Greystones Farm
Wildlife Trust

Greystones Farm - a Cotswold Nature Reserve

Greystones Farm, Greystones Lane, Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire, GL54 2EN
Web: www.gloucestershirewildlifetrust.co.uk/reserves/Greystones-Farm

Greystones is a cattle farm managed along organic principals with grazing, silage and hay cutting making up the principle farming system.

The Glouctestershire Wildlife Trust took over Greystone’s Farm in 2002. They aim to restore grassland fields across part of the farm to species-rich neutral meadows by using seed collected from the Salmonsbury Meadow Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), which is contained within the boundaries of the farm and which they also manage.

The following details relating to the Salmonsbury Meadow SSSI were taken from Natural England’s citation for the site:-

The SSSI fields are generally dominated by grasses such as sweet vernal grass (Anthoxanthum odoratum), Yorkshire fog (Holcus lanatus), crested dog’s-tail (Cynosurus cristatus), red fescue (Festuca rubra) and meadow fescue (F. pratensis). In the wetter areas, near the rivers, tufted hair-grass (Deschampsia cespitosa) is common and rushes such as jointed rush (Juncus articulatus), hard rush (Juncus inflexus) and soft rush (J. effuses) become dominant.

Over one hundred meadow plants have been recorded to date, some of the most interesting species include the adder’s-tongue fern (Ophioglossum vulgatum), great burnet (Sanguisorba officinalis), pepper saxifrage (Silaum silaus) and common meadow rue (Thalictrum flavum). Ten species of sedge have been identified and the uncommon broad blysmus (Blysmus compressus). Species particularly associated with wetter areas include marsh marigold (Caltha palustris), marsh valerian (Valeriana dioica), marsh arrow-grass (Triglochin palustris) and meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria). Orchids include the southern marsh orchid (Dactylorhiza praetermissa) and early marsh orchid (D. incarnate).

The River Eye flows through the SSSI and the River Dikler forms the eastern boundary of the site. Wetland vegetation associated with the watercourses includes marsh ragwort (Senecio aquaticus), fen bedstraw (Galium uliginosum), water whorl-grass (Catabrosa aquatica), water crowfoot (Ranunculus penicillatus) and opposite-leaved pondweed (Groenlandia densa).

Dominant grassland species that you can see now and that are shown in the photographs include:-

Great burnet (Sanguisorba officinalis)
Knapweed (Centaurea nigra)
Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria)
Yellow rattle (Rhinanthus minor)
Selfheal (Prunella vulgaris)
Yellow and tufted vetches (Vicia sp.)
Marsh thistle (Cirsium palustre)

The Trust hold leaflets showing the footpaths around the site at the farm reception. The Oxfordshire Way and Diamond Way footpath and bridleway cross the farm.

A visit to Grestones Farm Nature Reserve is very worthwhile whilst visiting Bourton-on-the-Water with car parking 300 metres away from the main Pay & Display car park.

For further information about the Cotswolds village of - Bourton-on-the-Water

For information about where to stay see - Bourton-on-the-Water Accommodation

Amongst the Great Burnet in the species rich fields

Foraging on Marsh Thistle

Yellow Rattle breaking up the grassland swards

Species rich grassland fields

Greystones Farm Nature Reserve