Barnsley criteria for selection of a Local Wildlife Site due to Neutral Grassland habitat are:

• ≥0.5ha in size and have
• an affinity with NVC communities MG4 or MG5 [or MG8] and/or
• have 15 or more species from a list of 50 Neutral Grassland indicator plants including grasses.

It may also be selected due to the fauna it supports.

Neutral grassland or Lowland Meadow Sites are found in areas in Barnsley with shale or alluvial soils, such as on the slopes and valleys of the Dearne, Dove, Little Don and Don rivers and their tributaries.

There are two SSSI Neutral Grassland or Lowland Meadow sites in Barnsley together with a number of Local Wildlife Sites (see below).

Local Wildlife Sites

Unimproved neutral grassland (lowland meadow)

10 Hollin and Spring Woods

18 Mag Wood Meadow

21 Falthwaite & Lowe Wood

25 Barnsley Canal / Wilthorpe Marsh

31 Sunny Bank, Horse Carr & Storrs Wood

37 Gipsy Marsh

46 Elsecar Reservoir

Italics: semi-improved neutral grassland also within LWS

Semi-improved neutral grassland

 9 Brock Holes

11 Gunthwaite Dam

13 North Wood

22 Stainborough Park

24 Worsbrough Reservoir

26 Cliffe Wood

27 Carlton Marsh

30 Short Wood & Hay Green

33 Redbrook Pastures

36 Broomhill Flash+Wombwell Ings

Local Wildlife Sites.

A number of Local Wildlife Sites include areas of unimproved or semi-improved Neutral Grassland. Those specifically including unimproved or semi-improved Neutral Grassland are listed below.

Semi-improved neutral grassland (continued)

38 Old Moor & Wath Ings

39 Bolton-on-Dearne wetland

47 Hoyland Bank Wood

48 Bretton Park

51 Barrow Colliery

53 Kendal Scrub Green

55 Parkhill Nature Reserve

58 Wool Greaves Meadow

59 Thurgoland Glow Worm site

Pye Flatts Meadows, a SSSI near Hoylandswaine, consists of three fields of neutral hay-meadow grassland. Access details

Spring Meadows, Alderman’s Head and Cox Croft Meadows SSSI near Langsett, consist of 11 traditionally managed fields.

Neutral Grassland Sites