Elmlea Meadows
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
 Example - snake's head fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris) | |
  Location within Gloucestershire | |
| Location | Gloucestershire |
|---|---|
| Grid reference | SU079948 |
| Coordinates | 51°39′09″N 1°53′11″W / 51.652387°N 1.886485°W |
| Interest | Biological |
| Area | 6.9 hectare |
| Notification | 1989 |
| Natural England website | |
Elmlea Meadows (grid reference SU079948) is a 6.9-hectare (17-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, England, notified in 1989.[1][2] The site is listed in the 'Cotswold District' Local Plan 2001-2011 (on line) as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS).[3]
Species
The grassland included meadow foxtail and great burnet and supports a rich flora. This is a nationally important meadow area, and supports the nationally rare fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris) and the rare downy-fruited sedge (Carex tomentose). The population of fritillary is the largest reported in Gloucestershire.[1] To the north of Cricklade, in the county of Wiltshire, is North Meadow which is both an SSSI and a national nature reserve (NNR) which supports some 80% of the British population of fritillary.
The small area of scrub on the site is dominated by grey willow and crack willow and supports a large number of typical wetland species. It is the only known site for tufted-sedge (Carex elata) in Gloucestershire.[1]
