Forum.
Wildlife Habitats
River Meadowlands
Site Code: 21V01/10
Area: 6ha
This site is a hay meadow and in its location next to River Windrush it is quite wet. The field has escaped agricultural improvement which means that it hasn’t been ploughed and reseeded and fertilizers and herbicides have not been used. This has left the field with an exceptionally rich mix of flowering plants. Meadows such as this are a national priority of nature conservation.
There is a very good display of orchids on site including early marsh orchid, southern marsh orchid and common spotted orchid alongside large sized hybrids between these three types of orchid. Yellow rattle, bugle and small sedges are abundant. There are patches of great burnet and cowslips. Other wildflowers that can be seen include ragged robin, common milkwort and the uncommon marsh arrow grass. An abundance of common knapweed, oxeye daisy and bird’s-foot trefoil add to the colourful traditional meadow scene.