Severn Ham, Tewkesbury

Severn Ham, Tewkesbury
Site of Special Scientific Interest
Severn Ham
Shown within Gloucestershire
Area of Search	Gloucestershire
Grid reference	SO885325
Coordinates	51°59′29″N 2°10′05″W / 51.99128°N 2.16816°W / 51.99128; -2.16816Coordinates: 51°59′29″N 2°10′05″W / 51.99128°N 2.16816°W / 51.99128; -2.16816
Interest	Biological
Area	70.82 hectare
Notification	1974
Natural England website

Severn Ham, Tewkesbury (grid reference SO885325) is a 70.82-hectare (175.0-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire near Tewkesbury, notified in 1974.^[1]^[2]

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).^[1]

Grass species include cocksfoot, meadow foxtail, meadow barley, and smooth brome (Bromus racemosus). There is marsh foxtail in the wetter areas.

Flowering species such as meadow buttercup and lady's smock are plentiful. Trees and scrub grow on the margins.^[1]

Fauna

Resident birds include lapwing, curlew and redshank.

References

SSSI Source

External links

Natural England (SSSI information)

Severn Ham
Path across the Ham
Sheep grazing the Ham
View to Tewkesbury Abbey from the Ham
View of the Ham
A flooded Ham

Biological Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire

Summarised data for all sites (biological and geological)

Ashleworth Ham Astridge Wood Badgeworth Barnsley Warren Barton Bushes Bigsweir Woods Blaisdon Hall Bourton Down Box Farm Meadows Boxwell Brassey Brooks Head Grove Buckshraft Mine & Bradley Railway Tunnel Bull Cross, The Frith and Juniper Hill Bushley Muzzard, Brimpsfield Caerwood and Ashberry Goose House Chaceley Meadow Clarke's Pool Meadow Cleeve Common Cockleford Marsh Collinpark Wood Coombe Hill Canal Coombe Hill Cotswold Commons and Beechwoods Cotswold Water Park Crickley Hill and Barrow Wake Daneway Banks Dean Hall Coach House & Cellar Devil's Chapel Scowles Dingle Wood Dixton Wood Dymock Woods Edge Common Elmlea Meadows Frampton Pools Highbury Wood Hobbs Quarry Hornsleasow Roughs Hucclecote Meadows Innsworth Meadow Juniper Hill, Edgeworth Kempley Daffodil Meadow Kingscote and Horsley Woods Lark Wood Leckhampton Hill and Charlton Kings Common Lineover Wood Lower Woods Lower Wye Gorge May Hill Midger Minchinhampton Common Nagshead Old Bow and Old Ham Mines Old River Severn, Upper Lode Pennsylvania Fields, Sedbury Poor's Allotment Puckham Woods Range Farm Fields River Wye Rodborough Common Rough Bank, Miserden Salmonsbury Meadows Selsley Common Severn Estuary Severn Ham, Tewkesbury Shorn Cliff and Caswell Woods Slade Brook Soudley Ponds Speech House Oaks Stenders Quarry Stinchcombe Hill Strawberry Banks Swanpool Wood and Furnace Grove Swift's Hill Sylvan House Barn The Hudnalls The Malvern Hills Tudor Farm Bank Turvey's Piece Upper Severn Estuary Upham Meadow and Summer Leasow Upper Wye Gorge Walmore Common Westbury Brook Ironstone Mine Whelford Meadow Wigpool Ironstone Mine Wildmoorway Meadows Winson Meadows Woodchester Park Workman's Wood Wotton Hill Yarley Meadows

Neighbouring areas Avon Hereford and Worcester Oxfordshire Wiltshire