An afternoon walk through ancient meadows.
May 6, 2013 10:49:05 GMT
Post by lugg on May 6, 2013 10:49:05 GMT
Yesterday Zeb and I went for a walk to seek out wild fritillaries on the meadows close to where I live ( At least that was my reason; his was to find many good smells and get as muddy as he could.)
These meadows are of a type that are very rarely found in England now and are known as Lammas meadows. Basically they are pasture and grass meadows that are strip farmed for the hay / haylage in the summer and then grazed as common land during the winter. The grazing is closed from Feb to Aug and re-opens on Lammas Day ( Aug 1st) This practice has continued for approx 1000 years. The ownership is divided up into sections, some have been in the family for generations some parcels have land have been bought or gifted to Hereford Nature Trust . The meadows regularly flood, mostly in the Winter / Spring although in the last few years there have been occasional Summmer floods as well. The flooding is important because it fertilises the meadows, no other is used except that from the animals.
For those hoping to see the rare wild fritillaries I must say now that unfortunately I could not find any. However I thought I would still show you a little of the meadows.
I took these last May exactly a year ago to the day. As you can see the meadows were flooded at that time
Today though they were as they should be in May.
lh6.googleusercontent.com/-thCmHwyIM-M/UYd01kYAiiI/AAAAAAAAQvE/rfZEu6gVv5Q/s400/P1030014.JPG [/img]
If only these lines could be removed ...
lh5.googleusercontent.com/-cPqyrriMLtU/UYd0TaZUVXI/AAAAAAAAQss/2TXlv1t8UVA/s400/P1020993.JPG [/img]
Ownership of the strips were originally marked by dole stones , there are some old ones still dotted about but this is a much newer example placed by the nature trust to mark its boundaries
lh6.googleusercontent.com/-fma0yT7MSc8/UYd1X71rCaI/AAAAAAAAQxk/CjWi7CoP_yw/s400/P1030036.JPG [/img]
You would perhaps think from my photos so far that Zeb and were the only visitors, not so many walkers and many young people meeting to enjoy the weather and the river.
lh5.googleusercontent.com/-MXiXi29AS34/UYd1nzQeAPI/AAAAAAAAQyk/RCm81P9IYAE/s400/P1030044.JPG [/img]
A few more of the flowers and grasses
lh4.googleusercontent.com/-WNBOLuCZQrk/UYd1JMio41I/AAAAAAAAQwk/AmOVUhPm3VI/s400/P1030028.JPG [/img]
The trees are really starting to fill in now. The building below right is the nature trust’s HQ.
lh5.googleusercontent.com/-psdzmm3eynA/UYd0aK-Ns5I/AAAAAAAAQtM/vjsIqLkSqJE/s400/P1020997.JPG [/img]
Zooming in ;
..Towards my home village, my house is beyond the brow of the hill in the distance
..And to the fields outside the meadows where the rape is beginning to flower
[img src="lh5.googleusercontent.com/-qyKh28J86Eg/UYd1sOetdJI/AAAAAAAAQy0/Q5V1NQcY18U/s640/P1030046.JPG"]
One tired, muddy but happy dog on our return .
These meadows are of a type that are very rarely found in England now and are known as Lammas meadows. Basically they are pasture and grass meadows that are strip farmed for the hay / haylage in the summer and then grazed as common land during the winter. The grazing is closed from Feb to Aug and re-opens on Lammas Day ( Aug 1st) This practice has continued for approx 1000 years. The ownership is divided up into sections, some have been in the family for generations some parcels have land have been bought or gifted to Hereford Nature Trust . The meadows regularly flood, mostly in the Winter / Spring although in the last few years there have been occasional Summmer floods as well. The flooding is important because it fertilises the meadows, no other is used except that from the animals.
For those hoping to see the rare wild fritillaries I must say now that unfortunately I could not find any. However I thought I would still show you a little of the meadows.
I took these last May exactly a year ago to the day. As you can see the meadows were flooded at that time
Today though they were as they should be in May.
lh6.googleusercontent.com/-thCmHwyIM-M/UYd01kYAiiI/AAAAAAAAQvE/rfZEu6gVv5Q/s400/P1030014.JPG [/img]
If only these lines could be removed ...
lh5.googleusercontent.com/-cPqyrriMLtU/UYd0TaZUVXI/AAAAAAAAQss/2TXlv1t8UVA/s400/P1020993.JPG [/img]
Ownership of the strips were originally marked by dole stones , there are some old ones still dotted about but this is a much newer example placed by the nature trust to mark its boundaries
lh6.googleusercontent.com/-fma0yT7MSc8/UYd1X71rCaI/AAAAAAAAQxk/CjWi7CoP_yw/s400/P1030036.JPG [/img]
You would perhaps think from my photos so far that Zeb and were the only visitors, not so many walkers and many young people meeting to enjoy the weather and the river.
lh5.googleusercontent.com/-MXiXi29AS34/UYd1nzQeAPI/AAAAAAAAQyk/RCm81P9IYAE/s400/P1030044.JPG [/img]
A few more of the flowers and grasses
lh4.googleusercontent.com/-WNBOLuCZQrk/UYd1JMio41I/AAAAAAAAQwk/AmOVUhPm3VI/s400/P1030028.JPG [/img]
The trees are really starting to fill in now. The building below right is the nature trust’s HQ.
lh5.googleusercontent.com/-psdzmm3eynA/UYd0aK-Ns5I/AAAAAAAAQtM/vjsIqLkSqJE/s400/P1020997.JPG [/img]
Zooming in ;
..Towards my home village, my house is beyond the brow of the hill in the distance
..And to the fields outside the meadows where the rape is beginning to flower
[img src="lh5.googleusercontent.com/-qyKh28J86Eg/UYd1sOetdJI/AAAAAAAAQy0/Q5V1NQcY18U/s640/P1030046.JPG"]
One tired, muddy but happy dog on our return .