The meadows are managed by a tenant farmer and this method of low-intensity farming is unusual these days. Once the meadows are cut the hay is fed to the farmer’s cattle. Most crops grown for silage are single species and are cut much earlier in the year and more frequently.
The meadow grass is cut just once a year in late July once the wildflowers have set seed and the habitat is no longer needed by ground nesting birds and seed eating birds. This style of management has improved the habitat for wildlife and wildflowers. We have seen rare oil beetles, a flight of clouded yellow butterflies on migration from France and the meadows are a hunting ground for swallows, kestrels, barn owls and bats. Our ranger team maintain the meadows by mowing permissive paths which encourage people and their dogs to stick to the paths.
