A walk around Birches Farm Nature Reserve near Kington with volunteer warden Bob North on one sunny day in late June was like walking back in time. To a time when hay meadows were a patchwork of yellow, pink, white and purple before the cut. Where a multitude of insects such as bumble bees, solitary bees, butterflies and daytime flying moths fed on the nectar-rich wildflowers and grasshoppers jumped away as you walked through. 

On a Discovery Day for Herefordshire Wildlife Trust members, Bob guided us through the collection thirteen small irregularly shaped fields pointing out the different wildflowers. There were masses of common spotted orchids, some of which have hybridised and grown much taller. The purple flowering knapweed seemed to coat some fields while in others selfheal and yellow rattle were more evident. Coppice field had pink betony and yellow dyer’s greenweed flowering amongst the bracken close to the wood. The diversity of different wildflower species seen on that one day delighted us all.

Bob also explained how the trust is managing this rare unimproved neutral grassland since taking over the site in 2014. For at least the last 150 years, the land has been subjected to traditional pasture management, avoiding the hallmarks of intensive farming – modern fertilisers, grass seed mixes and the deep plough. 

Continuing this regime, a hay crop is cut in late summer, unlike many farms today where cutting for silage or haylage is done in earlier in the year before flowers have set seed. Then sheep and cattle (and we were told the odd donkey) graze the fields, fertilising the land in the traditional way. This approach supports species rich grassland and as we saw, it was buzzing with life.

In times gone by, hedgerows were an important source of wood and “harvested” for the farm’s needs. The trust has a rolling 3-year management plan for the hedges, supporting farmland birds such as willow warbler, whitethroat and redstart. Some hedges are high and billowing while those recently managed are reduced in height with fully grown trees left in the hedges. One oak we were told is estimated to be 600 years old.

In the coming month, harebells and devil’s bit scabious flowers will appear amongst the tall grasses so the meadows still have much to offer, not only visitors but also to the insect life this rare habitat supports. 

Herefordshire Wildlife Trust runs three Discovery Days each year for their Members and Volunteers. To find out more about becoming a member, head to: Join Herefordshire Wildlife Trust Today and get 3 Months FREE! | Herefordshire Wildlife Trust