A team of three staff and sixteen volunteers have been busy cutting the grass in two of the meadows on the fourteen-hectare reserve to preserve the wonderful variety of wildflowers including meadow buttercup, meadow sweet, meadow knapweed, yellow rattle, tufted vetch and birds foot trefoil.

The grassland also supports common spotted and northern marsh orchids.

Each August (weather permitting) the team descends on the site to cut the grass.

With each cut, the fertility of the soil is gradually reduced which in turn reduces the dominance of grass on the site giving the opportunity for more flowers to grow.

As the hay dries, any seeds captured in it drop onto the ground and produce new flowers.

In addition, when the land is grazed over the winter months by sheep and ponies from the Trust’s Flexigraze conservation grazing scheme, the seeds will be trampled into the muddy ground by their hooves, which will, again, allow new flowers to grow.

Members of the public aren’t allowed access onto the meadows, to ensure wildlife is left alone, but can view them from the public viewing hide.

Just north of Holywell Village, Holywell Pond is home to breeding species of birds including little grebe, pochard, greylag goose and sedge warbler. In winter, widgeon, goldeneye and tufted duck are joined by greenshank, green sandpiper, amongst other rarities.