Severn Ham, Tewkesbury () is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest 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 ...

near

Tewkesbury Tewkesbury ( ) is a medieval market town and civil parish in the north of Gloucestershire, England. The town has significant history in the Wars of the Roses and grew since the building of Tewkesbury Abbey. It stands at the confluence of the Riv ...

, notified in 1974.Natural England SSSI information on the citation
/ref>Tewkesbury Borough Local Plan to 2011, adopted March 2006, Appendix 3 'Nature Conservation', Sites of Special Scientific Interest
/ref> It is on the east side of the Severn to Old River Severn, Upper Lode SSSI.

Habitat and flora

The site is important for protection being one of the few remaining ham meadows which are traditionally managed. It is sited on the alluvium of the Severn Vale and is a flooded area in the winter months. It is neutral grassland and mostly only semi-improved. There are specific requirements in respect of fertilisers for the site to ensure the protection of the wide-ranging flora. This includes the rare sulphurwort (''

Oenanthe silaifolia ''Oenanthe silaifolia'', narrow-leaved water-dropwort, is a flowering plant in the carrot family, which is native to Europe and adjacent parts of Asia and North Africa. It is an uncommon plant of water-meadows and wetlands. Description Narrow- ...

''). Grass species include

cocksfoot ''Dactylis'' is a genus of Eurasian and North African plants in the bluegrass subfamily within the grass family. ''Dactylis'' is native to North Africa, they are found throughout the world, and are an invasive species. They are known in English ...

, meadow foxtail,

meadow barley ''Hordeum brachyantherum'', known by the common name meadow barley, is a species of barley. It is native to western North America from Alaska to northern Mexico, coastal areas of easternmost Russia (Kamchatka), and a small area of coastal Newfou ...

, and smooth brome (''

Bromus racemosus ''Bromus racemosus'', the smooth brome or bald brome, is a species of flowering plant in the family Poaceae. It is native to subarctic and temperate Eurasia, and widely introduced elsewhere, including North America, Iceland, the Southern Cone o ...

''). There is

marsh foxtail ''Alopecurus geniculatus'' is a species of grass known by the common name water foxtail or marsh foxtail. It is native to much of Eurasia and introduced into North America, South America, and Australia. It grows in moist areas. ''Alopecurus ge ...

in the wetter areas. Flowering species such as

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 ...

and

lady's smock ''Cardamine pratensis'', the cuckoo flower, lady's smock, mayflower, or milkmaids, is a flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae. It is a perennial herb native throughout most of Europe and Western Asia. The specific name ''pratensis'' is Latin ...

are plentiful. Trees and scrub grow on the margins.

Fauna

Resident birds include lapwing, curlew and redshank.

References

SSSI Source

Natural England SSSI information on the citation

Natural England SSSI information on the Severn Ham, Tewkesbury units

External links

Natural England
(SSSI information)
Tewkesbury Medieval Town Showcase
Image:Severn Ham - geograph.org.uk - 1037284.jpg, Severn Ham Image:Path across Severn Ham - geograph.org.uk - 1729650.jpg, Path across the Ham Image:Sheep at the northern end of Severn Ham - geograph.org.uk - 1729675.jpg, Sheep grazing the Ham Image:Across Severn Ham - geograph.org.uk - 592606.jpg, View to Tewkesbury Abbey from the Ham Image:Placid Mill Avon - geograph.org.uk - 1415898.jpg, View of the Ham Image:A flooded Severn Ham, Tewkesbury - geograph.org.uk - 320160.jpg, A flooded Ham {{SSSIs Gloucs biological Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire Sites of Special Scientific Interest notified in 1974