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Davies Meadows Nature Reserve

Location: Calver Hill, Norton Canon, Herefordshire
OS: SO 375 485

Habitat: Unimproved meadows, ponds, ancient orchard

Pathway through the wildflowers at Davies Meadow
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The Reserve

Davies Meadows has fascinating geology, sitting on glacial moraine, which is ground left behind from a glacier. It lies on the northern side of the Wye Valley, and is made up of three unimproved meadows, an ancient Perry Pear orchard and two ponds.

When we bought the meadows back in 1993, they were something of a timewarp from the old farming ways. The site is cut for hay in the summer and grazed during the autumn, as would have been the traditional practice. We want to keep it that way as it’s the perfect way to encourage wild flowers.

Davies Meadows is a species rich site with sixteen species of grasses recorded. It is also a haven for wildflowers including Meadow Buttercup Ranunculus acris, Bulbous Buttercup Ranunculus bulbosus and Creeping Buttercup Ranunculus repens, Meadow Vetchling Lathyrus pratensis, Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra, Devil’s-bit Scabious Succisa pratensis and Yellow Rattle Rhinanthus minor.

Habitat

Davies Meadows is full of life, rich in plant species and insects, including rare varieties.

As well as the wildflowers and grasses mentioned above, you can find Pignut Conopodium majus, the pretty Sneezewort Achillea ptarmica with it’s creamy-white flowerheads and Green-winged Orchids Anacamptis morio, which although take more searching to find, are definitely worth the effort.
Other species in the meadows include; Cuckooflower Cardamine Pratensis, Water Forget-me-not Myosotis scorpioides, Common Marsh-bedstraw Galium palustre and Floating Sweet-grass Glyceria fluitans.

The diversity of plants is mirrored in the insects that flutter and buzz over the meadows, which include two nationally scarce moths: the chimney sweeper, whose caterpillars feed on Pignut, and the six-spot burnet, which lays its eggs on Bird’s-foot Trefoil Lotus corniculatus.

The mixed hedgerows, ponds and old meadows also provide excellent habitat for other wildlife. Frogs and toads are regularly seen and grass snakes have been recorded in the past.

The reserve is managed by Herefordshire Nature Trust. Its purchase was made possible by Unilever (Timotei).

Species to look out for

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Directions

By road, from Hereford, take the A438 signposted to Brecon then take the A480 signposted to Lyonshall. Continue along the A480, passing the road to Weobly on your right. Pass the Three Horseshoes public house and a petrol station, Davies Meadows are situated just after these landmarks on the left-hand side.

By rail, the nearest train station is Hereford which is 10 miles from the reserve.

A seasonal pond at Davies Meadows with the pale grey winter sky and leafless trees reflected in the still water

A seasonal pond at Davies Meadows

One of the seasonal ponds at Davies Meadows

One of the seasonal ponds at Davies Meadows

Wild flowers bloom on the hill in Bowers Field

Wildflowers at Bowers Field

Looking out over Green Field

The pond at Davies Meadows

Pathway through the wildflowers at Davies Meadow

Pathway through the wildflowers at Davies Meadow

A meadow of Stinking Chamomile.

24 Plantlife

Nature Reserves

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