Cockleford Marsh () is a
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 ...
in
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean.
The county town is the city of Gl ...
,
notified in 1991.
[Natural England SSSI information on the citation](_blank)
/ref>
It lies in the Cotswold
The Cotswolds (, ) is a region in central-southwest England, along a range of rolling hills that rise from the meadows of the upper Thames to an escarpment above the Severn Valley and Evesham Vale.
The area is defined by the bedrock of Jura ...
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB; , AHNE) is an area of countryside in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, that has been designated for conservation due to its significant landscape value. Areas are designated in recognition of ...
. The site is a typical example of the spring line fen-meadow habitat which is common along the Cotswold scarp and the valleys in areas of landslip. There are only a few remaining such marshes in the Cotswolds. This site is particularly ''botanically rich'' and a mixture of grassland and wetland habitats.
Flora
The fen-meadow is dominated by Hard Rush,
Creeping Bent and
Brooklime
''Veronica beccabunga'', the European speedwell or brooklime, is a succulent herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the flowering plant family Plantaginaceae. It grows on the margins of brooks and ditches in Europe, North Africa, and north and ...
. Locally scarce (Gloucestershire) species occur such as Bogbean, Common Cottongrass, Marsh Arrowgrass, Southern Marsh Orchid, Star Sedge and other particular sedges. A significant number of Common spotted orchid, Common Spotted Orchids are recorded, along with Marsh Marigold, Ragged Robin and Valeriana, Marsh Valerian.
The unimproved grassland consists of two main types. There is short grazed limestone grassland and taller neutral grassland. The former is ''herb rich''. These include Succisa pratensis, Devil's bit Scabious, Burnet Saxifrage,
Mouse-ear Hawkweed and Lady's Bedstraw.
References
SSSI Source
Natural England SSSI information on the citationNatural England SSSI information on the Cockleford Marsh unit
External links
Natural England(SSSI information)
{{SSSIs Gloucs biological
Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire
Sites of Special Scientific Interest notified in 1991
Cotswolds