Clarke's Pool Meadow () is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, notified in 1997.Natural England SSSI information on the citation
/ref>Forest of Dean District Local Plan Review, adopted November 2005, Appendix D 'Nature Conservation Site Designations Within the Forest of Dean District', Sites of Special Scientific Interest
It lies on the flat top of 'Old Hill' about half a mile south of Blakeney. The site consists of two fields which were purchased by the

Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust The Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust is the Gloucestershire local partner in a conservation network of 46 Wildlife Trusts. The Wildlife Trusts are local charities with the specific aim of protecting the United Kingdom's natural heritage. The Gl ...

in 1997. The site was designated an SSSI in the same year and it is one of the finest surviving traditional hay meadows in Gloucestershire.Kelham, A, Sanderson, J, Doe, J, Edgeley-Smith, M, et al, 1979, 1990, 2002 editions, 'Nature Reserves of the Gloucestershire Trust for Nature Conservation/Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust' Similar meadows have been lost due to agricultural improvement. The site overlies Old Red Sandstone. This contributes to the unusual mix of grassland plants.Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve Guide (January 2011) for its 50th anniversary

Plants

The meadows support a show of thousands (estimated at 45,000) of

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 ...

in May, a colony of some size in this part of Gloucestershire. Also flowering in the late spring are common twayblade, adder's-tongue, cowslip, bluebell, and

pignut Hognut or pignut can mean any of a number of unrelated plants: * ''Bunium bulbocastanum'' (black cumin) or ''Conopodium majus'' (kippernut) of the Apiaceae * rushpeas, particularly ''Hoffmannseggia glauca'' (Indian rushpea) and ''Hoffmannseggia den ...

. Taller grass and flowers develop over the summer and produce a hay crop at that time. Recordings include

quaking-grass ''Briza'' is a genus of annual and perennial plants in the grass family, native to northern temperate regions of Eurasia, North Africa, and certain islands in the Atlantic. The group is generally referred to as the quaking grasses because the ...

, common knapweed,

meadow vetchling ''Lathyrus pratensis'' or meadow vetchling, yellow pea, meadow pea and meadow pea-vine, is a perennial legume that grows to 1.2 m in height. The hermaphrodite flowers are pollinated by bees. As a perennial, this plant reproduces itself over man ...

, downy oat-grass, field scabious,

meadow buttercup ''Ranunculus acris'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae, and is one of the more common buttercups across Europe and temperate Eurasia. Common names include meadow buttercup, tall buttercup, common buttercup and giant but ...

, yellow-rattle, oxeye daisy,

common bird's-foot trefoil ''Lotus corniculatus'' is a flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae, native to grasslands in temperate Eurasia and North Africa. Common names include common bird's-foot trefoil, eggs and bacon, birdsfoot deervetch, and just bird's-foot trefo ...

, goat's-beard, fairy flax and

Devil's-bit scabious ''Succisa pratensis'', also known as devil's-bit or devil's-bit scabious, is a flowering plant in the honeysuckle family Caprifoliaceae. It differs from other similar species in that it has four-lobed flowers, whereas small scabious and field s ...

Meadow saffron ''Colchicum autumnale'', commonly known as autumn crocus, meadow saffron, or naked ladies, is a toxic autumn-blooming flowering plant that resembles the true crocuses, but is a member of the plant family Colchicaceae, unlike the true crocuses, whi ...

flowers following the hay cut.

Invertebrates, mammals and bird life

The neutral meadow flora, broad hedges and the rough field margins support a diversity of invertebrates, small mammals and predators such as the

barn owl The barn owl (''Tyto alba'') is the most widely distributed species of owl in the world and one of the most widespread of all species of birds, being found almost everywhere except for the polar and desert regions, Asia north of the Himalaya ...

Conservation

The traditional method for management is hay cutting followed by sheep grazing. Hedges are maintained from natural species.

Publications

* Kelham, A, Sanderson, J, Doe, J, Edgeley-Smith, M, et al., 1979, 1990, 2002 editions, 'Nature Reserves of the Gloucestershire Trust for Nature Conservation/Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust' * Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve Guide (January 2011) * 'Where to see Wildlife in the Forest of Dean', January 2012, Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust

References

SSSI Source

Natural England SSSI information on the citation

Natural England SSSI information on the Clarke's Pool Meadow unit

External links

Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust

Natural England
(SSSI information) {{SSSIs Gloucs biological Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire Sites of Special Scientific Interest notified in 1997 Nature reserves in Gloucestershire Meadows in Gloucestershire Awre