AS part of a national campaign to restore and create wildflower-rich meadows, Exmoor’s first ‘Meadows Day’ will be held at White Rocks Cottage, Simonsbath, on Saturday, July 1.

A day of talks and walks in the meadows of the Exmoor forest estate will be hosted by the Exmoor Society, Exmoor National Park Authority’s ‘sowing the seeds’ project, and the South West Farming Advisory Group.

Half-hour talks at 11 am and 2 pm will be followed by guided walks.

An Exmoor Society spokesperson said: “A total of 97 per cent of our meadows have been destroyed since the 1930s, lost to development, neglect, or ploughed up, reseeded, and fertilised to create pasture.

Another West Somerset wildflower meadow.
Another West Somerset wildflower meadow. (Laura Yiend)

“Instead of maybe 150 different plants, on average there are now 10.

“This not only affects pollinators, it wrecks the habitat for countless other species - beetles, grasshoppers, ladybirds, snails, aphids, weevils, and shield bugs to name a few.

“But there is a fightback, a great wave of action by farmers, landowners, and gardeners all endeavouring to look after the meadows that are left and to bring back some of what we have lost.

“Meadows Day will show what has been achieved at Simonsbath and how to do it yourself.”

National park project officer Lucy Cornwall said: “Exmoor has some amazing species-rich grassland but our plan is to grow it.

“We have seed, we have expertise, and now all we need is for people to ask us for our support.”

More information about the free event is available by emailing the Exmoor Society.