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King's Meads Nature Reserve
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Please click on the map to see further information about the reserve. |
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King’s Mead (south of railway and west of A10)
An unusual hummock and hollow topography, possibly reflecting buried river channels, gives rise to a rich and varied meadow flora. The lower, damper areas with richer soils are poorest, with Creeping Bent, Hairy Sedge Carex hirta, scattered Hard Rush Juncus inflexus, as well as docks and thistles. The dryer, gravelly hummocks support Common Bent Agrostis capillaris, Squirreltail Fescue Vulpia bromoides, Yellow Oat-grass Trisetum flavescens, Common Whitlow-grass Erophila verna, Sheep’s Sorrel Rumex acetosela, Crested Hair Grass Koeleria macrantha, Mouse-ear Hawkweed Pilosella officinarum, Wild Onion Allium vineale, Annual Knawel Scleranthus annuus and Knotted Clover Trifolium striatum. Most strikingly, the area is covered with a yellow haze of Lady’s Bedstraw Galium verum in mid-summer. The area is very rich in invertebrates with huge numbers of grasshoppers.
King’s Mead/Chadwell Mead (south of railway, east of A10)
A frequently flooded area supporting a range of plants typical of disturbed and muddy ground conditions including Marsh Foxtail Alopecurus geniculatus, Creeping Bent, Brooklime Veronica beccabunga, Pink Water-speedwell Veronica catenata, Celery-leaved Buttercup Ranunculus sceleratus, Ragged Robin Lychnis flos-cuculi, Marsh Yellowcress Rorippa islandica and, most significantly, Marsh Dock Rumex palustris. Small amounts of Meadow Saxifrage Saxifraga granulata and Knotted Clover remain on the dividing bank.
King’s Mead (north of railway)
A low-lying flat, damp meadow with a rich flora of sedges and other meadow plants. Typical plants include Tufted Hair-grass Deschampsia cespitosa, Glaucous Sedge Carex flacca, Yorkshire Fog and Lady’s Smock Cardamine pratensis. Notable species include Pepper Saxifrage Silaum silaus and Spiked Sedge Carex spicata, both abundant in the sward. Most significant was the discovery in 1994 of large amounts of Adder's-tongue Fern Ophioglossum vulgatum, an uncommon species indicative of ancient meadows. This is still present, in reduced amounts.
Although generally species-poor this area does contain grasses and sedges typical of valley floor meadows, such as Brown Sedge Carex disticha. The eastern-most meadow retains floral characteristics of a hay meadow with a diverse grass community including Meadow Brome Bromus commutatus and Meadow Fescue Festuca pratensis as well as typical plants such as Common Sorrel Rumex acetosa and Oxeye Daisy Leucanthemum vulgare. This area was managed as a water meadow system.
Where chalky soils are exposed on the steep slopes of the valley-side above Chadwell Springs, species-rich chalk grassland has developed. Although not extensive this represents one of the most important habitats on the meads, supporting several scarce plants. Key species include Cowslip Primula veris, Yellow Rattle Rhinanthus minor, Clustered Bellflower Campanula glomerata, Quaking Grass Briza media, Rock-rose Helianthemum nummularium, Burnet-saxifrage Pimpinella saxifraga, Small Scabious Scabiosa columbaria, Meadow Saxifrage and Pyramidal Orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis. This area has become increasingly covered with scrub in recent years, notably Hawthorn and Blackthorn.
The Lee Navigation follows the northern boundary of the Meads. Long stretches of the margins support little emergent marginal flora due to over-management in the past. Where marginal vegetation exists, it typically includes Greater Pond Sedge Carex riparia and Reed Sweet-grass Glyceria maxima.
The clear, fast flowing water of the New River supports an abundance of submerged aquatic weeds. These include Unbranched Bur-reed Sparganium emersum, Fool’s Water-cress Apium nodiflorum and Water Starworts Callitriche spp. The closely managed margins, with sheet piling allow little or no marginal vegetation to develop.
The Manifold Ditch supports the most diverse community of aquatic plants within the meads, including a number of species uncommon in Hertfordshire, notably Slender Tufted Sedge Carex acuta, Water Violet Hottonia palustris and Thread-leaved Water-crowfoot Ranunculus trichophyllus. It has a wide range of both submerged and marginal aquatic plants. Stands of Tussock Sedge Carex paniculata, Yellow Iris Iris pseudacorus, Whorl Grass Catabrosa aquatica, Greater Pond Sedge and Great Water Dock Rumex hydrolapathum occur but the invasive Reed Sweet-Grass is dominant in many areas. Unfortunately, summer water levels in the ditches are now much lower due to past drainage works. Many of the ditches have silted up and are of lower value, for example, the old water meadow ditch system in the east. Key species such as the Water Violet are restricted to very small areas and are in danger of being lost.
The Hertford Ditch is a deeply cut stream between straight banks. It retains a moderate flow of water, derived from drainage outfall from the urban area of Hertford. The western end has banks dominated by bramble and scrub but it becomes more open to the east with some extensive marginal stands of Greater Pond Sedge and a small stand of Common Reed Phragmites australis. This may mark the position of a spring source. The aquatic flora includes Water Starwort Callitriche platycarpa, Curled Pondweed Potamogeton crispus and Broad-leaved Pondweed Potamogeton natans. A small amount of Bistort Polygonum bistorta remains in rough grassland adjacent to the ditch but is under severe threat every time the New River is dredged as the silt is spread over the colony. This scarce plant has been known on the meads for over a century.
Dragonflies
Dragonflies, well represented and often abundant along the ditches, include 18 species including the Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula and the Broad-bodied Chaser Libellula depressa. Frogs Rana temporaria are often frequent in spring floodwaters but are now nowhere near as abundant as in the past.
Otters
In 1991/92 the Otter Trust released six captive-bred Otters Lutra lutra into Hertfordshire rivers. Signs of these Otters have been found regularly at Ware Lock, the Lea/Mimram confluence and on the New River, highlighting the importance of this section of the Lee Valley as a travelling corridor. The ditch system of the meads represents an alternative route which is quieter than the main river, an key feature to any Otter population. In early 1995 it was confirmed that the Otters had bred in the vicinity.
Bats
The wetlands around Hertford attract high numbers of bats. Daytime roosts of considerable size have been found in buildings in and around the town. The Pipistrelle Pipistrellus pipistrellus is the most numerous species, although the scarce Natterer's Bat Myotis nattereri has also been recorded.
Fish
The varied watercourses support a rich array of fish. The New River, with its clear well-vegetated water, holds a wide range of species including Chub Leuciscus cephalus, Roach Rutilus rutilus, Perch Perca fluviatilis, Pike Esox lucius, Bream Abramis brama, Carp Cyprinus carpio, Dace Leuciscus leuciscus, Bleak Alburnus alburnus, Tench Tinca tinca, Gudgeon Gobio gobio, Minnow Phoxinus phoxinus and Bullhead Cottus gobio. Barbel Barbus barbus have been introduced by the Palmers Green Angling Society. Often largely ignored, the range of fish species add significantly to the biological richness of the area.
Birds
The breeding and wintering bird populations of the meads are one of the key features and are linked to both the floodplain pasture and ditch habitats. Regularly breeding birds include Skylark Alauda arvensis, Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus, Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus, Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus, Coot Fulica atra, Mallard Anas platyrhynchos, Mute Swan Cygnus olor and Dabchick Tachybaptus ruficollis. Several pairs of Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis breed, now a decidedly local breeding bird in southern Hertfordshire.
When flood waters remain into the spring, the range of breeding birds is enhanced considerably. In recent years Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava, Lapwing Vanellus vanellus, Snipe Gallinago gallinago, Shoveler Anas clypeata, Gadwall Anas strepera, Redshank Tringa totanus, Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula and Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius have all summered or been proved to breed. Most of these are scarce breeding birds in Hertfordshire. The county’s only pair of Garganey duck Anas querquedula (a nationally scarce species) also bred here for a few years in the late 1980s until a leakage pool from the New River dried up. The probable breeding of Lapwing in 1996 was significant in that this was the first attempt since regular breeding ceased in the 1950s.
Wintering and passage birds are also highly dependant on the presence of standing floodwater. In the wettest years high numbers of duck and other waterbirds are present. These include Gadwall, Shoveler, Wigeon Anas penelope, Teal Anas crecca and Snipe. Shallow pools in spring and autumn provide a valuable stopping-off and feeding area for passage migrants. Wading birds such as the Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus are regular.
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