Bradlaugh Wildlife

Bradlaugh Fields contains fine examples of unimproved, semi-natural limestone grassland and fragments of ancient hedgerow it is a site rich in flora rare in Europe and with one third of the British butterfly species found there.

Plants typical of calcareous grassland are found here including yellow-rattle, salad burnet, lady’s-bedstraw and bird’s-foot trefoil. The reserve also boasts probably the largest numbers of the parasitic knapweed broomrape anywhere in the county. Look for a tall brown flower spike close to knapweed.

Corn parsley (an uncommon species) also occurs on the site, which is one of only three places where it is now found in Northamptonshire. In wetter areas, bee orchid and adder’s-tongue fern can be found if you look closely.

Foxes are commonly spotted around Bradlaugh Fields, and the area has the largest population of badgers in the borough of Northampton. Green woodpeckers and sparrow hawks can also be seen.

Yellow Rattle	Burnet Salad	Broomrape Knapweed	Bee Orchid	Adders Tongue Fern
Butterflies	Green Woodpecker	Sparrow Hawk	Badgers	Fox Cubs