Danemead
Danemead consists of valley mire, unimproved damp acid grassland, scrub, stream and hornbeam woodland. The wood in which Danemead is located is known to possess significant archaeological and historic interest. The site is bounded by the major Roman road, Ermine Street and by the north end of Martin's Green. The damp meadow at the centre of the site supports a rich variety of wildflowers, including meadowsweet and devil's-bit scabious. Butterflies are abundant and include the white admiral.
Cassiobury Park LNR
The wet habitats found on the reserve were once shallow watercress beds, fed with water from the river through a series of ditches. These have developed into marshland and open pools, surrounded by wet woodland of alder and willow. This provides valuable cover and nesting sites for birds. There are also areas of grassland where birds such as goldfinches and greenfinches feed on the seed heads of thistles and teasels. Water rail, lesser spotted woodpeckers and siskins are typical birds here.
Broadwater Lake
Of the four lakes within the Mid Colne Valley SSSI,
Broad Colney Lakes
The three lakes at this reserve are quite different from one another: one is fed by the River Colne, one is relatively still and deep and the smallest has partially developed into marshy woodland. A variety of land and water birds can be found here.
Blagrove Common
Blagrove Common is one of the few remaining areas of unimproved marshy grassland in Hertfordshire. It is bisected by a stream and varies from marshy to dry neutral grassland. The marshy areas are dominated by rushes and tufted hairs grass. Amongst these, large numbers of early marsh, southern marsh and common spotted orchids and a variety of their hybrids can be found. The drier areas of the common support meadow fox tail grasses, common cat's ear and common sorrel amongst many other species.
Ashwell Quarry and Quarry Springs
In summer this former quarry site is full of plants such as pyramidal orchid, field and small scabious, clustered bellflower and glaucous sedge. Deep shaded hollows add their own interest and many of the older thorn and elder bushes support rare mosses.
Alpine Meadow
This chalk grassland is rich in wildflowers and butterflies from spring to autumn. Primroses flourish around the woodland edge in spring and, later on, mouse-ear hawkweed, fairy flax and common spotted orchids can be seen. The warm sloping grassland attracts many insects in the summer, including the marbled white butterfly which is uncommon in Hertfordshire. The woodland to the south of the meadow supports birds such as green woodpeckers, finches and goldcrests which can be seen busily feeding in the winter months.
Aldbury Nowers
Aldbury Nowers comprises two areas of hillside linked by The Ridgeway. The warm south-facing slopes host the small but beautiful flowers of chalk grassland including common milkwort, common rock rose, clustered bellflower and lady's bedstraw.
Swilley Swathes
Part of Lower Lugg Meadow, this reserve consists of a long thin strip alongside a river together with two larger parcels of grassland at either end.
Parky Meadow
Set in the flood-plain of the River Teme, just north of Wigmore village, Parky Meadow reserve is situated in the low-lying basin that now holds Wigmore and
