Houghton on the Hill Uppingham Rd verge
Selected Wild Place / Other Wild Places / Public Rights of Way / VC55 boundary
The verge is on Uppingham Road at the north of the village.
Road verge
Site species count:
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.
Survey Findings
This verge on the southern side of Uppingham Road is in two parts, bisected by a side road. Overall the verge supports quality grassland with a good diversity of species. The eastern section is slightly better than the western section and appears to be less nutrient-rich which allows a greater variety of the smaller wildflower species to grow. Traditional wildflower meadow species are present, including Meadow Buttercup, Common Sorrel, Ribwort Plantain, Common Mouse-ear and Lady’s Smock. The Hawthorn hedge at the rear of the verge adds further habitat value by providing a ‘woodland edge’ environment for shade-loving plants such as Herb Bennett.
Two unusual beetles were found during the survey: the Wasp Beetle and the Rufous-shouldered Longhorn Beetle.
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.
The latest images and records displayed below include those awaiting verification checks so we cannot guarantee that every identification is correct. Once accepted, the record displays a green tick.
In the Latest Records section, click on the header to sort A-Z, and again to sort Z-A. Use the header boxes to filter the list.