Mountsorrel Granite Way verge
Selected Wild Place / Other Wild Places / Public Rights of Way / VC55 boundary
Road verge
Total species seen at this site:
This verge is being managed to improve biodiversity as part of the County Council/Parish Council verges biodiversity trial. It was surveyed in 2021 by NatureSpot volunteers but we would welcome additional wildlife records from the community, whether plants, animals or fungi.
The aim of the project is to demonstrate that by managing the grassland as a wildflower meadow it can support a much greater diversity of wildlife species. Different species come and go throughout the year so we will get a much better understanding of the biodiversity value of this site if local residents can add records of what they have seen. Please take a photo if possible and include it with your record, using NatureSpot's Submit Records form. Once checked and accepted your record and any photos will appear on this page!
The verge is now being managed differently to help wildlife. Mowing will cease between April and August to allow the grasses and wildflowers to grow and bloom. In some cases, verges will also have additional native wildflower species added, either as seed or as plug plants.
A list of all the species found at the site, together with any images taken, will appear below once the survey has taken place.
The verge had been seeded and a number of cornfield annuals were in flower, including Common Poppy, Cornflower and Austrian Chamomile (the latter is a non-native flower often found in commercial seed mixes). It is clear that the soil is nutrient-rich with large nitrogen-loving plants dominating, such as False Oatgrass, Cocksfoot and Nettle. Colonising plants such as Scented Mayweed and Smooth Sow-thistle were frequent and these probably arrived when the ground was cleared for seeding. At the road edge, Buckshorn Plantain was common – a coastal plant now widely found along salted roads.
The records and images below may include those from adjacent sites if the grid reference submitted with these records overlaps the boundary of this Wild Place.