“My grandfather hired these meadows to graze his cattle and horses in the 1940s.
They are as colourful now as I remember them from my childhood.”

Norah Hanbury-Kelk Meadows are a network of small, flower-rich wet meadows and dykes.

The high water levels, vital for wetland wildlife, are controlled by a system of dams and ditches. In summer the meadows are cut or grazed by cattle to maintain the rich variety of wetland plants such as ragged-robin, lady’s smock, greater bird’s-foot trefoil and both early and southern marsh orchid.The pale early marsh orchid is one of the first to flower. Although similar to the southern marsh orchid, it is much scarcer.

In the winter the Reserve is home to good numbers of snipe feeding along the edges of ditches and ponds.

The footpath along the meadow’s edge provides great views across the Reserve.

Other Trust reserves nearby: Lackford Lakes, Rex Graham

In summer, a riot of wildflowers makes this meadow a delight

STAR SPECIES
Early marsh orchid