Old Meadows and Grasslands

The heavy clay soils of south and mid Norfolk support Norfolk’s best remaining examples of old pastures, commons and grasslands. These vulnerable, often little known, gems have survived changes in farming and the evolution of the south Norfolk landscape over the last 200 years, and persist on the fringes or in the middle of villages and river valleys. Many have now become a valued local amenity and in some rare cases continue to be grazed in a traditional way, supporting the mix of pasture and fen that make these places so important in an otherwise intensively farmed landscape.

typical species: lesser stitchwort, lady's bedstraw, sweet vernal grass, knapweed and hairy sedge

threatened species: green winged orchid, sulphur clover.