Trench Meadows SSSI, Baildon

Wednesday 10^th July 2019

Leaders: Laurie and Janine Wildwood

There was a good turn-out for an evening visit to Trench Meadows SSSI . Thankfully it did not rain as forecast and we enjoyed a beautiful summers evening in our shirt sleeves with our rain coats remaining packed away – as they should!!

The site is an ancient meadow / pasture located in the Aire Valley between Shipley and Baildon and slopes gently south from the Ancient Semi Natural Woodlands of Walker and Midgely Woods (AKA Shipley Glen) along the northern boundary down to High Coach Road and a housing estate on the outskirts of Shipley.

Although small (4.5ha) the site has a varied geography overlying boulder clay deposits and Millstone Grit and there are a series of flushes running through the site. As such the site supports species rich neutral grassland – for which it is designated – with small areas of acid grassland and wet flushes and is maintained by seasonal grazing.

The majority of the sward was tall with grasses dominated by false oat grass and cocks foot interspersed with red fescue and sweet vernal grass, with herbs such as birds foot trefoil, lesser stitchwort, woundwort and zigzag clover prevalent throughout and creeping cinquefoil common along the path edges.

Many hundreds of common spotted orchid were scattered throughout the site and, although going over, were still giving a good display although by now they were somewhat overshadowed by the swathes of betony in full bloom. Other species included ragged robin, devils bit scabious, pignut, and dense stands of black knapweed yet to flower.

The wet flushes created a series of relatively deep gulleys and small flatter areas of wet mud. In these wetter areas marsh ragwort and water cress were common with lesser spearwort, marsh bedstraw, great burnet, square stemmed St. Johns wort and scattered stands of meadowsweet were all common.

Species typically associated with more acidic condition such as common bent, heath grass, heath bedstraw, tormentil, star sedge and carnation sedge were scattered and interspersed throughout the more typically neutral sward.

Two impressive and photogenic adjacent stands of harebells got the cameras clicking and the presence of a single and somewhat lonely looking cannabis plant was an unexpected- although interesting - find.

However, the highlight of the day was the homemade lemon drizzle cake at the end – Thanks Janine.

Text by Andrew Perry

Photographs by Ian and Tom