A haze of pinks, yellows and purples catch the light in a long, stretching meadow on the edge of the village of Gissing. The eastern half of the common is a sweeping neutral grassland meadow containing a rich mix of grasses and wildflowers, from sweet vernal grass to black knapweed and meadow vetchling.
Fingers of water draining the nearby field create pockets of wet meadow lining the common. Here Essex skippers feed on the nectar of meadowsweet and hemp agrimony in late summer. Stands of bramble and hawthorn scrub play home to a number of songbirds, whilst green winged orchids cling to the edge of horse grazed semi-circles.
The western half of the common is markedly different with various rush and sedge species fringing the northern boundary over a marshy grassland extent. A small pocket of oak dominated woodland sits in the south west corner overlooking the neutral grassland towards the south side of the common.
• Habitats: Neutral grassland, marshy grassland, woodland, scrub
• When to visit – This site comes into full bloom around mid-July with swathes of black knapweed dusting the horizon pink, but be aware this is also the time when the sward is tallest making it difficult to pass through the meadow easily!