High Wood and Meadow

{{Short description|Nature reserve in Northamptonshire, England}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox SSSI

|image= High Meadow.jpg

|image_caption = High Meadow

|name= High Wood and Meadow

|aos= Northamptonshire

|interest=Biological

|gridref={{gbmappingsmall| SP 591 547 }}

|area= 16.5 hectares

|notifydate= 1984

|map=[http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%271002921%27 Magic Map]

}}

High Wood and Meadow is a {{convert|16.5|hectare|acre|adj=on}} biological Site of Special Scientific Interest between Farthingstone and Preston Capes in Northamptonshire.{{cite web|url= https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteDetail.aspx?SiteCode=S1002921&SiteName=high%20wood&countyCode=&responsiblePerson= |title=Designated Sites View: High Wood and Meadow | series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|access-date = 26 February 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%271002921%27 |title=Map of High Wood and Meadow|series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|access-date= 26 February 2017}} It is managed by the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire.{{cite web|url= http://www.wildlifebcn.org/reserves/high-wood-and-meadow |title= High Wood and Meadow |publisher= Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire |access-date= 26 February 2017}}

The wood is ancient and semi-natural on acid soils. It has diverse ground flora, including yellow pimpernel, hairy wood-rush and broad-leaved helleborine. The meadow is acid grassland of a type which is now uncommon, and there are also areas of neutral grassland and marsh on silty peat. There are many ant hills of the yellow meadow ant.{{cite web|url=http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1002921.pdf|title=High Wood and Meadow citation|series=Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|access-date=26 February 2017|archive-date=3 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303225504/http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1002921.pdf|url-status=dead}}

There is (unsignposted) access from the Knightley Way footpath.