Barrington Hill Meadows () is a 16.1

hectare The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100-metre sides (1 hm2), or 10,000 m2, and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. An acre is a ...

(39.5 acre)

biological Site of Special Scientific Interest A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of ...

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

, England, notified in 1987. Barrington Hill Meadows, 2 km west of the A358, midway between the villages of Windmill Hill and

Bickenhall Bickenhall is a hamlet and parish in Somerset, England, situated south east of Taunton in the Somerset West and Taunton district. The parish, which includes the hamlet of Batten's Green, has a population of 122. Bickenhall is a widely scattere ...

, is an

English Nature English Nature was the United Kingdom government agency that promoted the conservation of wildlife, geology and wild places throughout England between 1990 and 2006. It was a non-departmental public body funded by the Department for Environmen ...

national nature reserve. This site comprises four meadows surrounded by well established hedges on gently sloping clay-rich soils. It is an outstanding example of a traditionally managed unimproved neutral grassland of a type now rare in Britain. Additional interest lies in the occurrence of an extremely rare grass species. The meadows belong to a type characterised by the widespread occurrence of

Sweet Vernal Grass ''Anthoxanthum odoratum'', known as sweet vernal grass, is a short-lived perennial grass that is native to acidic grassland in Eurasia and northern Africa. It is grown as a lawn grass and a house plant, due to its sweet scent, and can also be f ...

(''Anthoxanthum odoratum''),

Crested Dog's-tail ''Cynosurus cristatus'', the crested dog's-tail, is a short-lived perennial grass in the family Poaceae, characterised by a seed head that is flat on one side. It typically grows in species rich grassland. It thrives in a variety of soil types ...

(''Cynosurus cristatus''), Cowslip (''Primula veris'') and

Green-winged Orchid ''Anacamptis morio'', the green-winged orchid or green-veined orchid ( synonym ''Orchis morio''), is a flowering plant of the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It usually has purple flowers, and is found in Europe and the Middle East. Description It f ...

(''Orchis morio''). A total of 74 different species have so far been recorded. This site is one of only 3 localities in Britain in which the grass ''

Gaudinia fragilis ''Gaudinia'' is a genus of Mediterranean plants in the grass family. The genus name is a tribute to Swiss botanist Jean François Aimé Théophile Philippe Gaudin (1766-1833). ; Species * ''Gaudinia coarctata'' - Azores * '' Gaudinia fragilis' ...

'' is a prominent feature of the sward.

References

{{Authority control National nature reserves in Somerset Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Somerset Sites of Special Scientific Interest notified in 1987 Meadows in Somerset