What are they?
They typically occur on nutrient-poor, generally free-draining soils with pH ranging from 4 to 5.5 overlying acid rocks or superficial deposits such as sands and gravels.

How they are traditionally managed
They are normally managed as pastures.

Distribution in Bedfordshire
Acid grasslands occur mainly along the Greensand Ridge which runs from Leighton Buzzard diagonally across the county to Gamlingay.

The county’s acid grassland sites occur in three main clusters:

  • A large number of sites around the Brickhills and Woburn area
  • Ampthill and Maulden
  • Around Sandy and Gamlingay

In south Bedfordshire, small areas of acid grassland occur on clay-with-flints which cap the chalk and can be found in conjunction with other calcareous grasslands.


Distribution in Cambridgeshire
Acid grassland is rare in Cambridgeshire, the two main areas occurring at opposite sides of the county; one forming the Gamlingay end of Bedfordshire’s Greensand Ridge and the second to the east of Newmarket.

Species associated with them
Just by spending a few minutes looking at your grassland, you will notice that it is composed of grasses and herbs of different shapes, sizes and colours. The presence of these species will give you an indication of the type of grassland you have.

  • Flora associations

Common bent, heath bedstraw, spring beauty, tormentil, sheep sorrel, gorse and heath milkwort.

If you would like to see pictures of the species listed above, please click on any species which is underlined to view a picture, or click here.

Fauna associations

Ground beetles, solitary bees and wasps, field crickets, woodlark, lapwing and stone-curlew.

Examples available to visit

Bedfordshire
Cooper’s Hill SSSI in Ampthill - mixture of acid grassland and heathland. 

Cambridgeshire
Gamlingay Cinques and Meadow near Gamlingay.

For more information
View lowland dry acid grassland Biodiversity Action Plan for Bedfordshire

View lowland dry acid grassland Biodiversity Action Plan for Northamptonshire

Help available
If you think that you may have some of the plant species listed above in your grassland then you could receive a free site visit from a Wildlife Sites Officer.  Or if you would like more information about lowland dry acid grasslands, please contact: Bedfordshire - Laura Downton Email. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Tel. 01234 364213 Cambridgeshire - Sarah Rodger Email. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Tel. 01954 713500.  Northamptonshire - Matt Johnson Email. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Tel. 01954 713500 

There are some opportunities for getting funding