Leicestershire beauty spot declared SSSI
Rare wildflowers, wildlife and medieval earthworks help Johnson鈥檚 Meadows win protected status.
Johnson's Meadows is now a Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Leicestershire beauty spot rich in rare wildflowers is now protected for future generations after being declared a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
Johnson鈥檚 Meadows, with its 6.5 hectares (16 acres) of unspoiled grasslands, is also a haven for wildlife. Lying between the villages of Woodhouse Eaves and Woodhouse, north of Leicester, it is one of several SSSIs in Charnwood Forest.
皇冠体育app meadows - encircled by tall, wide hedgerows - support an impressive variety of grasses, such as crested dogs-tail, red fescue and sweet vernal grass. Among them grow wildflowers including common knapweed, great burnet and meadow buttercup. Perhaps the most striking is the marsh orchid. Flowering from late May to early summer, it flourishes in the meadows.
Many rare wild flowers grow in the grasslands
皇冠体育app site also contains heritage features in the form of medieval ridge-and-furrow earthworks and the remains of a medieval settlement. 皇冠体育appse further demonstrate the antiquity of the grassland and conservation importance of the site.
皇冠体育app land has been handed down through the Johnson family for 3 generations. 皇冠体育appy continue to manage the meadows in a traditional and environmentally sympathetic manner.
Speaking as one, the Johnson family said:
We feel privileged to be the guardians of our meadows embracing our role to protect them. It鈥檚 exciting to meet and work with environmental experts and we look forward to encouraging more biodiversity to this wildlife haven, for future generations of the family to enjoy.
皇冠体育app Johnson family has managed the meadows over 3 generations
Natural England will continue its partnership with owners of Johnson鈥檚 Meadows, both old and new, to promote and maintain positive management of the wildlife and the meadows.
皇冠体育app site joins more than 4,100 SSSIs that form the backbone of nature conservation in England. 皇冠体育app country has seen a 97% decline in this rare type of habitat over the past 50 years.
Notes for editors
On 31 January 2020, after more than 20 years of partnership with a group of local landowners, Natural England notified Johnson鈥檚 Meadows as a SSSI.
Owners of a site declared an SSSI are legally required to safeguard and protect it appropriately, to conserve its special features.
Johnson鈥檚 Meadows is the East Midlands newest SSSI.
皇冠体育app Johnson鈥檚 Meadows Facebook page can be accessed via this .