Nidderdale National Landscape’s grassland habitats make up half of our land cover and are valuable for plants and wildlife. These habitats range from rough, seldom-grazed grasslands to intensively managed silage fields and pastures.

They include precious and beautiful flower-rich meadows, evoking memories of colourful, insect-filled fields. Increasingly rare – the UK has lost approximately 97% of these meadows in the last 50 years, Nidderdale National Landscape still has some excellent examples.

Across the National Landscape you might be able to see

• • Upland calcareous grassland: Species-rich, dominated by fine-leaved grasses, found on carboniferous limestone.
  • Calaminarian grasslands: Specialized plant species on lead-mining waste, including alpine pennycress and rare lichens.
  • Magnesian limestone grassland: Unique plants and invertebrates on Permian-era limestone, with over 13 nationally scarce plants and 84 scarce invertebrates.
  • Lowland Hay Meadows: species-rich and brightly coloured, mown to produce hay for livestock to eat through the winter months.
  • Lowland Acid Grassland: Found on free-draining soils, dominated by fine leaved grasses and short growing flowers such as tormentil and heath bedstraw.
  • Rush Pasture: Usually wet and found on clay or peaty soils, made up of a mixture of tall and short vegetation like ragged robin.

Our work focuses on

• Running a Grasslands Project bringing together farmers, landowners, land managers, community groups, and partner organisations to protect existing species-rich grasslands and creating new areas for biodiversity to flourish, right across Nidderdale National Landscape.
• We have a dedicated grassland conservation officer, funded by Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust, to help create species-rich grasslands thriving with life and benefiting both nature and people. They work directly with farmers and land managers advising on restoring and creating meadows, helping people to access grants such as the Sustainable Farming Incentive.
• Running events for the general public about the rich plants and wildlife of our meadows as well as training volunteers to help us survey and monitor meadows in the National Landscape.

Resources

If you own or manage grassland and want to make it great for nature, please use the resource sheets below to help inform you on best practices. There is lots of information, some general and other bits more specialised, but all the techniques described will help you create a grassland that is thriving with life!