June Visit to Herefordshire - Part 3: Ledwyche Meadow and Burford House Gardens

 

On the Friday we decided to go and have a look at Ledwyche meadow at Burford House Gardens as June seems to be the month when it looks its best.

Ledwyche Meadow was created for the Millennum and changed what was farmed arable land into a wildflower meadow. It covers around one and a half acres of meadow with a small section of woodland which contains a Beech Dragon Maze.  Over the last few years remedial work has been carried out on the Ledwyche Brook and the meadow only re-opened two years ago.

Initially, the meadow was left to its own devices for a few years and it naturally rewilded with fauna and flora species increasing.  In June 2022 the Marches Meadow Trust helped a survey a small section of the meadow and found 61 species of plant including Teasel, Wild Carrot, Meadow Cranesbill and Ox-eye Daisy. The survey helped to demonstrate how best the manage the site.  It will benefit wildlife in the area as there are larval food plants for insects especially moths and butterflies and flowers provide nectar and seed for birds.

Ox-eye Daisies, Knapweed and Hogweed.

A yellow and black longhorn beetle on Hogweed flowers.

Red campion is still flowering.

Ledwyche Brook which joins the River Teme nearby.

Before we left we had a look round Burford House Gardens - there have been a lot of changes flower wise since we visited in May.  I do love these gardens they are so quiet and peaceful. We didn't see anyone at all and only saw two people in the meadow.

We saw a few butterflies - Large Skipper, Comma, Red Admiral and "whites" which was a lot more than we managed at Ivycroft Gardens where B just glimpsed one Meadow Brown.  This year seems better for bees but butterflies sadly still seem in short supply.

Timothy was relieved he was finally wearing his t-shirt. It was another hot and humid day!

We returned home on Saturday afternoon to be greeted by a chocolate cake D had made for us :)

All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera. (I don't particularly rate my photos but if anyone wishes to use one of mine or my son's I would be grateful for an email first - thanks).

Herefordshire 2023 (6) - Part 1: Hatfield and a Wildflower Meadow

 

Three days after we left Herefordshire we were back!  E was on holiday for the week and we were hoping she would want to go at the end of her break but no she wanted to go on the Saturday. D came along this time too even though he had an exam on the Wednesday. To be honest the noise (after 10 months of it!)  with the rebuilding work next door has been horrendous especially on the day of D's first exam 😡 so revising has been difficult for him at home.

Timothy on the journey

I've been reading this super Logaston Press book at the caravan and its really interesting. It contains everything you could possibly want to know about hops and hop farming and its history.  I often wonder if my paternal grandparents and their families ever went hop picking.

Strawberry moon rising

The Octopus Tree

Herefordshire Oak

The Constable Tree

Rear of the caravan with the small garden and in the border B has planted loads of these cranesbill type geraniums brought from home. They tend to flower all summer.

One evening about 8.00 I spotted one of the hedgehogs running down the border.

I had more success this time with the bat detector too.  Two bats were around on two of the evenings. I think I have been looking for them too early before.  From the range of the frequency of the echolocation calls and the time of emergence I am sure they are probably Natterer's bats.

One afternoon I walked down by the pool and along to the wildflower meadow  as B and D had seen orchids there.

Clover, Buttercups and Ribwort Plantain

I am not sure what this tiny white flower is - I am not very good at identifying tiny white flowers!

First sign of the orchids - there were dozens.

Bird's Foot Trefoil

More orchids - I am not 100 per cent sure so please feel free to correct me - but  I think they are Common Spotted or Heath Spotted. Someone on Twitter suggested Early Marsh but I am not sure if the dots and splashes on the flowers fit.

Ox-eye Daisies or Moon Pennies galore.  As well as Hawthorn and Buttercups it seems a really good year for them. Motorway and road verges are just full of these flowers :)

The following day I went church crawling to 2 local churches - one of which is full of wild flowers which I'll write about in the next two posts.

I hope everyone is staying safe and well.

All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera. (I don't particularly rate my photos but if anyone wishes to use one I would appreciate an email first - thanks)