Floodplain Grazing Marsh Sites are found in the floodplain areas of the rivers Dearne and Dove and some of their tributaries.

There are at least 15 important sites of this type in Barnsley, all found in the Dearne Valley. The RSPB manage several of these important sites and the Garganey Trust manage two others.

Wombwell Ings is probably the most significant Floodplain Grazing Marsh in the Barnsley area. Other sites include: Broomhill Flash, Parkhill Brickworks, Edderthorpe Ings, Wath Ings, Doveside, Old Moor and Wath Ings, Adwick washlands, Carlton Marsh and Wilthorpe Marsh. RSPB Old Moor includes new and modified areas of this type.

Local Wildlife Sites

25 Barnsley Canal / Wilthorpe Marsh

37 Gipsy Marsh

27 Carlton Marsh

35 Edderthorpe Ings

36 Broomhill Flash & Wombwell Ings

38 Old Moor & Wath Ings

55 Parkhill Brickworks

They are selected as LWS because of the wintering and breeding wildfowl and waders that such grassland supports.

The LWS vegetation criteria for floodplain grazing marsh habitat are that it should be ≥0.5ha in size and have 18 or more  species from a list of 90 grassland indicator plants, including grasses and sedges.

The SSSI includes
Local Nature Reserves

Carlton Marsh

Sites managed as nature reserves

Carlton Marsh (YWT/BMBC)

Edderthorpe Ings (RSPB)

Houghton Washlands (RSPB)

Broom Hill Flash /The Fleet (Garganey Trust)

Wombwell Ings (RSPB)

Doveside (YWT/BMBC)

Parkhill Brickworks (BMBC)

Gypsy Marsh (RSPB)

Old Moor and Wath Ings (RSPB)

Bolton Ings (RSPB)

Adwick washlands (RSPB)

Sites of Special Scientific Interest

In May 2021 Natural England designated the Dearne Valley Wetlands as a SSSI for nationally important wetland birds including Bittern, Lapwing and Redshank and Avocet,

Wetland sites  n the SSSI are:

Carlton Marsh

Edderthorpe Ings

Houghton Washland

Broomhill Flash,

The Fleet

Wombwell Ings

Doveside

Parkhill Brickworks

Gipsy Marsh

Old Moor and Wath Ings

Bolton Ings

Adwick washlands

Floodplain grazing marsh sites