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In Stace Vol 2 this plant is an RR species but it has been reduced in the most recent ratings emanating from BSBI to "Rare" which almost certainly as a result of diligent monitoring over the years by keen botanists in the area. It is a good example of the problem of interpretation of distributions of plants: often the maps are really showing the distribution of botanists not the plants themselves.
This one is locally frequent and on the verge where these photos were taken that was certainly the case. There were literally thousands of plants to be seen. It is not too difficult to identify either. Clearly from the shape of the flower head you would expect it to be a Phleum (Cat's-tails) or an Alopecurus (Foxtails) and the obvious purple stem gives the game away. Like many of these two groups of grasses, the anthers could be white, pale yellow or purple.
Roadside verge, Breckland, 18th June 2005
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Added on June 19th 2005