Bid to revive ancient wildflower 'hotspot' discovered at University of York

A FORGOTTEN landscape that once drew the world’s botanists to Yorkshire could hold the key to restoring lost wildlife, research suggests.

Ancient fields, now home to part of the University of York campus, were rich in rare plants, fens, and wetlands drawing experts as far back as the Victorian era.

Now, a new study, published in The Naturalist, shows that before the land was enclosed for farming in 1857, it was known as a biodiversity "hotspot".

Ecologists from the University of York’s Department of Biology believe some of the site's lost flora could be reintroduced to boost local wildlife.

Dr Peter Mayhew said more than 90 per cent of the land at Heslington Fields was used for growing crops such as cereals, potatoes and mustard.

“Unploughed grassy strips between fields and wet glacial hollows, known as kettle holes, provided ideal habitats for delicate wild species," he added.

"The flora was very special even for the time, and many species found there are now extremely rare in Great Britain.”

The university is working on bringing some of these species back, while others have made a natural comeback.

Now a nature framework has been created for the public to record species themselves, with a walking trail created and with wildlife sightings to be logged on the iNaturalist app.

It was in the latter half of the 1800s that the land was first enclosed for more intensive agricultural use, with higher rents to tenant farmers to improve Heslington and its hall.

But with modern fertilisers came the decline of many species, and the hope is to restore them under ecological management.

Conservationists are now looking to see if species recorded historically could be found in regional seed banks and planted back onto the campus grounds.

Some, including Devil’s-bit Scabious, Bogbean, and Yellow Loosestrife, have already naturally returned or been planted in created wetland areas.

Experts say adding missing species could help protect rare plants from regional extinction.

The study also highlights how the site became a hub for Victorian science, due to its accessibility to scholars and students of science for field trips.

Founded in the 19th Century, the school's natural history society remains the longest-running active school society in the UK.

Dr Mayhew said the area had a very interesting history.

He said: “The area's unusual plant variety was created by its unique geology. Heslington Fields sat on the York moraine, a ridge of debris left behind by melting glaciers, across the low-lying Vale of York.

“This created a dramatic mix of dry soils and waterlogged bogs within a very small area. Named bogs like Smathorn and Narrow Mill survived well into the 19th century.”