Local Wildlife Site

Wildlife

The eastern half of the meadows have a wide range of chalk grassland plants including field scabious, greater knapweed, wild basil, purging flax, wild parsnip, wild carrot and quaking grass. The western section adjacent to Carshalton Road, has a less diverse range of flowers but, thanks to recent management, this is improving. Volunteers have reduced the encroaching scrub here, so it is hoped that a former rare parasitic plant, tall broomrape, will return. Breeding birds include blackcap and whitethroat. Goldfinch, chaffinch and house sparrows visit the site from autumn onwards to feed on the wildflower seedheads, joined in winter by fieldfares and redwings feasting on the berries of the remaining scrub and the hedge margins. The meadow supports a number of butterflies.Grove Lane Hedge is mainly composed of hawthorn, with blackthorn, hazel and wayfaring tree. Old man's beard adorns much of the hedge in autumn, while garlic mustard, hedge woundwort and greater stitchwort can be found along the base.

Facilities

The Sutton Countryside Walk and the London LOOP pass Carshalton Road Pastures and along Grove Lane.