By Steve Aylward.
Fox Fritillary Meadow Nature Reserve
Please note: Public access on annual open days only. Unfortunately, 2021 open days are cancelled due to Covid-19 Government guidelines.
Location
OS Map Reference
TM190609
Know before you go
Entry fee
£5 per person on open days only.Grazing animals
Sheep graze after hay cut.Walking trails
Public access on open day only - ring 01473 890089 for details.
Access grass/track and steep slope, 400 metres from parking to meadow. To avoid damage to the flora and hay crop, please keep to the edge of the meadow. Ground conditions can be very wet.
Access
Not suitable for wheelchairs.
Public access on open day only.
No drone flying without express permission.
(Permission will only be granted in exceptional circumstances)
Dogs
When to visit
Opening times
Visiting this meadow is only possible at an annual open event which we aim to hold during the fritillary flowering period (usually mid to late April). For more information please telephone 01473 890089.Best time to visit
April to MayAbout the reserve
Displays of up to 300,000 nodding purple-chequered and white flower heads. The largest of only four remaining snake’s head fritillary sites in Suffolk, this reserve is an ancient floodplain meadow. Fritillaries thrive in land that periodically floods. In spring, the emergence of the grass like foliage is soon followed by stunning displays in mid April to early May.
Eighteen fritillary sites were known in Suffolk in 1889, but sadly most have been lost through drainage or ploughing. The fritillaries bloom alongside early meadow flowers such as cowslip and cuckoo flower. Visiting this meadow is only possible at an annual open event which we aim to hold during the fritillary flowering period.