Orchids in a meadow © Jim Higham
In open grassland habitats, commonly hidden by hedgerows, meadows blossom with vibrant wildflowers. These marvellous landscapes act as sanctuaries for native UK wildlife, playing a key role in supporting biodiversity growth. Every year, the first Saturday in July celebrates National Meadows Day in the UK. Locally, Wiltshire Wildlife Trust manages meadow heritage right on your doorstep.
A chalk stream running through Bay Meadows Nature Park in Marlborough, Wiltshire.
Bay Meadows within Marlborough serves as a vital wildlife corridor. When visiting this reserve, look out for key species such as brown trout in the River Og, a chalk stream between Ogbourne Maisey and Marlborough.
A butterfly on devils-bit scabious at Emmett Hill nature reserve, Wiltshire. Credit: Eleanor Dodson.
Emmett Hill, with its rich farming history, has developed into three hay meadows: Long, Pignut and Middle. This site is of scientific interest for its rare landscape where wildflowers bloom and large hedgerows frame the meadows.
In Warminster, Smallbrook is created by six smaller water meadows nestled between the Were and Wylye rivers. This reserve is a mosaic of marshes, ponds, woodlands, chalk streams, hedgerows and ditches which creates the meadow's rich habitat. These habitats act as a haven for water voles, which are the most endangered mammal in the UK.
Wildflowers at Wiltshire Wildlife Trust's Echo Lodge Meadows nature reserve (c) Stephen Davis
Skinners Ground Meadow, within Echo Lodge Reserve in Brinkworth, is home to over 80 species of wildflowers including pyramidal and early purple orchids. Wood Field, the largest meadow in the reserve, was originally part of Webbs Wood, which was cleared in the 1950s, creating what you see today.
Cloatley Meadows, Wiltshire. Credit: David Kjaer.
At the edge of Braydon Forest, butterflies thrive in summer at Cloatley's eight meadows in Malmesbury. Scientists have sparked curiosity in the fields Horse, Cow Leaze and The Hams within the reserve’s meadows. When visiting the site, look for the medieval farming remnants, including furrows and parallel ridges, revealing the site's agricultural history.
We invite you to celebrate our beautiful meadows this National Meadows Day on 5th July by taking a summer stroll through a local reserve and take a moment to enjoy the incredible wildflower displays and the local wildlife around you.
