Stoke Golding Parish Wild Flower Survey 2007

The Heritage Lottery Fund awarded a grant of £55,000 to the Leicestershire and Rutland Federation Women’s Institute to enable them to conduct a Wild Flower survey during 2007. The wildflowers chosen were 12 good habitat indicators that would give information about the environment. The flowers were lesser celandine (Ranunculus ficaria), primrose (Primula vulgaris), marsh marigold (Caltha palustris), cuckooflower (Cardamine pratensis), red campion (Melandrium dioicum), cowslip (Primula veris), bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta), ragged robin (Lychnis flos-cuculi), meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmeria), field scabious (Knautia arvensis),       ling/heather (Calluna Vulgaris) and harebell (Campanula rotundifolia).

This is the fifth Federation survey to take place: previous ones have covered field names, (1968), churchyards and burial grounds (1981) and two countryside surveys in 1978 and 1996.

There has been a considerable loss in the countryside of landscape features, habitats and species during the last few decades. 10% of wildflowers once present in Leicestershire are now extinct and another 10% are now threatened. Woodland, grassland and wet areas are becoming threatened because of demands on the use of land. The results of this survey will show how much loss has actually occurred.

In addition to members of Stoke Golding W. I. a few people from the village took part in this survey. Together with co-ordinator Sue Mitchell, teams set about visiting their selected areas in the parish to look for the distribution of these flowers. Naturally it was not expected to find all of these flowers species as some were not suited to the local soil types but we hoped for primroses, English bluebells and cowslips as well as marsh marigolds, meadowsweet, ragged robin and cuckooflower - the latter ones favouring poorly drained areas. The survey started with the first walk in February/March, followed by a second in spring/early summer and a third in late Summer/early Autumn. It covered land we had access to: public places and farmland where permission was granted.

The results were entered on forms detailing plant species, site reference details, habitat details and OS grid reference readings. The sites of the plants were transferred onto an OS map and all the information about each site was entered onto an electronic database to be archived at Holly Hayes - Leicestershire County Council Environmental Resource Centre, for future reference. In 2008 the results countywide will be on exhibition at Beaumanor Hall.

The distribution of flowers found is as follows:

The lesser celandine was most prolific along grass verges within the built up areas of the village, Hinckley Road cemetery, the Churchyard, towpath grass verges and the bridle path alongside Lodge Farm. It was found growing along the banks of the River Tweed, on the field verges near the Leicestershire Round footpath and along nearby woodland in the NE of the parish. Only a few were evident on the grass verges of lanes outside the village. The absence of cowslips and primroses was disappointing. They were confined to a few verges where they had been planted. Many people had been telling us about English bluebells growing in their gardens but those found in the open countryside were hybridised with the Spanish 'garden' variety. Cuckooflower grew in a few solitary places mainly along the canal banks and in a ridge and furrow field.

Meadowsweet grew well along two river courses and on the canal banks. It was found along occasional damp hedgerows and part of the Higham section of the old railway embankment but unfortunately these areas are outside the parish. Clusters of red campion were found near the Leicestershire Round footpath and in a nearby copse but it was generally absent in the open countryside elsewhere.

What the survey showed locally, is that the habitats for these flowers is restricted to those parts less affected by soil changes that involve agricultural practises and grass verge maintenance. To halt the decline of these habitats every effort needs to be taken in the countryside to create areas where conditions for their survival are possible. In so doing we will be creating greater biodiversity in our village environment. Plans by the Parish Council are already underway to create a special wildlife area next to the new cemetery.

It will be interesting to compare our findings with those of others in the county.

Sue Mitchell , February 2008

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