Wymeswold Meadows
Location
*Click on the map below to get directions*
OS Map Reference
SK 611231 (Sheet 129)View on What3Words
Know before you go
Dogs
When to visit
Opening times
Always openBest time to visit
WinterAbout the reserve
Wymeswold Meadows run alongside the River Mantle, deeply cut into the ground. It’s possible to feel totally apart from the modern world in this tiny reserve and allow yourself to get really close to a whole range of plants and animals. This is a top spot for enjoying dragonflies and damselflies in summer, which hawk up and down the river banks and will perch on the vegetation. The steep, grassy banks are abundant with flowers and plants, including cowslip, cuckooflower and hoary plantain. Agrimony, lady's bedstraw, spiny restharrow and common birdsfoot-trefoil also occur. This diverse flora attracts a variety of butterflies: orange tip, brimstone, small copper, common blue and small heath, whilst hedgerow birds, like whitethroat and bullfinch, are often seen. The meadows were originally part of common land used by Wymeswold villagers for grazing their stock. The area was enclosed in the 19th century and has traditionally been grazed by cattle, most of it being too steep to cut for hay.
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Wymeswold Meadows
One of the most magical things about visiting Wymeswold Meadows is the sense of seclusion you get when you step through the gates. The river is deeply cut, and, despite being so close to the road, this is the perfect spot for immersing yourself fully in the wild.
Wymeswold Meadows runs alongside the River Mantle, which is somewhat seasonal and at this time of year is more like a small trickling stream. The banks of the river are exposed and you can see the effect of the water’s erosion from its heavier flow during the winter months along its steep sides.
During the summer this reserve is a great place to see dragonflies and damselflies, which hawk up and down the riverbanks. The timeless sense of quiet contemplation quickly surrounds you in the peaceful grassy banks abundant with flowers, plants and plenty of blackberries.
Chris Hill, Reserve Officer for Wymeswold Meadows,
