This year’s celebrations of the National Meadows Day took place on Saturday July 4th at Hill House Farm, courtesy of James, Victoria and Fraser Hawkins. The day coincided with our 10th Anniversary which added to the joyful atmosphere. It was a fully booked event and we were honoured to be joined by Dr Ellie Chowns, MP for North Herefordshire, a longstanding supporter of our charity and a passionate advocate for nature- and river-friendly farming.
Following our 2026 theme of Healthy Soils, Healthy Plants, Healthy Livestock, we began by exploring the importance of the soil beneath our feet – looking at the intricate relationships between plant roots and soil-dwelling bacteria, as well as the range of indicators that can be used to assess soil health. Grassland soils can store up to five times more biomass below ground than above, thanks to actively growing roots that continually release carbon-rich exudates, feeding a complex and symbiotic soil microbiology.
We continued with a meadow walk, exploring the results of restoration work carried out in 2019 and 2021. At Hillfield, restored in 2021, the overall number of desirable broadleaved herbs has risen from 4 to 15, a 275% increase (!) in just 5 years. This includes four priority habitat indicator species; Yellow rattle (Rhinanthus minor), Common bird’s foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), Black knapweed (Centaurea nigra) and Common spotted orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsia). At Broomy Field, restored in 2019, and previously in arable, the number of desirable broadleaved herbs now stands at 24 species and includes 11 priority habitat indicator species including; Yellow rattle (Rhinanthus minor), Common bird’s foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), Black knapweed (Centaurea nigra), Common spotted orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsia), Bee orchid (Ophrys apifera), Devil’s bit scabious (Succisa pratensis), Meadow vetchling (Lathyrus pratensis), Ladies bedstraw (Galium verum), Cowslip (Primula veris), Green winged orchid (Anacamptis morio) and Ox-eye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare). These fantastic achievements are a testament of the careful management carried out by James and Fraser, and these fields represent just a small fraction of the species rich grassland they have created across the farm over the years.
The celebrations continued with birthday cake and hay-flavoured sheep’s milk ice cream from Shepherd’s Ice Cream. Jessie Fleck, who owns the business, gave a short talk about the benefits of sheep’s milk for ice cream making, as well as the principles behind their work – producing small-batch ice cream using locally sourced milk from nature friendly farms, and selling it directly to customers.
It was a wonderful afternoon, which left us all feeling uplifted. Over the past 10 years, Herefordshire Meadows have contributed to the restoration of nearly 500 hectares of species -rich grassland, an incredible achievement we feel very proud of. We felt very grateful to celebrate this milestone with our supporters and friends in such a wonderful setting. As a final moment of reflection, James shared with us his poem, which beautifully captured what meadows mean to us all.
This is not just a meadow.
This is velvet drifts of buttercups catching the last honeyed light.
This is bird’s foot trefoil, rich with nectar, feeding clouds of bumblebees from dawn until dusk.
This is wild orchid after wild orchid, rising through the grasses like’s nature finest garnish.
This is knapweed bursting with colour, drawing butterflies to every bloom while jewel-like moths wait for the evening’s cool embrace.
As the sun slips below the horizon, the meadow changes again.
Basking effortlessly through the twilight, feasting on insects above a landscape alive with thousands of tiny lives, each one playing its part.
Every flower feeds another story. Every wingbeat keeps the meadow thriving. Every season brings another spectacular harvest , not for our tables, but for the wildlife that depends on it.
Beautiful. Wild. Wonderfully abundant.
This is nature at its most delicious.
This is not any old meadow.
This is Warren Farm Meadow.
