July is the peak of summertime glory. Warm summer days are punctuated by the hum of insects; our butterflies and moths fluttering their way through our grassy green spaces and bees buzzing in search of nectar. Birds dance their way through gloriously blue skies, and many of our mammals emerge to bask in the summer sun.
Yorkshire’s meadows and grasslands come alive in summer too. Orchids surge into being, bellflowers, plantain and field scabious turn their faces to the skies, and globeflowers spread out across fields in a sunny spectacle. Hoards of butterflies and moths flutter in amongst the stems, as skylarks sing at height overhead.
There are many different types of meadow, including grassland meadows, hay meadows and floodplain meadows, all with unique wildlife that relies upon them to survive. The recent State of Yorkshire’s Nature report found that landscapes, including meadows formed on limestone and wetland landscapes are key wildlife habitats in Yorkshire. Both habitats protect our most important Yorkshire Stronghold Species, those found in few or no other place, and give a home to many Species of Conservation Concern.
Wildflower meadows are also often found on areas of poor soil, usually those which have never been ploughed or had fertiliser added. Many of Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s spectacular wildflower reserves have steep valley sides, impractical for ploughing or agriculture, and are carefully managed through conservation grazing with enigmatic Highland cattle or Hebridean sheep.
The grassland of Ledston Luck is erupts with wildflowers, including hundreds of orchids. Dr Image: Mark Williams Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s top wildflower meadow reserves to visit this summer:
North Yorkshire: Ingleborough’s gorgeous wildflower displays are at their peak at Ashes Pasture, Ashes Shaw and Bellfield’s Pasture, with everything from small white orchids and ragged robin to fields of yellow globeflowers and sweet-smelling wild thyme. Some of our rarest wildflowers can be spotted here, including purple saxifrage and Yorkshire sandwort.
In the Vale of York, visit Staveley nature reserve’s expansive wildflower meadows – often bright yellow in the summer, and the perfect backdrop to the friendly visiting barn owl often spotted on-site. You may also spot orchids and daisies around the wetland pools, accompanied by blue butterflies and jewel-like damselflies.
East Yorkshire: Kiplingcotes Chalk Pit and nearby Wharram Quarry are fantastic examples of the amazing habitat old quarries can provide for wildlife. Butterflies including the distinctive marbled whites flutter every which way and make these reserves the perfect special experience for those willing to tarry a while in the sheltered valley and enjoy some warm weather in the heart of the Wolds. Pyramidal, twayblade and common spotted-orchids bloom and stand to attention, along with common and greater knapweed, field scabious, harebell and lady’s bedstraw, all in harmonious contrast to the white of the bedrock.
South Yorkshire: A floodplain meadow packed with over 70 rare plants including pepper saxifrage, Fen Carr is a gorgeous hidden gem formed of two hay meadows which have been sympathetically farmed for nearly half-a-century by a local tenant farmer, and previously the Church of England. Alternatively for a longer walk closer to Doncaster, Sprotbrough Flash also has a wonderful wildflower meadow – for those willing to climb a small hill through the woodland!
West Yorkshire: Brockadale nature reserve near Pontefract is one of Yorkshire’s most famous wildflower meadows, with more than 320 species of plant including the distinctive bee orchid, 450 species of moth and 30 species of butterfly. A walk here is definitely not complete without stopping to see what you can see, hear – and smell! – amongst the grassland meadows.
Nearer to Kippax, Ledston Luck and Ledsham Bank nature reserves sit in close proximity. During the summer, the grassland of Ledston Luck is truly a sight to behold, as it erupts with wildflowers, including hundreds of orchids. These include common-spotted, southern marsh orchids, and hybrids between the two, as well as northern marsh, bee and pyramidal orchids. Ledsham Bank is equally as gorgeous, with autumn lady’s tresses, hoary plantain, yellow-wort, and Dyer’s greenweed – rare in Yorkshire.
If you do visit a Yorkshire Wildlife Trust meadow, please remember – leave the plants as you’ve found them, and just take photos to remember your visit (and don’t forgot to send them to YWT)
