# Ulverscroft Valley > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ulverscroft_Valley > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ulverscroft_Valley.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulverscroft_Valley > Source revision: 1202612993 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Site of Special Scientific Interest in Leicestershire Ulverscroft Valley Site of Special Scientific Interest Ulverscroft Nature Reserve Location of Ulverscroft Valley. Location Leicestershire Grid reference SK 497 123[1] Interest Biological Area 110.8 hectares (274 acres)[1] Notification 1984[1] Location map Magic Map **Ulverscroft Valley** is a 110.8-hectare (274-acre) biological [Site of Special Scientific Interest](/source/Site_of_Special_Scientific_Interest) north-west of [Markfield](/source/Markfield) in [Leicestershire](/source/Leicestershire).[1][2] The site is in five separate blocks, and two areas are nature reserves managed by the [Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust](/source/Leicestershire_and_Rutland_Wildlife_Trust) (LRWT). [Lea Meadows](/source/Lea_Meadows) is owned by the LRWT[3] and it is also a [scheduled monument](/source/Scheduled_monument).[4] Part of [Ulverscroft Nature Reserve](/source/Ulverscroft_Nature_Reserve) is owned by the LRWT and part is owned by the [National Trust](/source/National_Trust) and leased to the LRWT.[5] ## SSSI The Ulverscroft Valley was designated as a [Site of Special Scientific Interest](/source/Site_of_Special_Scientific_Interest) (SSSI) under Section 28 of the [Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981](/source/Wildlife_and_Countryside_Act_1981). It is described by [Natural England](/source/Natural_England) as being one of the best wildlife sites in the county, with grassland, heath, woodland and wetlands. Over 200 plant species have been recorded on the site, with an especially rich flora in wet areas.[6] The nature reserves are open to the public, but others parts are private land with no public access. The drier habitats are dominated by [sweet vernal grass](/source/Anthoxanthum_odoratum), [crested dog's-tail](/source/Cynosurus_cristatus) and [fescues](/source/Festuca); the [fragrant orchid](/source/Gymnadenia_conopsea) and [flea sedge](/source/Carex_pulicaris), both rarities in the county, grow here. Wetter areas support a rich flora with 13 species of [sedge](/source/Carex), including [bottle sedge](/source/Carex_rostrata), another county rarity, as well as [heath spotted-orchid](/source/Dactylorhiza_maculata), [marsh violet](/source/Viola_palustris) and [marsh arrow grass](/source/Triglochin_palustris), [quaking-grass](/source/Briza_media), and the uncommon [Adder's-tongue fern](/source/Ophioglossum_vulgatum).[6] The acidic marshy grassland is covered by a mixture of [purple moor-grass](/source/Molinia_caerulea), [tufted hair-grass](/source/Deschampsia_cespitosa), [rushes](/source/Juncus) and sedges, with patches of [heather](/source/Calluna) and [bilberry](/source/Bilberry) and spikes of [meadow thistle](/source/Cirsium_dissectum). There are areas of unspoilt [sessile oak](/source/Quercus_petraea) woodland which have an understorey of [sallow](/source/Salix_cinerea), [European gorse](/source/Ulex_europaeus) and [western gorse](/source/Ulex_gallii). Breeding birds in the woodland include woodcock and snipe, and occasionally [western yellow wagtail](/source/Western_yellow_wagtail) and [common redstart](/source/Common_redstart).[6] ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-dsv_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-dsv_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-dsv_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-dsv_1-3) ["Designated Sites View: Ulverscroft Valley"](https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteDetail.aspx?SiteCode=S1002060&SiteName=ulverscroft&countyCode=&responsiblePerson=&SeaArea=&IFCAArea=). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 31 December 2017. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-map_2-0)** ["Map of Ulverscroft Valley"](http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%271002060%27). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 31 December 2017. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Lea Meadows"](http://www.lrwt.org.uk/nature-reserves/lea-meadows/). Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust. Retrieved 31 December 2017. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Moat at Lea Meadows South of Polly Botts Lane, Ulverscroft (Ancient Monument)"](https://www.charnwood.gov.uk/listed_buildings/moat_at_lea_meadows_south_of_polly_botts_lane_ulverscroft). Charnwood Borough Council. Retrieved 31 December 2017. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Ulverscroft"](http://www.lrwt.org.uk/nature-reserves/ulverscroft/). Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust. Retrieved 31 December 2017. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-SSSI_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-SSSI_6-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-SSSI_6-2) ["Ulverscroft Valley citation"](https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/PDFsForWeb/Citation/1002060.pdf) (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 31 December 2017. Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Ulverscroft Valley](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Ulverscroft_Valley). [52°42′32″N 1°16′23″W / 52.709°N 1.273°W / 52.709; -1.273](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Ulverscroft_Valley¶ms=52.709_N_1.273_W_type:landmark_region:GB-BNE) v t e Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Leicestershire Biological Allexton Wood Ashby Canal Bardon Hill Barrow Gravel Pits Beacon Hill, Hangingstone and Outwoods Benscliffe Wood Blackbrook Reservoir Botcheston Bog Bradgate Park and Cropston Reservoir Breedon Cloud Wood and Quarry Breedon Hill Briery Wood Heronry, Belvoir Buddon Wood and Swithland Reservoir Burbage Wood and Aston Firs Cave's Inn Pits Charnwood Lodge Chater Valley Coalville Meadows Cotes Grassland Cribb's Lodge Meadows Croft Hill Croft Pasture Croxton Park Debdale Meadow, Muston Dimminsdale Donington Park Eye Brook Reservoir Eye Brook Valley Woods Frisby Marsh Grace Dieu and High Sharpley Grantham Canal Great Bowden Borrowpit Groby Pool and Woods Harby Hill Wood Holly Rock Fields Holwell Mouth Kendall's Meadow Kilby - Foxton Canal King Lud's Entrenchments and The Drift Launde Big Wood Leighfield Forest Lockington Marshes Loughborough Meadows Lount Meadows Misterton Marshes Muston Meadows Narborough Bog Newton Burgoland Marshes Oakley Wood Owston Woods Pasture and Asplin Woods River Eye River Mease Roecliffe Manor Lawns Saddington Reservoir Sheepy Fields Sheet Hedges Wood Stanford Park Stonesby Quarry Swithland Wood and The Brand Terrace Hills Pasture Twenty Acre Piece Ulverscroft Valley Wymondham Rough Geological Bardon Hill Quarry Beacon Hill, Hangingstone and Outwoods Bradgate Park and Cropston Reservoir Breedon Cloud Wood and Quarry Buddon Wood and Swithland Reservoir Charnwood Lodge Cliffe Hill Quarry Croft and Huncote Quarry Dimminsdale Enderby Warren Quarry Gipsy Lane Pit Grace Dieu and High Sharpley Ives Head Main Quarry, Mountsorrel Newhurst Quarry One Barrow Plantation Shepshed Cutting Sproxton Quarry Tilton Cutting --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ulverscroft Valley](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulverscroft_Valley) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulverscroft_Valley?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.