British Food and Travel

A meadow filled with buttercups in Tetbury in the Cotswolds. VisitEngland/Cotswolds.com

There was a time, until fairly recently, when Britain’s countryside was filled with meadows, beautiful grasslands of wild flowers, buzzing with the summertime hum of insects. In the last century, however, we have lost more than 97% of our precious meadows, and that’s not good news. Saturday, July 7, 2018 marks National Meadows Day. In this post, we will discuss the importance of saving our meadowland and look at some of the events that are taking place around the country.

Why are meadows so important?

You may be asking why it is so vital to protect meadowland. In traditional farming, they were an essential part of land management. A farmer might have a pasture for grazing, some land for a few crops, and some meadowland for growing grass and hay that would feed his animals in the cold winter months.

As World War II approached, every available piece of land was claimed and ploughed to grow the all-important food supply… for humans. And so much of the precious meadowland was lost forever. Postwar farming became more industrialized and so the traditional methods fell out of use.

But with their loss came a huge decline for British wildlife. Many species of now-endangered flora and fauna once thrived. As meadows have been lost to industrial agriculture, so they have lost their habitat. With as many as 40 species in every square metre, meadows are one of the UK’s most diverse wildlife habitats.

What can we do?

Some farmers and conservationists around the country are creating new meadows. A few decades ago, people might have thought this was a waste of land, but now more people understand the value they hold and how they are an important part of agriculture.

Save Our Magnificent Meadows is an organization that brings together groups from across Britain. They work to raise awareness, educate people, and restore the meadowland that was once such an important feature of our countryside. The project’s website still offers information and events hosted by each of the member organizations. Those organizations are among the many holding awareness events for National Meadows Day on July 7.

National Meadows Day Events.

Below are just a few of the events taking place to raise awareness about Britain’s beautiful meadows.

Chirk Castle, Wrexham. This free event, organized by the National Trust, takes place from 11am to 5pm on July 7. There is an admission fee to enter the castle and grounds but once inside, special events will include talks about traditional wildflowers, scything workshops, and insect identification parades.

RSPB Brodgar Reserve, Orkney. If you’re up in the Orkneys, the RSPB reserve at Brodgar has an event from 11am to 1pm. Take part in a free guided wildlife walk to learn more about the flowers and insects that thrive in this habitat.

Bowlees Biohunt, Teesdale. Learn about the meadows of the North Pennines at this event, which runs from 10.30am to 4pm. Experts will lead guided walks along the Pennine Way, pointing out rare flowers and bees. There is also the chance to participate in a wildlife survey, taking inventory of the various pollinators in the area.

Edford Meadows Nature Reserve, Somerset. Take a walk with the Somerset wildlife trust to spot the numerous species that make this nature reserve such an important piece of meadowland.

To find an event near you, visit the Magnificent Meadows website.