Our linear meadows
Road verges are a significant landscape feature in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Many people drive past them every day and may not know that they can be important for wildlife. There are 75 road verges that have been surveyed and selected for special protection. These linear meadows represent the largest area of unimproved grassland in the county and provide a refuge for a wide range of species including some that are considered to be rare and scarce.
What is a protected road verge?
A protected road verge is a section of road verge that has been surveyed and selected for protection because of its wildlife interest.
Together with nature reserves, and county wildlife sites, protected road verges form an important part of the wildlife resource in the wider countryside.
Why are these verges important?
With the loss of many traditional hay meadows and grasslands over the last 60 years road verges represent one of our greatest wildlife assets. Road verges have increasingly become valuable wildlife refuges for species such as the barn owl, kestrel, bluebell and pyramidal orchids.
Many verges are associated with other habitats which are important in their own right such as hedgerows, walls, trees, scrub and ditches.
A host of wildlife can be found on road verges; birds, insects such as glow worms and butterflies. Mammals such as hedgehogs and voles, and wildflowers such as ox-eye daisy and knapweed.
Verges probably constitute the largest area of grassland in the county. In the modern landscape the wildlife that relies on verges has suffered as a result of a variety of activities that can damage the verge. These include road improvement schemes, laying of underground services, ditch management, pesticide drift from adjacent farmland, fly tipping and car parking. The lack of and inappropriate management has also contributed to a reduction in the diversity of the remaining resource.
How are the verges selected for protection?
Verges are selected for protection through botanical survey. The information gathered is assessed against a set of selection guidelines. Sites meeting the thresholds in the guidelines are selected for protection. The selection of sites is intended to be flexible, so that newly discovered sites can be added, whilst those that are known to have deteriorated may be removed.
Where are the protected road verges in Cambridgeshire?
Most of the protected road verges are found in the south and west of the county with a smaller number located in the east. There are currently no protected verges in the fenland area.
Further details can be obtained by downloading the relevant file using the links to the right.