Cutting the grass at South Close Field. Image by Chloe Cook.
Cutting the grass while the sun shines
Northumberland Wildlife Trust’s estates staff and volunteers have been making the most of the recent hot weather by returning to one of its best lowland meadow reserves in the area.
Each year the team heads to South Close Field, just south of Riding Mill in Northumberland to cut and clear the wildflower meadow to prevent a build-up of nutrients in the soil which have a detrimental effect on flower growth and prevents the area being taken over by nettles, creeping thistles and hogweed.
At this time of year, the small meadow is a carpet of colour with a mix of wildflowers blooming there including yellow oatgrass, cowslips, bird's-foot trefoil, oxeye daisies brightening the landscape and providing excellent nectar for bees, wasps, and meadow brown and skipper butterflies.
A small pond (created in 1979) exists in the middle of the grassland area and is good for breeding frogs, toads and newts and is also visited by large red damselflies.