Grassland

4: Grassland

Explore why Britain's grasslands are man-made environments. Learn about Phase 1 classifications, from calcareous to water meadows, and discover Sidmouth's best wildflower sites.

While the rolling green hills of Sidmouth may look like a permanent fixture of the wild, they are actually the result of thousands of years of human intervention. After the last ice age, Britain was largely covered in "wild wood". It wasn't until the Bronze and Iron Ages—roughly 4,000 years ago—that our ancestors developed the tools to clear trees for farming.

The Cycle of Maintenance

Grasslands only stay as grasslands because of two specific activities that stop the natural return of woodland:

Grazing: Livestock eat the grass and young saplings, preventing tree regrowth.
Hay Cutting: Cutting and drying grass for winter feed halts the natural cycle of regeneration.

Classifying Grasslands

Under the Phase 1 Habitat Classification system, grasslands are categorised by their soil type, moisture levels, and how they are managed.

Calcareous: Found on chalk or limestone - Diverse flowers, butterflies, and bees.
Neutral: Managed for agriculture and livestock - Typically enclosed lowland meadows.
Wet / Rush: Damp meadows on acidic soils - Dominated by soft rush, hard rush, and purple moor grass.
Amenity: Seeded for human recreation - Lawns, parks, and ornamental areas.
Water Meadows: Subject to seasonal river flooding - Grazed by cattle in summer, flooded in winter.

Grassland in Sidmouth: A Story of Recovery

Sidmouth is home to at least 18 significant grassland sites. Many of these are currently in "recovery" from previous agricultural use, where cereals and herbicides once reduced their ecological value.

Key Local Examples:

Prime Semi-Natural Sites: The Knapp, Peasland Knapp, Sid Meadow, and Delderfield.
Recovering Pastures: Gilchrist Field and Margaret’s Meadow.
Grazed Landscapes: Peak Hill (short turf pasture) and Soldier’s Hill.

Why Biodiversity Thrives Here

Even if a field only has a few dominant flower species, its value to insects is enormous. Different flowers attract different "specialists":

Wild Carrot: Attracts various flies.
Knapweeds: Prime food for butterflies and bees.
Oxeye Daisies: A favourite for beetles.

Before you go

The "Management" Match-Up

Next time you visit a local green space (like The Knowle or Salcombe Hill), look for clues about how the land is being managed to prevent it from turning back into woodland.

Look for the "Mowers": Do you see sheep or cattle grazing? If not, can you see evidence that the grass has been mechanically cut?
Check the Edges: Look at the boundary of the field. Is the "Scrub" (brambles and bushes) creeping into the grass, or is there a clean line? This shows you where human intervention is active.
The Flower Count: Find a small patch (about 1 meter square). How many different types of flowers can you see?
- High Diversity: Likely a semi-natural site like The Knapp.
- Low Diversity/High Grass: Likely a site still recovering from agricultural "improvement".

Reflection: If humans stopped managing these 18 Sidmouth sites tomorrow, what do you think they would look like in 50 years? (Hint: Think back to Article 3 on Succession!)

Return to the EXPLORING HABITAT topic page