Far High House Meadows

Far High House Meadows
Site of Special Scientific Interest
Country England
Region North East
District Wear Valley
Location NY839383
 - coordinates 54°44′23″N 2°15′3″W / 54.73972°N 2.25083°WCoordinates: 54°44′23″N 2°15′3″W / 54.73972°N 2.25083°W
Area 5.5 ha (13.6 acres)
Notification 1990
Management Natural England
Area of Search County Durham
Interest Biological
Map of England and Wales with a red dot representing the location of the Far High House Meadows SSSI, Co Durham
Location of Far High House Meadows SSSI, Co Durham
Website: Map of site

Far High House Meadows is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in Upper Weardale in west County Durham, England. It consists of three fields, located just south of Burnhope Reservoir, some 3 km west of the village of Ireshopeburn. Two of the fields are maintained as northern hay meadows by traditional farming methods, without re-seeding or the application of artificial fertilisers; the third is grazed as pasture.

The hay fields are dominated by common bent, Agrostis capillaris, and sweet vernal-grass, Anthoxanthum odoratum, and support a diversity of forbs, among which globe-flower, Trollius europaeus, and marsh-marigold, Caltha palustris, are well represented, with early-purple orchid, Orchis mascula, among the species present in the wetter areas.

The pasture is a mix of acidic upland grassland, dry grassland and flushes, the last dominated by rushes and sedges.[1]

References

  1. "Far High House Meadows". English Nature. 1990. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
Sweet vernal-grass, Anthoxanthum odoratum