Acquisition
When, in 2005, land to the immediate south of Keyworth's Wysall Lane Burial Ground, became available, Keyworth Parish Council had the foresight to acquire 2.6 acres (10,500m²) of it for a future extension of the cemetery. In the meantime though, options were put forward as to how the land might be put to good use and the idea of a wildflower meadow won the day.
Creation
Working on advice from the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust and Naturescape, a local farming contractor sprayed off the thistles and grasses and, in autumn 2011, sowed the field with around 50kg of seed provided by the Wildlife Trust from their Ashton's Meadow reserve. This was supplemented by hand sown wildflower seed mixes supplied by Naturescape.
The cultivation of the field unfortunately reduced the amplitude of the ancient ridge and furrow somewhat. However it is still there, and indeed, aerial photographs show the strips extending southwards along Lings Lane almost to Keyworth Meadow - where the land was common to all; often for their full furlong length.
2012
After a marvellously warm and sunny March and April, 2012 turned into the wettest summer for fifty years and the meadow responded by growing tall and rank. Red Campions were one of the few flowers to show their stuff before grasses and sow thistles more than a metre tall swamped everything. Nevertheless, the field was cut in early August and the hay was baled and removed.
2013
The wet summer was followed by a very cold and prolonged winter resulting in a delayed spring with little growth. So little, that a local farmer asked to graze a flock of sheep on the meadow for a couple of weeks in April. If this would knock back the grasses, then it could be beneficial to the herbs and the flock dutifully did just that. When some sunshine and warmth eventually appeared in late April, the flock was turned out.
At the guided walk/open day on May 19th, there was just Red Campion in flower, but the variety of herb foliage and the sparsity of the grasses looked promising - twelve months earlier, the field had been waist high.
June 12th 2013:
What a contrast! In my wildest dreams I never imagined the improvement could be so dramatic. The vista was dominated by the yellow of Meadow Buttercups, peppered with white heads of Ox-eye Daisy and there, fluttering amongst the blossoms was a blue butterfly - a Common Blue; one of the species intended to benefit from the meadow's creation - with the assistance of Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust and their "Blue Butterfly Scheme".
Also in flower were Ribwort Plantain, Pignut, Red Clover, Yellow Rattle, Common Sorrel, Common Bird's-foot Trefoil, Hairy Tare, Black Medick, Common Mouse-ear, Lesser Trefoil, Common Vetch and Ragged Robin. The finely cut leaves of Yarrow were everywhere but the blossoms were still dormant. The first flush of grasses - Meadow Foxtail, Annual Meadow Grass and Yorkshire Fog was just appearing.
On the following day, several Small Coppers which will lay their eggs on the Sorrel, were dodging the showers.
The Future
It is estimated that the the current phase of burial ground space will be used up by about 2022 but it will be many years before the field is fully utilised and in the meantime, the newly established meadow will delight butterflies and visitors alike - perhaps in future, the wildflowers will be allowed to clothe the graves instead of the manicured lawns that do so now.
Where is it?
The meadow is just west of the cemetery on Wysall Lane next to the car-park on the bend. The National Grid Reference is SK610304. Click HERE for a link to Streetmap.
What is there?
The plant list below has been compiled by Neil Pinder from full surveys in 2015/16 and 2019. In 2018 the diversity appeared to have diminished sharply as the field was dominated by False Oat-grass. Over the following winter sheep were allowed in to graze and they were not turned out until mid-May. This seems to have totally suppressed this undesirable grass and although the Yorkshire-fog and Ox-eye Daisy have all but disappeared, the desirable herb flora is still present.
Burial Ground Wildflower Meadow Plant List
| Common Name | Scientific Name | 2015/16 | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yarrow | Achillea millefolium | Widespread | Recorded | |
| Common Bent | Agrostis capillaris | Recorded | ||
| Creeping Bent | Agrostis stolonifera | Recorded | ||
| Meadow Foxtail | Alopecurus pratensis | Recorded | Recorded | |
| Sterile Brome | Anisantha sterilis | Not recorded | Many patches | |
| Cow Parsley | Anthriscus sylvestris | Not recorded | Present in margins | |
| False Oat-grass | Arrhentherum elatius | Recorded | Abundant | A few plants |
| Soft Brome | Bromus hordeaceus | Recorded | Abundant | |
| Shepherd's Purse | Capsella bursa-pastoris | Present in margins | Present in margins | |
| Common Knapweed | Centaurea nigra | Widespread | Widespread | |
| Common Mouse-ear | Cerastium fontanum | Recorded | Recorded | |
| Fat-hen | Chenopodium album | Present in margins | Present in margins | |
| Creeping Thistle | Cirsium arvense | Present in margins | Present in margins | |
| Hemlock | Conium maculatum | Present in margins | Present in margins | |
| Pignut | Conopodium majus | Present in margins | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Hawthorn | Crataegus monogyna | In hedge | In hedge | |
| Crested Dogstail | Cynosurus cristatus | Recorded | Recorded | |
| Cocksfoot | Dactylis glomerata | Recorded | Recorded | |
| Wild Carrot | Daucus carota | Recorded | Not recorded | |
| Tufted hair-grass | Deschampsia cespitosa | Recorded | Not recorded | |
| Teasel | Dipsacus fullonem | Not recorded | Present in margins | |
| Red Fescue agg | Festuca rubra | Not recorded | Present in margins | |
| Cleavers | Galium aparine | Present in margins | Present in margins | |
| Marsh Bedstraw | Galium palustre | Recorded | Not recorded | |
| Cut-leaved Cranesbill | Geranium dissectum | Recorded | Recorded | |
| Ground Ivy | Glechoma hederacea | Not recorded | Present in margins | |
| Bristly Ox-tongue | Helminthotheca echiodes | Not recorded | One plant | |
| Hogweed | Heracleum sphondylium | Not recorded | Present in margins | |
| Hawkweed spp | Hieracium spp | Recorded | Not recorded | |
| Yorkshire Fog | Holcus lanatus | Abundant | Recorded | |
| White Dead-nettle | Lamium album | Not recorded | Present in margins | |
| Red Dead-nettle | Lamium purpureum | Not recorded | Present in margins | |
| Meadow Vetchling | Lathyrus pratensis | Recorded | Recorded | |
| Lesser Swine-cress | Lepidium didymum | Not recorded | On bonfire site | |
| Ox-eye Daisy | Leucanthemum vulgare | Abundant | One plant | |
| Perennial Ryegrass | Lolium perenne | Recorded | Recorded | |
| Bird's-foot Trefoil | Lotus corniculatus | Recorded | Recorded | |
| Ragged-robin | Lychnis flos-cuculi | Recorded | Recorded | |
| Musk-mallow | Malva moschata | One plant | Not recorded | |
| Scented Mayweed | Matricaria chamomila | Recorded | Present in margins | |
| Black Medick | Medicago lupulina | Recorded | Not recorded | |
| Field Forget-me-not | Myosotis arvensis | Not recorded | Recorded | |
| Redleg | Persicaria maculosa | Present in margins | Not recorded | |
| Smaller Cat's-tail | Phleum bertolonii | Recorded | ||
| Timothy | Phleum pratense | Recorded | ||
| Ribwort Plantain | Plantago lanceolata | Recorded | Recorded | |
| Annual Meadow-grass | Poa annua | Recorded | Not recorded | |
| Rough Meadow-grass | Poa trivialis | Not recorded | Recorded | |
| Salad Burnet | Poterium sanguisorba | Not recorded | A few plants | |
| Cowslip | Primula veris | Recorded | Not recorded | |
| Self-heal | Prunella vulgaris | Recorded | Not recorded | |
| Wild Cherry | Prunus avium | Planted | Planted | |
| Blackthorn | Prunus spinosa | In hedge | In hedge | |
| Meadow Buttercup | Ranunculus acris | Recorded | Recorded | |
| Yellow-rattle | Rhinanthus minor | Recorded | Recorded | |
| Dog Rose | Rosa canina | Present in margins | Present in margins | |
| Bramble agg | Rubus fruticosus | Present in margins | Present in margins | |
| Common Sorrel | Rumex acetosa | Widespread | Widespread | |
| Curled Dock | Rumex crispus | Recorded | Recorded | |
| Broad-leaved Dock | Rumex obtusifolius | Recorded | Recorded | |
| Wood Dock | Rumex sanguineus | Not recorded | Present in margins | |
| Elder | Sambucus nigra | In hedge | In hedge | |
| Tall Fescue | Schedonorus arundinaceus | Recorded | Not recorded | |
| Red Campion | Silene dioica | Abundant | Not recorded | |
| Ragged Robin | Silene flos-cuculi | Not recorded | Many patches | |
| White Campion | Silene latifolia | Recorded | One plant | |
| “Pink” Campion | Silene x hampeana | Not recorded | One plant | |
| Charlock | Sinapis arvensis | Not recorded | One plant | |
| Hedge Mustard | Sisymbrium officinale | Present in margins | Present in margins | |
| Rough Sowthistle | Sonchus asper | Recorded | Recorded | |
| Smooth Sow-thistle | Sonchus oleraceus | Not recorded | Present in margins | |
| Hedge Woundwort | Stachys sylvatica | Present in margins | Present in margins | |
| Common Chickweed | Stellaria media | Not recorded | Present in margins | |
| Goatsbeard | Tragopogon pratensis | Recorded | Not recorded | |
| Hop Trefoil | Trifolium campestre | Recorded | Not recorded | |
| Lesser Trefoil | Trifolium dubium | Not recorded | Widespread | |
| Red Clover | Trifolium pratense | Recorded | Recorded | |
| White Clover | Trifolium repens | Recorded | Recorded | |
| Common Nettle | Urtica dioica | Present in margins | Increased | Many patches |
| Common Field-speedwell | Veronica persica | Recorded | Recorded | |
| Tufted Vetch | Vicia cracca | Recorded | Not recorded | |
| Hairy Tare | Vicia hirsuta | Recorded | Recorded | |
| Common Vetch | Vicia sativa | Recorded | Recorded | |
| Smooth Tare | Vicia tetrasperma | Recorded | Recorded |